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Courses

Basic Courses (Choose a minimum of 9)

Units: 3

Utilization of case study and case simulation approach to study of school administration. Development and application of administrative concepts to simulated situations and to actual case histories. View of administrative process as a decision-making process. Student expected to make decisions after considering alternative courses of action and after projecting probable consequences.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Reading and discussion of 20th-century works in educational philosophy. Consideration of such movements as pragmatism, reconstruction, perennialism and existentialism.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Comprehensive study of constitutional, statutory and case law as related to elementary and secondary school administration. Emphasis on legal issues associated with governance, finance, property, personnel and curriculum.

Offered in Spring Only

YEAR: Offered Alternate Years

Units: 3

Historical and sociopolitical contextual analysis of underlying values, methodologies and policies associated with economic and financial planning of K-12 education [e.g., efficiency, equity, and liberty] and the economic and financial mechanisms used to generate, distribute, and expend revenues for educational purposes.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

This course will draw on both classic and contemporary materials in educational policy research and will primarily focus on the substance of policy research rather than methodology. It addresses research pertaining to the foundations, implementation and evaluation of policy in all levels and sectors of the educational system. Major attention will be given to education in the United States, with comparative perspectives included.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Analysis of political interactions of individuals and groups in P-12 education, specifically, how politics shapes educational decisions within a federal system of governance. Topics covered include micropolitics and macropolitical systems at the school, district, municipal, state, and federal levels, as well as political culture, interest groups, advocacy coalitions, and institutions. Doctoral standing required.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Understand the purposed and uses of school data for research-based school improvement. Understand different types of assessment needed for school and district-wide improvement. Develop models of administrative decision making incorporating key goals, resources, curriculum alignment, data, assessment, and evaluation. Doctoral student status required.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Prepares district-level administrators to analyze the changing nature of the superintendency, including major management and leadership responsibilities and leadership approaches. Operational domains examined include school governance and organizational theory, school boards, school district policy, collaborative leadership, material and human resource management, systemic and sustainable reform, contemporary challenges, and personal practices management. Doctoral standing required.

Units: 3

Apply theories of administrative leadership to daily practice. Understand, develop, and utilize theory and research in leadership to inform and improve practice. Analysis of macro and micro level forces impacting administrative leadership at the building and district level. Doctoral student status required.

Offered in Spring Only

YEAR: Offered Alternate Odd Years

Units: 3

Review of educational program evaluation with emphasis on [1] theory and conceptual models of evaluation, [2] evaluation design, and [3] environmental practical factors influencing design and implementation of evaluation studies.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Issues, models, theories, research and applications in the evolving field of educational personnel and human resources administration with emphais on recruitment, selection, and development.

Offered in Summer

Units: 1 - 6

Special Topics in Educational Research and Leadership

  • ELP 795A Leadership for School Improvement
  • ELP 795D Human Relations: Communication, Culture, & Change
  • ELP 795N Seminar in Leadership Studies
  • ELP 795F Formative Ideas in American Education

* Note: ELP 795 is a course number assigned to many courses, including new piloted courses. Therefore, you may have multiple 795 courses listed on your Plan of Work as approved by your advisor.

Units: 1 - 6

Opportunity for graduate students in education to study problem areas in professional education under direction of member of graduate faculty.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

In addition to the courses listed above, students may take additional or alternative courses as approved by their advisor.

Research Methods and Data Analysis (Choose a minimum of 3)

Units: 3

This course is designed for researchers and leaders to gain experience using quantitative analytic approaches to answer questions in educational research and policy analysis. As the first course in a two-part series, this course introduces students to foundational tools in quantitative data analysis. Specifically, topics include measurement, graphical and tabular data displays, probability, hypothesis testing, t-tests, X2 tests, analysis of variance [ANOVA], and fundamentals of regression.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Students will apply and enhance their quantitative skills through analysis of existing datasets. Course goals include practicing and extending Multiple Regression knowledge and skills, generating and testing hypotheses in a multiple regression framework, and appropriately disseminating results. Restricted to doctoral students in Education Research only.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Design of qualitative studies, conduct of field work including open-ended interviews and participant observation, analysis of data and understanding of theoretical and philosophical background of this research approach.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Intensive course in the use of field-based and general qualitative research data analysis methods in the social study of education. The course is to help participants acquire skills and gain experience in using various methodological and analytical research techniques. The course emphasis is on the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of qualitative data.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Internship (Two 3-credit courses)

Units: 1 - 9

Utilization of participant-observer role and required participation in selected educational situations with emphasis upon development of observational skills, ability to record relevant observations by means of written journals, skills in analyzing experiences identifying critical incidents and projection of events and consequences. Required development of possible alternative courses of action in various situations, selection of one of alternatives and evaluation of consequences of selected course of action.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

TYPE: Internship Course

Dissertation Preparation

Take last to prepare your dissertation proposal.

Units: 1 - 3

Provision of individualized but structured investigation of alternative problem definitions, research methodologies and statistical analyses for a problem of student's choosing, usually associated with thesis or dissertation. In small groups or individually with instructor, student consideration of research design, measurements and statistical analysis necessary to conduct research.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Dissertation Writing (9 credits)

Units: 1 - 9

Dissertation research.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer