LEadership Doctoral Programs
Early Childhood Education Specialization
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Program Overview
The Concordia University Chicago Leadership Ed.D/Ph.D program with a specialization in Early Childhood Education focuses on the preparation of confident and competent leaders who can provide the voice for young children and who will dedicate themselves to ensuring all young children have access to equitable, appropriate and quality opportunities for care and learning at every age and in every environment. This specialization is designed to provide candidates with a strong background in research, theory, issues, policies, advocacy and practical experiences in early childhood.
**Program begins in Spring and Fall Only**
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of all coursework and dissertation requirements, candidates will have theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in the following:
- Leadership and advocacy skills in early childhood education that will support the ongoing development of the field.
- An understanding of the methodology and appropriate practices, and problems in public and private early childhood programs with an emphasis on communicating new knowledge and skills within the field and to policy makers and business leaders who collaborate with early childhood professionals in effecting positive change.
- Application of child development of early childhood education to current practice and research.
- Analysis of contemporary early education issues across the country with the goal of identifying research and advocacy needs in the field that will lead to ongoing solutions and best practices.
- Rich experience in ongoing educational research that will further the development and maturation of early childhood education as an important educational field.
- Synthesis of early childhood curriculum, teaching and pedagogy into effective teacher leadership across the range of early childhood policy and practice.
- Design and implementation of appropriate strategies for improved teaching and leadership practice that will then be communicated to the next generation of early childhood professionals through teacher education, advocacy and policy development.
- Development of professional habits and sense of responsibility for reflective practice, providing a model for that reflection to colleagues and community and society.
Throughout the program, candidates will be required to reflect on their beliefs and practices as they relate to early education. That reflection will emphasize the development of competency and servant leadership within the context of integrity and Christian values.
Career Outcomes
The focus of this program is to prepare early childhood professionals to assume leadership roles in three major areas:
- Higher education (including teaching, service, and research)
Leadership and administration of organizations - Policy, advocacy and politics
- Recent graduates of the program have become early childhood leaders in universities, multi-site programs, educational planning, and governance and management.
The course work provides the opportunity to receive a high-quality educational program that encourages the development of skills and competencies needed throughout the candidate’s professional career as an accomplished early childhood educator, administrator, researcher, policy and advocacy specialist or other leadership roles.
Areas of Study
Ed.D. Track
Course | Title |
ECE 7010 | Child Development and the Educational Process |
ECE 7020 | The Leadership/Supervision of Early Childhood Centers and Programs |
FPR 7011 | Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Leadership |
ECE 7030 | Trends, Issues, and Research in Early Childhood Education |
ECE 7040 | Cultural and Socioeconomic Influences Affecting Diverse Learners |
EDL 7140 | Organizational Change |
ECE 7050 | Models of Assessment |
ECE 7060 | Curriculum Models in Early Childhood Education |
ECE 7070 | Language, Literacy and Reading Instruction in Early Childhood Education |
EDL 7210 | Policy Analysis |
ECE 7080 | Legal Issues in Early Childhood Education |
EDL 7300 | Ethics for Educational Leaders |
ECE 7090 | Family and Community Relationships and Advocacy |
ECE 7110 | Early Childhood Education Internship |
RES 7605 | Quantitative Analysis |
RES 7700 | Quantitative Analysis |
RES 7900 | Research Design |
COMP 7000 | Comprehensive Exam (fee based) |
DISS 7010 | Dissertation |
DISS 7020 | Dissertation |
DISS 7030 | Dissertation |
DISS 8000* | Dissertation Supervision (as needed, fee based)* |
Ph.D. Track
Course | Title |
ECE 7010 | Child Development and the Educational Process |
ECE 7020 | The Leadership/Supervision of Early Childhood Centers and Programs |
FPR 7011 | Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Leadership |
ECE 7030 | Trends, Issues, and Research in Early Childhood Education |
ECE 7040 | Cultural and Socioeconomic Influences Affecting Diverse Learners |
EDL 7140 | Organizational Change |
ECE 7050 | Models of Assessment |
ECE 7060 | Curriculum Models in Early Childhood Education |
ECE 7070 | Language, Literacy and Reading Instruction in Early Childhood Education |
EDL 7210 | Policy Analysis |
ECE 7080 | Legal Issues in Early Childhood Education |
EDL 7300 | Ethics for Educational Leaders |
ECE 7090 | Family and Community Relationships and Advocacy |
ECE 7110 | Early Childhood Education Internship |
RES 7605 | Quantitative Analysis |
RES 7700 | Quantitative Analysis |
RES 7800 | Mixed Methods Research |
RES 7600 OR RES 7620 OR RES 7710 | Survey Research OR Advanced Topics in Statistics OR Advanced Topics in Qualitative Analysis |
RES 7900 | Research Design |
COMP 7000 | Comprehensive Exam (fee based) |
DISS 7010 | Dissertation |
DISS 7020 | Dissertation |
DISS 7030 | Dissertation |
DISS 8000* | Dissertation Supervision (as needed, fee based)* |
* Students must register for DISS 8000 repeatedly (as needed) to maintain continuous enrollment until program completion.
Capstone Experience
There are two elements of the capstone experience in the Doctoral program
- Comprehensive Examination
- Dissertation Defense