Chairperson: Joseph Engler, Ph.D.
The Department of Educational Leadership and Administration bases its graduate degree programs on the premise that leaders facilitate change first by examining themselves and understanding their context. We believe educational settings are transformed when educators engage in inquiry together, informed by their community and by evidence.
This department offers a Master’s degree program (with or without Principal Certification option), one doctoral program, and a Principal Certification (standalone) program:
- Master of Education in Educational Leadership (with or without Principal Certification option)
- Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
- Principal Certification (standalone)
Admissions
- Students applying to Gonzaga University must submit Gonzaga’s Graduate Application, which can be accessed online at https://www.gonzaga.edu/gradapply
- Along with the application for graduate study, each program at Gonzaga has distinct admission requirements. Please refer to the table below to view that detailed information.
Program Name |
How To Apply Link |
Doctor of Educational Leadership (EdD) | https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-education/graduate/doctor-of-educational-leadership/how-to-apply |
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (Online) | https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-education/graduate/m-ed-in-educational-leadership---online/how-to-apply |
M.Ed in Educational Leadership with Principal Certification (Online) | https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-education/graduate/m-ed-in-educational-leadership-principal-cert/how-to-apply |
Principal Certification | https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-education/certifications-endorsements/principal-certification/admissions-requirements |
Prerequisite
A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required and a minimum of three (3) years of teaching experience is preferred.
Master of Education in Educational Leadership
The Department of Educational Leadership and Administration offers a 30-credit online program which strives to develop reflective, educational leaders who are committed to a spirit of inquiry and social justice and who guide their communities toward a rich, equitable, and comprehensive education for all students.
The program is designed for practicing educators who aspire to become more effective formal and informal leaders in the K-12 environment. An educational leader’s key task is to foster learning for everyone in that environment.
The 30-credit program consists of 11 courses delivered across four consecutive semesters. The 11 courses in this program are designed to help educators develop the knowledge and skills that will help them create a school environment in which everyone can realize their potential.
This online master’s program is, at heart, a community of learners. To enhance this community of learners, this program is designed as a cohort model. Members of the cohort begin the program with online courses that are mostly asynchronous. The online coursework is enhanced by personal one-to-one support via a learning management system, e-mail, telephone, and teleconferencing throughout the program. During the summer, the cohort will meet together for synchronous sessions for a week.
Master of Education in Educational Leadership
Program Outline: 30 credits
EDLA 618 Professional Literature Review | 3 credits |
EDLA 626 Cultural Competence Development | 3 credits |
EDLA 628 Educational Leadership and Inquiry | 3 credits |
EDLA 633 Educational Leadership and Organizations | 3 credits |
EDLA 638 Educational Leadership: Change, Management, and Supervision |
3 credits |
EDLA 641 Educational Leadership and Community | 3 credits |
EDLA 653 Educational Leadership: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment | 3 credits |
EDLA 688 Evidence-Informed Decision Making | 3 credits |
EDLA 689 Professional Seminar | 3 credits |
EDLA 698 Research and Data Analysis | 3 credits |
EDLA 699 Comprehensive Oral Exam | 0 credits |
Master of Education in Educational Leadership with Principal or Program Administrative Certification is designed for those individuals that wish to complete their master's degree with certification in the State of Washington.
EDLA 612 Leadership Role Seminar (fall) | 3 credits |
EDLA 613 Leadership Role Seminar (spring) | 3 credits |
EDLA 620 Certification Internship (fall) | 3 credits |
EDLA 630 Certification Internship (spring) |
3 credits |
Principal Certification (Standalone)
The Department of Educational Leadership and Administration understands that school leaders face many challenges, including legislated learning, under-funded programs, and the demands of a global economy, and increasing pressures for school reform, assessment, and accountability. School leadership programs begin with the assumption that school leaders do more than provide effective supervision. Today’s school leaders also work with peers, administrators, and parents to achieve school, district, and state goals. Research on school leadership indicates that student achievement is heavily influenced by the ethos of the school. An effective school ethos is characterized by faculty collegiality, collaboration, and a sense of community in which leaders demonstrate the courage to address tough issues, the commitment and care to improve conditions for everyone in the community, and the individual, personal and technical competence to be effective.
Prerequisites
A Master’s Degree from an accredited institution, a valid teaching or ESA certificate, currently employed in a K-12 setting in the state of Washington, and a minimum of (three) 3 years of K-12 experience.
The Principal Certification Program consists of 12 credits
Program Outline:
EDPC 912 Leadership Role Seminar (fall) | 3 credits |
EDPC 920 Certification Internship (fall) | 3 credits |
EDPC 913 Leadership Role Seminar (spring) | 3 credits |
EDPC 930 Certification Internship (spring) | 3 credits |
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership is a cohort-based program that consists of 51 credits distributed across 7 semesters: three summer semesters and two academic years. This hybrid program will enable candidates to continue working in their professions as they complete their doctoral studies. Summer courses are delivered in traditional face-to-face instruction in Spokane; courses during the two academic years are delivered online.
Through the program, candidates will develop a five-chapter capstone that will be focused on identifying and dealing with a problem of practice on a scholarly and practical basis. For the capstone projects, candidates will engage in scholarly inquiry to effectively leverage data in order to deal with a self-identified problem of professional practice. The capstone project is an evidence- based contribution to the problem of practice. Our short-hand term for the evidence- based contribution to the problem of practice is what we call “the deliverable.” The purpose of the deliverable is to make a positive system-wide impact on your problem of practice in your professional setting. The evidence-based contribution to the problem of practice can be developed and presented in whatever format you and the EdD faculty agree makes the most sense for your specific purpose and audience. Your work on your 5-chapter capstone, and your deliverable, will be supported by coursework and regular contact with doctoral advisors as well as communication with experts, practitioners, community members, and other stakeholders in the field. The program culminates with a presentation of the capstone project and a synthesis of the candidate’s work throughout the program.
Non-Matriculation
Due to the nature of the cohort model, the EdD program does not accept students on a non-matriculated basis.
The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
Prerequisites
A master’s degree from an accredited college or university is required, with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
At least five (5) years of professional experience in the pre-K-12 school (or closely related) environment.
Program Outline: 51 credits
EDLD 700 Introduction to the Problem of Practice |
3 credits |
EDLD 701 Framework for Effective Leadership in Education | 3 credits |
EDLD 702 Culture and Identity | 3 credits |
EDLD 703 Research for Evidence based Practice | 3 credits |
EDLD 704 Methods and Instruments for Data Collection | 3 credits |
EDLD 705A Review of Literature on Problem of Practice | 3 credits |
EDLD 705B Problem of Practice I | 1 credit |
EDLD 707A Action Plan for Problem of Practice | 3 credits |
EDLD 707B Lab: Problem of Practice II | 1 credit |
EDLD 708 School Improvement: People, Data, Processes | 3 credits |
EDLD 709 Ethics: A Higher Standard of Leadership | 3 credits |
EDLD 710 Data Analysis for Problem of Practice | 3 credits |
EDLD 711 Building Capacity: Continuous Improvement | 3 credits |
EDLD 712A Evidence-based Contribution for Problem of Practice | 3 credits |
EDLD 712B Lab: Problem of Practice III | 1 credit |
EDLD 713 System-wide Curriculum and Assessment | 3 credits |
EDLD 714 Capstone Completion | 3 credits |
EDLD 715 Organizational Systems Analysis | 3 credits |
EDLD 799 Doctoral Conference and Oral Exam | 3 credits |