Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership is a unique and relevant degree plan that specifically meets the needs of our local districts, who have articulated challenges in hiring leaders who have specializations in district leadership, bilingual education, early childhood education, special education, and multidisciplinary approaches. Students will have the opportunity to select a strand of study that meets their interests and career goals to be a transformational leader in their community.
This degree is designed intentionally to provide an enriched plan of study that will meet the challenges Texas school leaders may face now and in the future. Graduates will be eligible to apply for school and district leadership positions and serve as transformative leaders who positively impact students to engage in the state’s workforce. This distinctive degree plan structure will result in graduates as educational professionals that are also able to teach at the college or university level as SACSCOC Highly Qualified instructors in different specialized content areas with 18 credit hours successfully completed in Leadership, Research, and District Leadership,Bilingual Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, or Multidisciplinary Approaches to Education.
The Transformative System-Level Leadership doctoral degree at Texas A&M University-San Antonio will observe admissions standards commensurate with the expectations of identifying individuals with the drive to be social justice advocates in support of their learning communities. A committee composed of faculty teaching in the program will examine candidates who have the potential to meet admissions standards within two pathways:
Pathway 1: ADMISSION To District Leadership with Superintendency Certification Strand (ONLY)
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Complete the online application and submit all relevant documents
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Hold a master’s degree with a cumulative GPA higher than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
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Hold a current valid principal certificate in the state of Texas
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Record of leadership experience- applicants are expected to have at least three years of full-time educational leadership experience upon completing the program.
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Submit names of two professional references (minimum of 1 supervisor)
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Participate in an interview with faculty members.
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Submit one sample of academic writing or submit a personal statement of your Leadership Philosophy (no longer than one page)
Pathway 2: ADMISSION to Bilingual, Early Childhood, Special Education, or Multidisciplinary strands
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Complete the online application and submit all relevant documents
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Hold a master’s degree with a cumulative GPA higher than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
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Submit names of two professional references (minimum of 1 supervisor)
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Participate in an interview with faculty members
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Submit one sample of academic writing or submit a personal statement describing your approach to Educational Transformation or Leadership Philosophy as it relates to the concentration to which they are applying (no longer than one page)
Students will complete 18 credit hours in required Leadership Core Courses and 18 credit hours in Research Courses, followed by 18 credit hours from 1 of 5 strands with specialized systems-level knowledge (District Leadership, Bilingual Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, or Multidisciplinary Approaches to Education), with one strand leading to Texas Superintendent certification.
The required Leadership Courses (18 credit hours) and the required Strand Courses (18 credit hours) were created to support the uniquely identified needs of our local school district partners, alumni, and research. The first two (EDAD 6350 and EDAD 6351) and the final two Research Courses (EDAD 6354 and EDAD 6355) are specifically designed to support the Capstone research and writing assignments woven into the course rotation that are the culminating product of this degree. EDAD 6156 provides students with structured guidance and oversight as they complete and submit a capstone manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
This degree plan is designed around the action-oriented “dissertation-in-practice" approach in which students design and conduct a research study that results in a Capstone Project that will result in two submitted publications to two different peer-reviewed journals.
Students will identify a problem of practice in their research courses and design their individual Capstone study to collect data in response to their identified research question. Students will focus on practical skills and real-world applications through the intensive academic inquiry that is woven throughout the courses in this degree.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership Core Courses | 18 | |
| Leadership in the Pursuit of Educational Excellence | ||
| Advanced Learning Theory | ||
| Leading Change: Cultivating, Sustaining, and Renewing Organizational Culture | ||
| Policy and Politics in Education | ||
| Social and Cultural Contexts in Educational Settings | ||
| Principles of Legal and Ethical Leadership | ||
| Research Courses 1 | 18 | |
| Introduction to Education Research | ||
| Survey of Research Methods | ||
| Advanced Research Methods: Qualitative Methodologies | ||
| Advanced Research Methods: Quantitative Methodology | ||
| Capstone Seminar 1: Data Collection and Analysis | ||
| Capstone Seminar 2: Findings and Discussion | ||
| Specialization Strands | 18 | |
| District Leadership with Superintendency Certification | ||
| Introduction to the Superintendency | ||
| Advanced Personnel Management and Human Relations | ||
| Advanced Educational Finance and Facilities | ||
| Advanced Management of Special Programs | ||
| Innovation in Leadership and Problem-Solving for Special Populations | ||
| Superintendency Practicum | ||
| Total Credits | 54 | |
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EDAD 6156 provides students with structured guidance and oversight as they complete and submit a capstone manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Students in this degree program will complete 18 credits in Leadership, 18 credits in Research, and 18 credits in a focus strand for a total of 54 credits. The doctoral degree is designed for students who have already completed both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree.
The curriculum is informed by national standards, state standards, and needs identified by our local community partners. The curriculum and learning experiences in this Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership at Texas A&M University-San Antonio are designed to prepare doctoral candidates to become transformative system-level leaders in District Leadership, Bilingual Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, or Multidisciplinary Approaches who drive improvement in support of their learning communities.
First-Year Fall Semester: 9 credits (1 Leadership, 1 Strand, 1 Research)
First-Year Spring Semester: 9 credits (1 Leadership, 1 Strand, 1 Research)
First-Year Summer Semester: 6 credits (1 Strand, 1 Research)
Second-Year Fall Semester: 9 credits (1 Leadership, 1 Strand, 1 Research)
Second-Year Spring Semester: 9 credits (1 Leadership, 1 Strand, 1 Research)
Second-Year Summer Semester: 6 credits (1 Leadership, 1 Strand)
Third-Year Fall Semester: 6 credits (1 Leadership, 1 Research)