Doctoral Programs
Educational Leadership Doctorate
Program Overview
The Concordia University Chicago Department of Leadership is at the forefront in providing educators with quality, relevant, and current graduate education, which enhances the leadership of public and nonpublic teachers and administrators as they positively impact schools. We advocate for our doctoral degree candidates and all students in the public and nonpublic schools. We are reflective professionals who provide quality, relevant, and current education for our graduate candidates in leadership. We prepare our candidates to be teacher and administrator leaders guiding the public and nonpublic schools in the service of students so that they may become effective citizens in a global society.
Program Objectives
This doctoral program prepares candidates for public or non-public district-wide administrative responsibilities. The program is designed to help the doctoral candidate:
- promote the success of all students through developing and implementing a shared vision of learning which supports the learning process
- develop advanced skills in management of the organization, operations and resources for a safe, efficient and effective learning environments in schools and the district
- collaborate with staff, boards of education, students, families and community members in response to diverse educational and community interests and needs as well as mobilize community resources
- demonstrate integrity, fairness and ethical behavior to support and advance the development of a moral educational community
- understand and respond to the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural contexts.
Admission Requirements
The doctorate in leadership with a concentration in educational leadership is aligned with the NCATE ELCC 2008 standards. The program is nationally recognized as an accredited leadership program by NCATE, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Concordia-Chicago’s education programs received their first recognition by NCATE in 1962 and the colleges in which these programs are housed have been continually accredited since that time. The recognition is a highly sought distinction of excellence granted to select few programs across the country that meet the national accrediting body’s highest and most rigorous standards for the preparation of educational leaders.
Areas of Study
Ed.D. Track
| Course | Title |
| EDL 7110* | Strategies of Educational Leadership |
| EDL 7140 | Organizational Change |
| EDL 7120* | Research Based Decision-Making |
| RES 7605 | Quantitative Analysis |
| FPR 7011 | Philosophy and Theory Foundations of Leadership |
| EDL 7210 | Policy Analysis |
| EDL 7300 | Ethics for Ed Leaders |
| EDL 7250* | Legal Issues for School Districts |
| EDL 7240* | Supervisory Theory and Practice |
| EDL 7260 | School/District Imp. Using Data Analysis |
| EDL 7230* | Ed. Finance |
| EDL 7220* | Human Resources Administration and Bargaining |
| EDL 7100* | The Superintendency |
| EDL 7891* | Internship: Superintendent |
| EDL 7310 | Organization and Community Partnerships |
| RES 7700 | Qualitative Research |
| RES 7900 | Research Design |
| COMP 7000 | Comprehensive Exam (fee-based) |
| DISS 7010 | Dissertation |
| DISS 7020 | Dissertation |
| DISS 7030 | Dissertation |
| DISS 8000 | Dissertation Supervision (fee-based) |
*Courses notated with an asterisk are for the endorsement only track.
Ph.D. Track
| Course | Title |
| EDL 7110 | Strategies of Educational Leadership |
| EDL 7140 | Organizational Change |
| EDL 7120 | Research Based Decision-Making |
| RES 7605 | Quantitative Analysis |
| FPR 7300 | Philosophy of Scientific Knowledge |
| EDL 7210 | Policy Analysis |
| EDL 7300 | Ethics for Ed. Leaders |
| EDL 7250 | Legal Issues for School Districts |
| EDL 7240 | Supervisory Theory and Practice |
| EDL 7260 | School/District Imp. Using Data Analysis |
| EDL 7230 | Ed. Finance |
| EDL 7220 | Human Resources Administration and Bargaining |
| EDL 7100 | The Superintendency |
| EDL 7891 | Internship: Superintendent |
| EDL 7310 | Organization and Community Partnerships |
| RES 7700 | Qualitative Research |
| RES 7800 | Mixed Methods Research |
| RES 7600 | Survey Research |
| RES 7900 | Research Design |
| COMP 7000 | Comprehensive Exam (fee-based) |
| DISS 7010 | Dissertation |
| DISS 7020 | Dissertation |
| DISS 7030 | Dissertation |
| DISS 8000 | Dissertation Supervision (fee-based) |
Tuition Guarantee
Tuition for the online Doctoral programs is $735 per credit hour for Fall 2020. This rate is guaranteed not to increase over the life of your enrollment in the program as long as students remain continuously enrolled. In addition, a technology fee of $16 per credit hour ($48 per 3-credit course) will be assessed for the purpose of supporting and enhancing student learning.
Please contact the Graduate Information Office for document deadlines.
Admission Requirements
- Application and $50 Application Fee
- Objective statement (include educational goals and/or objectives and their relationship to pursuing doctoral work at CUC)
- Documentation of 2 years of teaching and administrative leadership experience (resume, copy of teaching and principal/administrative certificate)
- Proof of master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a GPA of 3.00
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to comment on the applicant’s potential for doctoral study
- Original, official transcripts from all colleges and universities where degrees were earned
- Official scores from either the GRE or the MAT within the past three years
- Writing Sample
Once all materials are submitted and your file is complete, the following steps will be taken:
- Your file will be reviewed by the Executive Director of Graduate Admission and Enrollment Services and the Doctoral Admission Committee.
- At the committee’s discretion, you may be invited to participate in an interview with the Faculty Doctoral Committee. Applicants who are not considered for the interview process will be notified.
- Once an admission decision has been reached, you will be notified personally and in writing within a few days.
Admission to the Doctoral programs depends on several factors, including your cumulative Grade Point Average, program fit, letters of recommendation, professional experience, test scores, and writing abilities.
The Office of Graduate Admission and Enrollment Services will send a letter and a graduate catalog upon receipt of your application and non-refundable $50.00 application fee. If you have any questions regarding your admission status, please feel free to contact us at:
Office of Graduate Admission and Enrollment Services
Phone: 877-282-4422
Fax: 708-209-3454
Email: graduate.admission@CUChicago.edu
Important Contact Information:
| Graduate Information Office | kwebster@graduateprogram.org | 877-453-0380 |
| Payment Plan | Office of Student Business Services | 866-204-1882 |
| Financial Assistance Office | 877-266-7331 |
GRE / MAT Information
All candidates for the Doctor of Education programs must complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) as a part of the application process.
MAT: For more information about the MAT (registration and study guides), contact the Psychological Corporation at 800-622-3231 or visit their website at www.milleranalogies.com. The MAT is 60 minutes in length and is offered in both computerized and paper-and-pencil formats. The online Candidate Information Bulletin lists different locations. You will need to call each location for their testing schedule. The cost for this test varies. Scores are available in about three weeks from the test date. Concordia’s score recipient code for the MAT is 2024.
GRE: For information about the GRE General test, visit the website at www.gre.org or call 609-771-7670. Registration information is available at 800-GRE-CALL. The GRE is administered via computer at various locations in the area, and requires about 3.5 hours to complete. Practice exams and other information about the test are available on the website. The fee for the GRE is $130. Unofficial scores are available to the examinee at the conclusion of the test; official scores are reported in about two weeks. Concordia’s score recipient code for the GRE is R1140.
