Community college leadership
Department of Educational Leadership & Counseling Psychology
Statewide education doctorate (Ed.D.)
Washington State University’s Higher Education Program offers a three-year, statewide Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Community College Leadership. This degree specialization is targeted to meet the needs of professionals who are interested in positions requiring increased leadership skills, knowledge, and ability.
Summary
The Higher Education Program is dedicated to meeting society’s needs by training future leaders through a balance and integration of research, theory, policy, and practical experience. Together, these intellectual domains enable students to examine a range of historical, social, legal, political, economic, and ethical issues that impact community institutions. In this specialization, issues facing community colleges will be integrated throughout the course work. The degree program provides students with the opportunity to pursue their own interests and to build on interests of faculty. The schedule provides an overview of coursework culminating in the final defense of one’s dissertation, a pinnacle educational achievement.
Curriculum delivery
The Ed.D. program is delivered through weekend seminars supplemented by online course work. Students attend summer institutes in Pullman, where they have opportunities to meet with program faculty and support personnel, interact with other Ed.D. students in Teacher Leadership & Educational Leadership, plan/submit/review a program of study, work on individual research projects, bond, and have access to an array of available resources. The course scheduling takes into consideration the working professional and is intended to be completed in four years with significant place-bound flexibility during the final four semesters.
Courses will be offered during the summer, fall and spring semesters in conjunction with WSU campuses at Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, Seattle or site partnerships with community colleges. The higher education specialty courses and dissertation credits are taught during 7½ weeks in the fall and spring semesters (weekend seminars complemented by online instruction) with classroom instruction at either WSU campuses or Community College Partner sites.
"I'd be crazy not to take advantage of this program.
The relevance and convenience are crucial."
— Linda McDermott, chief financial officer,
Community Colleges of Spokane
More info
Program faculty
Affiliated faculty
- Howard Erdman
- Alton Jamison
- Milton Lang
- Jason Sievers
- Pat Sturko
- Christian Wuthrich