Program Description
The PhD program in Educational Leadership is designed to provide an advanced education for P-12 and higher education educators who desire to continue in and pursue careers as educational leaders across P-12 and post-secondary contexts, such as (a) P-12 school-level, district-level, and state-level administration, (b) college and university faculty and administration, and (c) state and federal-level education-related agencies. Students are provided with opportunities to engage with and address contemporary education problems of practice through coursework that provides breadth and depth in the areas of leadership development and course-based and non-course based research training. The program supports students’ identity development as scholar-practitioners through engaging with five domains: Leadership, Ethics, Diversity, Research, and Policy.
The Leadership domain includes the critical study of leadership and organizational theories and how they inform effective and ethical educational leadership, vision, and practices for the purpose of improving educational institutions and the communities they serve. The Ethics domain includes the legal and moral foundations for the purpose of informing and guiding the work of ethical leaders, researchers, and academics who serve educational institutions, agencies, and organizations. The Diversity domain includes knowledge of various cultural groups and knowledge of diverse groups’ historical and contemporary experiences and outcomes for the purpose of strengthening educational institutions, organizations, and communities as well as providing equitable experiences for all. The Research domain includes identifying, gathering, analyzing, and presenting data for the purpose of solving problems of practice and knowledge production. The Policy domain includes identification and analysis of current and emerging trends and problems in educational institutions, organizations, and agencies for the purpose of policy improvements.
Courses are offered through multiple modalities: face-to-face, on-line, and hybrid. Face-to-face courses are offered on-campus in Clemson, SC, at the University Center Greenville (UCG) in Greenville, SC, and other locations across the state of South Carolina. Students take classes from and work with faculty members experienced in research, teaching and leadership.
Additional information is avaiable at https://www.clemson.edu/education/academics/doctoral-programs/phd-doctorate-educational-leadership/index.html.
