Many experienced educators desire to enhance their careers by seeking out leadership positions, and many accredited educational leadership degree programs in California exist to help those in their endeavor. Educating both children and adults require a specific set of skills as does the leading educators. Educational leadership programs adequately increase the knowledge base of current educators in a variety of areas and provide them with opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings. Many issues in education demand thorough analysis that requires a variety of advanced skills in order to solve complex issues that quality educational leadership programs can provide.
Argosy University
College of Education
The College of Education equips students with the skills needed to address the unique needs of students being taught on the P-12 level and provide the knowledge necessary to support the schools that they will work in. Students learn the best practices from instructors who are practitioners in the classroom who are also scholars outside the classroom. The college offers five master degree programs, three specialist degree programs, and nine doctoral degree programs that provide students with the necessary skills to become effective administrators at various school levels including post-secondary institutions.
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
This accredited educational leadership degree program in California seeks to prepare students to be leaders in the field of education that cause positive change. The program is intended for leaders of education in the professional world, and it leads to a non-certification degree. A practitioner-researcher framework is used with a focus on establishing learning communities that provide students with learning experiences that support the cultural awareness, personal creativity, individuality, and social responsibility of students. Sixty credit hours are required for the completion of the program which includes 21 hours of core courses, 12 hours of research courses, 12 hours of a higher education concentration, a three hour elective, and 12 hours for dissertation courses.
Accreditations
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Contact
College of Education
601 South Lewis Street
Orange, CA 92868
(855) 245-3424
materialsreview@argosy.edu
Azusa Pacific University
School of Education
The School of Education offers over 25 programs on the master and doctoral degree levels that includes the areas of teaching, special education, learning and technology, physical education, counseling and school psychology, educational technology, and educational leadership. There is a focus on preparing students to become leaders of excellence in their roles as teachers, administrators, psychologists, and counselors in a variety of educational settings. The school prides itself on their challenging academic curriculum that fulfills the mission of the university which is to combine progressing God’s work with academic excellence.
M.A. in Educational Leadership
The program aims to develop students into professionals who are competent and innovative leaders who create educational environments that allow students to connect their education with their professional career goals, are scholar-practitioners who combine real-world decision making with theoretical knowledge, and who are respected citizens with admirable ethical and moral character. This accredited educational leadership degree program in California combines the master degree curriculum with the 15-month Preliminary Administrative Services Credential or Internship Credential (PASC) which allows students to have the full responsibilities of an administrator at a school in California while still completing their leadership academic coursework. This 33-credit-hour program conveniently holds courses only one night per week for four-hour class sessions.
Accreditations
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Contact
Department of Educational Leadership
Azusa Pacific University, PO Box 7000
Azusa, CA 91702-7000
(626) 815-5374
k12edleadership@apu.edu
California State University Fresno
Kremen School of Education & Human Development
The Kremen School of Education and Human Development produces the most teachers on the k-12 level out of all the public universities in California. The school emphasizes adequate preparation of students that are equipped to be ethical, inclusive leaders in schools with diverse cultures and languages, and who have an appreciation for differences. Programs are offered on a variety of levels including one bachelor degree program, five master degree programs, one doctoral degree programs in addition to coursework being offered for those seeking teaching credentials.
Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership
This doctoral program provides the necessary knowledge base that teaches students how to perform research in the field, develop educational policies, administer educational assessments, and be leaders to promote educational reform. The accredited educational leadership degree program in California uses a cohort model consisting of 10-12 students to utilize the built-in support system. Courses are held during the weekends and in the late afternoon and evening hours to accommodate working professionals in addition to some courses being offered partially or fully online. Sixty credit hours, that can be completed over three years, are required which includes the development and defense of a doctoral dissertation. Students can specialize in either pre-k-12 educational leadership or post-secondary educational leadership.
Accreditations
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Contact
5005 N Maple Ave
MS ED117
Fresno, CA 93740
(559) 278.0427
tajohnson@csufresno.edu
http://fresnostate.edu/kremen/dr-educational-leadership/index.html
California State University Long Beach
College of Education
The College of Education exists to provide a nurturing learning environment and teaching community that is focused on excellence and equality in education as students are prepared for careers in public and private school settings. Seven key ideas are used as students are prepared to become educators which are leadership, scholarship, effective pedagogy, collaboration, evidence-based practices, innovation, and advocacy. A variety of programs are offered including one bachelor, 14 master, one specialist, and one doctoral degree program along with a variety of teaching credential and graduate certificate programs.
Educational Leadership Doctorate (Ed.D.)
The educational leadership program was developed and is implemented and evaluated by representatives from p-12 schools and community colleges alongside university faculty members and administrators. There is a focus on increasing and changing the position of education in order to meet societal needs. The program consists of 60 credit hours that’s provided through a cohort model and can be completed in three years of full-time study, which is required in addition to summer sessions. This accredited educational leadership degree program in California was designed for working professionals who complete coursework on the weekends and in the evenings. Two program options are offered which are elementary/secondary educational leadership and community college/higher education educational leadership.
Accreditations
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Contact
Academic Services Room 201
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840-2201
(562) 985‑4987
eddinfo@csulb.edu
https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-education/educational-doctorate-educational-leadership
California State University Los Angeles
Charter College of Education
As the first and only college of education at a public university to have a charter status, it is allowed to be flexible and innovative as it seeks to transform urban public education. Students are taught to be competent in their subjects and committed to improving education for youth and children which is achieved by implementing the college’s core values of technology integration; educational equity; democratic participation; lifelong learning; cultural, ability, and linguistic diversity; collaboration and community; inclusiveness, inquiry and reflection; and accountability for learner outcomes.
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership
This accredited educational leadership degree program in California seeks to create leaders who actively collaborate with members of diverse urban communities in order to determine how educational equity, access, and democratic participation has been addressed by educational, legal, and political entities. A focus is placed on the four program values of knowledge, engagement, justice, and critical reflection. The program requires 60 credit hours completed over three years of year-round study. Students select a program emphasis from the four options of educational leadership for urban teaching and learning, educational leadership for system and school redesign, educational leadership for students’ special needs and support, and post-secondary. Students must conduct independent research as part of the doctoral dissertation.
Accreditations
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Contact
King Hall D2069
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032
(323) 343-4300
CCOE@calstatela.edu
http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/ccoe
California State University Northridge
Michael D. Eisner College of Education
The mission of the college is to prepare students to become teachers, administrators, counselors, and other professionals that will meet the varying educational needs of the area, especially the greater San Fernando Valley area. An interdisciplinary approach is used to allow for critical thinking, reflection, and excellence in teaching. Twenty-seven programs are offered through the four departments that are housed in the college which include the departments of elementary education, secondary education, special education, deaf studies, educational psychology and counseling, and educational leadership and policy studies.
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
This accredited educational leadership degree program in California seeks to build a network of college and school administrators who are committed to creating significant changes in teaching and learning that allows for increased student achievement. The program, designed for working professionals, uses a cohort model for each of its program options of either p-12 leadership or community college leadership. Sixty credit hours are required that are completed over three calendar years with summer sessions included. Courses are held on one night each week, and students are required to participate in assigned activities online as well as attend several weekend seminar sessions throughout the year. Students also complete field-based research in addition to completing independent research for the required doctoral dissertation.
Accreditations
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Contact
ED 3103
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8265
(818) 677-2403
edd.mdecoe@csun.edu
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/doctoral-program
Loyola Marymount University
School of Education
The School of Education is nationally ranked at number 58 as the best graduate school in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report, number two as a Jesuit Institution, and number three as a California private independent institution. The school’s purpose is to promote excellence in academics, foster life-long learning, educate the entirety of an individual, and to encourage service as well as justice for everyone. The Catholic education traditions of Marymount and Jesuit provide the foundation for the school’s commitment to serving individuals in public and private educational settings.
Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice
The doctoral program is intended to provide educators with previous experience and leaders in the community with the tools needed to change educational settings into those that are inclusive and that provide equal learning opportunities for all students. Participants are better able to understand complex educational issues by benefiting from the program’s merging of theory with practice. The program is completed in three years culminating in 66 credit hours with courses that encourage students to analyze the inequalities in education that occur as a result of the actions of political, legal, economic, and sociocultural systems. This accredited educational leadership degree program in California boasts a 97 percent completion rate.
Accreditations
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Contact
School of Education
1 LMU Drive, University Hall, Suite 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 258-8768
soeinfo@lmu.edu
University of San Diego
School of Leadership and Education Sciences
The school is ranked number 95 as the best education graduate school and number 36 as the best online graduate education program for 2019 by the U.S. News & World Report. The school aims to improve human dignity and the quality of lives by using education that is inclusive to all as a foundation for social justice. There is a focus on the five core values which are excellence in teaching, community engagement, multiculturalism and social justice, care for the whole person, and excellence in scholarship.
MA in Higher Education Leadership
Students in this accredited educational leadership degree program in California become familiar with the major leadership theories, develop advanced critical thinking skills, understand theories of organizational behavior and how to implement them, examine other cultures and make relevant applications to their own lives, are reflective to understand their skills and limitations, can make practical higher education application from theories, develop an understanding of the characteristics and culture of students in higher education, and are aware of historical trends in higher education and how they impact current policy issues. Thirty-six credit hours are required in addition to an international experience to increase cultural competency. Students must elect to complete an action research project or thesis.
Accreditations
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Contact
Mother Rosalie Hill Hall
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 260-7988
solesadmissions@sandiego.edu
http://www.sandiego.edu/soles/leadership-studies/ma-higher-education-leadership/
Related Resource: Top 20 Best Master’s in Educational Leadership Online
Many different educational leadership programs are offered to increase the knowledge base of current educators to properly lead educators and to address the pertinent and complex issues in the field of education. Different program options exist that include program focus areas, credit hours, and class schedules which can all be important factors when selecting a quality program. A variety of program options are available through the various accredited educational leadership degree programs in California.
