Ph.D. in Educational Studies: Educational Leadership
Inspiring imagination and nurturing practitioner-scholars to construct new knowledge, be courageous, redefine school leadership, and redesign schools so that all students achieve at high levels.
The mission of this program is to develop school leaders with the knowledge and ability to drive their schools toward high performance--leaders who will also have the capacity to effect and sustain improvement. These leaders will understand multiple perspectives and have the skills for critical analysis, enabling them to turn schools that need improvement into good schools, and turn good schools into great schools, by identifying and sustaining best practices, maintaining high expectations for all, working toward results, focusing on data and research, and applying formative assessments to differentiated instruction.
Sharing resources and exposing students early to courses that develop the doctoral-level skills necessary for writing a dissertation permit candidates to complete degrees in three years. Some courses are taken online, and some work is done in residencies. For more information about this program, check the Frequently Asked Questions, or contact Graduate Admissions.
Partnerships. Lesley's status as an incubator of educational knowledge has allowed the university to develop key partnerships with several leading professional organizations that prepare educational leaders. Students who complete programs with the approved partnership organizations may waive credits in the doctoral program. See the Partnerships page for more information.
Requirements: Applicants must have a Master's or Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study degree and a current license as a school administrator.
| PROGRAM OF STUDY | CREDITS | |
| Required Courses | 30 | |
| EEDUC 8001 | Advanced Professional Seminar | |
| EAGSR 8107 | Seminar One: Critical Contexts of the Principalship | 3 |
| EAGSR 8108 | Seminar Two: Achieving Academic Excellence for All | 3 |
| EAGSR 8109 | Seminar Three: Creating the School as Center of Student Achievement | 3 |
| EAGSR 8110 | Seminar Four: Change is a Process | 3 |
| EAGSR 8104 | Interdisciplinary Seminar II | 3 |
| EAGSR 7103 | Qualitative Research Methods I | 3 |
| EAGSR 7101 | Quantitative Methods | 3 |
| EAGSR 7004 | Adult Learning & Development* | 3 |
| EAGSR 8112 | Dissertation Seminar | 3 |
| Electives (sample) | 30** | |
| EEDUC 7004 | Adult Learning and Development | |
| EAGSR 7102 | Quantitative Research II | |
| EEDUC 7104 | Qualitative Research II | |
| EAGSR 7115 | Building Communities of Practice | |
| EAGSR 7116 | Learning and the Brain: Fitting the Nurture of Teaching to the Nature of Human Learning |
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| TOTAL CREDITS |
60* |
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*Students transferring in credits from partnership organizations (e.g., National Institute for School Leadership) will replace this course with an additional elective, bringing the total number of elective credits to nine (see below).
**Students who hold an active license in an educational leadership area (e.g., superintendent, principal, supervisor/director) will be able to waive 12 credits from this program. Students who have completed a program with an approved partner organization, such as the National Institute for School Leadership, will be able to waive 24 elective credits from this program. Students can transfer up to 24 credits, including up to 12 elective credits and up to 12 credits transferred in from a Lesley Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (for EAGSR 7101, EAGSR 7103, EAGSR 8102, EAGSR 8104 [or in place of 8102, EEDUC 8001]), which will also replace elective credits. In all cases of waivers, a minimum of 36 credits will be completed with Lesley University.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS for REQUIRED COURSES
EEDUC 8001 Advanced Professional Seminar
This interdisciplinary seminar will focus on professional identity development and issues of professional practice. Students will be introduced to reflective practice, systems analysis, and action research. Students from diverse disciplines will learn about collaborative problem solving for the systems in which they have to function. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the cultural, social, and community contexts for professional practice from a critical perspective.
EAGSR 8107 Seminar I: Critical Contexts for the Principalship
In this course, students (educational leaders) will advance their knowledge of and critically examine educational leadership related to current contexts, values and belief systems, principles of leadership, strategic thinking, and technology to enable them to be reflective decision makers. Note: For Educational Leadership Ph.D. students only.
EAGSR 8108 Seminar II: Achieving Academic Excellence for All Students
In this course, students will further explore conditions (school culture, sociocultural contexts, engagement with other constituencies, etc.) that lead to the successful transmission of standards-based curriculum for all learners. In addition, implementation of effective school design models and faculty development will be analyzed vis-à-vis their capacity to promote improvement in teaching and learning. Note: For Educational Leadership Ph.D. students only.
EAGSR 8109 Seminar III: Creating the School as a Center of Excellence
In this seminar, students will analyze and reflect on the role of the principal/educational leader as an effective instructional leader in a time of national focus on accountability for schools and assessment for students. The focus is on closing the achievement gap and developing a professional community. Note: For Educational Leadership Ph.D. students only.
EAGSR 8110 Seminar IV: Change is a Process
In this seminar, students will study models of change and analyze how leaders make decisions about engaging in change to improve student achievement and bring schools into the twenty-first century. Note: For Educational Leadership Ph.D. students only.
EAGSR 8104 Interdisciplinary Seminar II
Participants in this seminar examine the political, economic, and sociocultural forces that impact upon and shape the roles of professionals within institutions of social change. The seminar is structured around the consideration of a select number of critical issues and controversies surrounding professional work within institutions of social change. Presentations by invited professional practitioners supplement seminar readings and discussions. Note: Ph.D. candidates and C.A.G.S. students only.
EAGSR 7103 Qualitative Research Methods I
The purpose of this class is to learn to conduct qualitative social science research. Participants will read a variety of perspectives on the philosophical bases as well as tools of the practice of qualitative data gathering and analysis. Each participant will engage in a small qualitative study that is consistent with her or his graduate study goals. They will choose a topic and research setting, negotiate research relationships, collect and analyze data, and present findings. Readings, analytic memos, interview transcriptions, and field notes will provide material for the class to work with as co-consultants. Formerly: Qualitative Research Methods.
EAGSR 7101 Quantitative Research Methods I: Statistics for Research
This course is designed to introduce graduate students to basic statistical methods and involves two broad topics: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. In addition, students are introduced to statistical model building through the technique of regression analysis and correlational analysis. While the course centers on parametric statistical techniques, a brief introduction to non-parametric statistical methods, such as the chi-square test, is included.
EAGSR 7004 Adult Learning and Development
This course will review the theories, research, and models on adult learning and development. It explores the social context in which adults learn and develop, and the influences of race, class, gender, and culture. Students will be required to apply the material to a practice setting. This is a seminar designed for advanced graduate students.
EAGSR 8112 Ph.D. Dissertation Seminar
The Educational Leadership Ph.D. dissertation seminar is designed to assist students in finishing their dissertation. Questions/dilemmas about technology literacy, library research, data-based research, being a reflective practitioner, knowing how to make presentations, how to collaborate with others, analyze, synthesize, assess, evaluate, read critically, and write well will be dealt with in order to finish the dissertation. Note: Lesley/NISL Ph.D. students only.
EAGSR 7004 Adult Learning and Development
This course will review the theories, research, and models on adult learning and development. It explores the social context in which adults learn and develop, and the influences of race, class, gender, and culture. Students will be required to apply the material to a practice setting. This is a seminar designed for advanced graduate students.
EAGSR 7102 Quantitative Research Methods II: Research Design | Discussion of a variety of experimental designs stressing applications to participants’ research interests. Includes analysis of variance, multiple regression, and non-parametric analysis. Prerequisite: EAGSR 7101.
EAGSR 7104 Qualitative Research Methods II
This course combines theory and practice in advanced qualitative research methods. Participants will engage in ethnographic, case study, and other methods of qualitative analysis involving observation and interviewing. There will be emphasis on data collection, analysis, theory building, and presentation, so class members need to have a research site in place at the beginning of the semester. Coursework will involve historical/theoretical and exemplary readings, individual analytic memo writing, group consultations, and completion of a research project. Prerequisite: EAGSR 7103.
EAGSR 7115 Building Communities of Practice | According to Elmore, “If public schools survive, leaders will look very different from the way they presently look, both in who leads and in what these leader do.” This course will examine the principles of distributive leadership and help participants build the foundation of a learning organization or professional learning community. Participants will explore the differences between induction, mentoring, and coaching, and discuss the skills and processes necessary to build the capacity their building-based faculties. Participants will also learn how to facilitate two-way conversations between home and school, and help faculty support families in improving student academic achievement.
EAGSR 7116 Learning and the Brain: Fitting the Nurture of Teaching to the Nature of Human Learning
Students learn through the biological medium of their brains. No matter where they are from or what their abilities, students cannot learn anything without activating and altering neurobiological processes within their nervous systems. In this course, educators will explore how neuroscience can be used for the benefit of student learning. We will examine the physiological mechanisms involved in memory, executive function, attention, emotion, motivation, stress, and resilience, and we will investigate practical applications for improved teaching methods and curricular design.
Lesley University reserves the right to unilaterally add, withdraw, or revise any course offering in the above-mentioned program of study, including policies, provisions, requirements, and fees.
Lesley University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, handicap, or disability in its educational programs, employment, or in admissions to, access to, or treatment in its programs or activities.
