Ph. D. Program in Educational Leadership
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
College of Human Sciences
Iowa State University
The purpose of the doctoral program in Educational Leadership is to prepare
individuals to be leaders in a variety of educational settings. Graduates’ roles as
educational practitioners and faculty involve encouraging and implementing theoretically
grounded and innovative educational practice. To accomplish this goal, graduates must
possess a body of knowledge and skills that will allow them to meet their ethical and
intellectual responsibilities to the individuals with whom they are working. These core
domains of learning include (1) leadership, (2) educational research, (3) communication,
(4) educational evaluation, and (5) educational foundations.
In addition, students will each engage in study related to the setting in which they
are interested in working: educational administration or higher education. The proposed
area of emphasis will allow students to pursue a coherent set of structured learning
experiences including seminars, laboratories, field experiences, and independent research,
as well as traditional coursework, to achieve learning outcomes in each of these areas.
Learner Outcomes
Graduates specializing in Educational Leadership will be able to work effectively
with individuals and groups, engage in ethical decision-making and management of
resources to accomplish goals. They will comprehend the basic elements of research and
inquiry and engage in scholarly inquiry. Graduates will express ideas clearly both orally
and in writing, understand themselves well and relate sensitively to individuals from
diverse backgrounds. They will understand and be able to use intelligently the principles
of program evaluation and assessment. Graduates will have a clear understanding of the
foundations of education; their work will be well grounded in theory and philosophy.
Graduates will be knowledgeable about the concepts, theories