What you'll learn

Educators and policy-makers agree that school leadership makes the difference in how schools succeed in improving learning outcomes for all students. Research and scholarship on school leadership is beginning to understand when leadership is successful, what the relationship is between effective leadership and effective teaching, and how best to lead the collective impact of leadership on organizational and student-learning outcomes at all levels. CU Denver's Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education and Human Development concentration in Leadership for Educational Organizations prepares candidates to assume research and teaching positions in institutions of higher education or research-based organizations to contribute to the understanding of education leadership questions in-depth.

Students in this concentration will:

• Learn how to navigate existing research and literature that supports effective leadership for educational organizations
• Understand the theories that underpin this research and the rationale for the application of this work in understanding how organizations operate
• Develop a working knowledge of the interrelatedness of people, systems, culture and organizational outcomes
• Build on past research and design new research efforts that lead to more equitable outcomes and new understandings of complex organizational problems of practice
• Engage with student colleagues, faculty, and organizational partners in collaborative research studies, which investigate promising strategies for resolving vexing organizational issues
• Become data savvy in using research findings to produce equitable and productive results from these investigations
• Culminate the program with a dissertation that contributes to the knowledge base in the field of leadership for educational organizations.

Choose CU Denver's School of Education & Human Development

You can trust CU Denver to provide an education that will prepare you for excellence in your career as a faculty member or researcher. The university and school are recognized for preparing leaders of distinction who value educational excellence and social justice. Additionally, CU Denver's School of Education and Human Development is counted among U.S. News & World Report's “Best Graduate Schools,” making us one of the top education schools in the country.

Courses

The 75-credit program begins each fall.