Community College Leadership, Ed.D.
The Ed.D. in Community College Leadership is a practice-focused 55-credit cohort-based online program with an annual 1-week in-person summer institute requirement that is designed to be completed by working professionals in 3 years. Recognizing the need for future leaders in the community college sector, this program aims to provide students with the essential skills and experiences needed so that they can take on a variety of leadership roles and positions. For example, graduates of this program may find success as mid-level and high-level administrators, teaching and learning center directors, leaders of student success initiatives, faculty and student services leaders, and more.
As a member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) consortium, this program has a strong emphasis on social justice and equity as well as scholarly practice. Distinguishing features of the program include:
- A year-long mentoring and experiential learning component where students are supporting community college partners while guided by national experts.
- An emphasis on public scholarship so that students are disseminating research to practitioners in the field.
- A program evaluation dissertation that provides students with the opportunity to assess the effectiveness of programs, policies, or practices that address problems of practice in the field.
This program is designed to attract faculty, staff, and administrators, especially those from underrepresented groups, who are passionate about the community college mission of access and success and want to develop or enhance leadership skills.
The NJCU Community College Leadership program is designed to admit candidates who meet the academic requirements for rigorous doctoral study and who possess personal qualities and professional experiences that suggest a strong potential for success both as doctoral students and as educational leaders.
The following are the requirements of all applicants for the Ed.D. in Community College Leadership:
- An earned master's degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above;
- Professional experience in the field of education; and
- Demonstrated academic excellence, problem-solving ability, and an interest in critically assessing and bringing about improvements within current educational policies and practices.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer 2 | Credits | |
| EDLD 810 | Community College Leadership Institute | 1 |
| EDLD 811 | Community Colleges: Past, Present and Future | 3 |
| Credits | 4 | |
| Semester 1 | ||
| EDLD 812 | Leadership Theory and Change Management | 3 |
| EDLD 831 | The Scholarly Practitioner | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| EDLD 813 | Promoting Equity: Teaching and Supporting Diverse Student Learners | 3 |
| EDLD 832 | Educational Research I | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Summer 2 | ||
| EDLD 840 | Mentoring I | 1 |
| EDLD 814 | Innovative Teaching Strategies and Practices | 3 |
| Credits | 4 | |
| Semester 1 | ||
| EDLD 815 | Strategic Planning, Assessment, and Innovation | 3 |
| EDLD 833 | Educational Research II | 3 |
| EDLD 850 | Experiential Learning I | 2 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| EDLD 820 | Community College Finance | 3 |
| EDLD 855 | Experiential Learning II | 2 |
| EDLD 930 | Dissertation in Practice I | 2 |
| Credits | 7 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Summer 2 | ||
| EDLD 826 | Strategic Human Resource Management | 3 |
| EDLD 860 | Mentoring II | 1 |
| Credits | 4 | |
| Semester 1 | ||
| EDLD 834 | Curricular and Instructional Leadership | 3 |
| EDLD 841 | Student Services Leadership | 3 |
| EDLD 935 | Dissertation in Practice II | 2 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| EDLD 825 | Legal Issues, Policies, and Ethical Practices in the Community College | 3 |
| EDLD 821 | Critical Role of Partnerships in Community College Leadership | 3 |
| EDLD 940 | Dissertation in Practice III | 2 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 55 | |
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Community College Leadership doctoral program, students will be able to:
- Use an evidence-based approach to decision making and leadership, with a focus on the goal of increased rates of student completion and success.
- Promote culturally responsive pedagogical and supportive practices that are grounded in theory and research.
- Engage in partnerships to champion the mission of the community college and lead various reform efforts aimed at reducing equity gaps.
- Effectively engage in strategic planning and assessment and clearly communicate vision and data to various stakeholders.