Leadership Doctoral Programs
Teacher Leadership Specialization
Program Overview
Concordia University Chicago’s Leadership Ed.D/Ph.D program with a specialization in Teacher Leadership is designed for graduate students who would like to continue their careers as facilitators, instructional coaches, curriculum specialists, coordinators of district initiatives, trainers and building- and district-level teacher leaders in various educational settings. The teacher leadership doctoral program focuses on the fostering instructional improvement for increased student achievement, promoting teacher and staff development and growth, organizational change and school cultures and outreach to families and communities.
This specialization encourages students to draw and build upon knowledge and experiences related to their professional work, while also requiring students to develop strong research skills and a familiarity with data, school and instructional improvement, adult growth and development and evidence-based decision-making. While grounded in topics related to teacher leadership, this program also provides opportunities to explore teacher and instructional leadership in various education settings: Pre-K-12 education, non-profit organizations, corporations and agencies.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Broaden your potential to advance your career by equipping yourself with the tools needed to analyze the leadership challenges facing schools and educational settings.
- Understand the complexities of educational settings in relation to adult learning and development, culture and organizational change, student achievement, assessment and data-driven decision making, and community outreach and collaboration
- Apply and analyze learning solutions that support and drive schools and educational settings for improved student achievement and success
- Strategically support the various stakeholders with informed and judicious decisions
Identify and integrate leadership orientations that align with school improvement practices - Exercise professional ethical behavior that supports the institutional mission and allocation of resources to support and achieve institutional objectives
Required Professional Experience for Admission:
Candidates who enroll and complete the doctor of education degree in teacher leadership must have a minimum of two years of full-time teaching or training experience, or similar work experience in a leadership role. Teachers must hold certification in the state in which they teach.
Degree Requirements for Ed.D. Track
| Course Number | Title | Hours |
| Doctoral Program Core | ||
| EDL-7140 | Organizational Change | 3 |
| EDL-7210 | Policy Analysis | 3 |
| EDL-7300 | Ethics for Educational Leaders | 3 |
| FPR-7011 | Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Leadership | 3 |
| Research and Statistics | ||
| RES-7605 | Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
| RES-7700 | Qualitative Research | 3 |
| RES-7900 | Research Design | 4 |
| Comprehensive Exam and Dissertation | ||
| COMP-7000 | Comprehensive Examination (fee-based) | 0 |
| DISS-7010 | Dissertation I | 3 |
| DISS-7020 | Dissertation II | 3 |
| DISS-7030 | Dissertation III* | 3 |
| Teacher Leadership Specialization Courses | ||
| EDL-6715 | Teacher Leadership: Providing Instructional Support | 3 |
| EDL-6775 | Leading School Based Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) | 3 |
| EDL-7110 | Strategies of Educational Leadership | 3 |
| EDL-7120 | Research-Based Decision Making | 3 |
| EDL-7240 | Supervisory Theory & Practice | 3 |
| EDL-7260 | School/District Improvement Using Data Analysis | 3 |
| EDL-7310 | Organization and Community Partnerships | 3 |
| EDU-7100 | Curriculum Theory and Design | 3 |
| EDU-7500 | Instructional Coaching for Effective Teaching | 3 |
| EDL-6988 | Teacher Leader Practicum | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 61 |
*Upon completion of the nine required hours of dissertation coursework, candidates must maintain continuous enrollment with DISS-8000 Dissertation Supervision until program completion.
Degree Requirements for Ph.D. Track
| Course Number | Title | Hours |
| Doctoral Program Core | ||
| EDL-7140 | Organizational Change | 3 |
| EDL-7210 | Policy Analysis | 3 |
| EDL-7300 | Ethics for Educational Leaders | 3 |
| FPR-7011 | Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Leadership | 3 |
| Research and Statistics | ||
| RES-7605 | Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
| RES-7700 | Qualitative Research | 3 |
| RES-7900 | Research Design | 4 |
| RES-7620 or RES-7710 | Advanced Topics in Statistics or Advanced Qualitative Analysis | 3 |
| Comprehensive Exam and Dissertation | ||
| COMP-7000 | Comprehensive Examination (fee-based) | 0 |
| DISS-7010 | Dissertation I | 3 |
| DISS-7020 | Dissertation II | 3 |
| DISS-7030 | Dissertation III* | 3 |
| Teacher Leadership Specialization Courses | ||
| EDL-6715 | Teacher Leadership: Providing Instructional Support | 3 |
| EDL-6775 | Leading School Based Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) | 3 |
| EDL-7110 | Strategies of Educational Leadership | 3 |
| EDL-7120 | Research-Based Decision Making | 3 |
| EDL-7240 | Supervisory Theory & Practice | 3 |
| EDL-7260 | School/District Improvement Using Data Analysis | 3 |
| EDL-7310 | Organization and Community Partnerships | 3 |
| EDU-7100 | Curriculum Theory and Design | 3 |
| EDU-7500 | Instructional Coaching for Effective Teaching | 3 |
| EDL-6988 | Teacher Leader Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 67 |
* Upon completion of the nine required hours of dissertation coursework, candidates must maintain continuous enrollment with DISS-8000 Dissertation Supervision until program completion.
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