Doctorate in Educational Leadership

Ed.D. Program Makes a Positive Impact to CSUSB's Standing and Reputation for Academic Excellence

U.S. News & World Report has listed the university at No. 86 in the nation in the Best Education Schools category of its Best Graduate Schools for 2024. It is the first time the university has been listed in that category. It is the work of CSUSB’s Doctorate in Educational Leadership program that placed the university in U.S. News’ top 100 education schools. The ranking category is designed “for prospective students seeking a doctorate in education,” the magazine says. This national recognition validates our hard work over the past five years, having transformed, restructured, and targeted specific areas of improvement upon the Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program. We went from unranked to now ranked in the top 20% of schools granting doctoral education degrees nationwide! On behalf of our Ed.D. program leadership team, we share in this achievement and remarkable accomplishment with our program faculty and fellows, our preK12 and higher education community partners, campus and college leadership, and alumni and current doctoral students. This exceptionally positive news distinctly reaffirms our quest for academic excellence and intentionality in fulfilling our mission, transparency, accountability, and integrity.

Read the press release

CSUSB Designation Raised to an R2 Doctoral University: High Research Activity

Cal State San Bernardino recently advanced to the category of Doctoral University: High Research Activity (R2), raising the university’s status to a “national university” from a “regional university” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Read more about the R2 designation in Inside CSUSB.

Contact the CSUSB Doctoral Studies program for more information on earning a doctorate at CSUSB.

Welcome

The Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership is a program framed around questions of equity, ethics, and social justice to bring about solutions to complex problems of practice. The program is designed to prepare educational leaders with the knowledge base and skills to lead reform efforts that result in improved student outcomes and educational transformation, particularly for our Inland Empire region.

This 3-year cohort-based program meets the needs of full-time professionals in the field of education, either PreK-12 or Community College/Higher Education careers. Courses are conveniently offered on weekends, Friday 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Students attend every other weekend in Fall and Spring semesters, and every weekend during the Summer semester. Students are encouraged to identify a field-based problem of practice for their dissertation research.

Doctoral Spotlight

September 2025
CSUSB doctoral student earns prestigious CSU Trustees’ Award, Jennifer Negrete Magnant (Cohort 18) has earned a 2025-26 California State University Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. She is the recipient of the John and Beverly Stauffer Foundation Scholarship.
Welcome Cohort 19 of our new doctoral students - CSUSB Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership!

Announcements

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CSU Executive Order 991 Doctor of Education Degree Programs Policy

Meet Our Ed.D. Leadership Team

Student Financial Aid

Program Outcome / Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Alignment

Ed.D. Admissions

Interested in Learning about our Doctorate in Educational Leadership Program?

Consider joining us, via Zoom, on one of the days listed below at 4:00 PM to learn more. Our information sessions are led by our Director, Dr. Murillo, and our Program Specialist, Dr. Ortiz. The information sessions outline why to pursue an Ed.D., an overview of the program, and process for admissions.

10/2/2024
~~10/16/2024~~
~~10/30/2024~~
Canceled
11/6/2024
11/20/2024

12/4/2024
1/15/2025
1/29/2025
2/12/2025
2/26/2025

3/26/2025
4/9/2025
4/23/2025

Professional Development Opportunities for Current and Recent Doctoral Students

Rancho Academy Partnership with CSUSB Ed.D. Program

The Rancho Academy was created by the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) – Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) to advance opportunities for current graduate students and recent doctoral graduates of diverse backgrounds to learn the ins and outs of the California Community College system. This program is a ten-week commitment at no cost and participants will be matched with a faculty or administrator mentor.

All graduate students or recent doctoral graduates who are interested in starting a faculty or administrator career at the community college level are welcome to apply. People of color, women, persons with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQIA+ to highly encouraged to apply.

Rancho Academy Brochure

Holmes Scholars Program

The Holmes Scholars Program at CSUSB, supported by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, provides a supportive environment to doctoral students traditionally underserved in higher education. The goal of the program is to provide mentorship, peer support, and professional development opportunities to Scholars, who will serve as outstanding candidates for future faculty and leadership positions. If you would like more information, please contact Dr. Karen Escalante by email at karen.escalante@csusb.edu or Stacey Ortiz at stacey.ortiz@csusb.edu or. Review a current list of our Ed.D. Program and Faculty Fellows for potential mentors. Applications will be accepted starting July through August 2023.

Holmes Scholar Application

Holmes Scholar Opportunities

Connect with peers in the Ed.D. Doctoral Program

Engagement with faculty and/or Ed.D. Program Fellows in regular mentoring meetings

Membership in a national network of peers with access to dedicated online social networks

Mentoring opportunities by Holmes Scholar alumni currently in academia and other leadership positions

Opportunities to present their research at the AACTE Annual Meeting

Dedicated mentoring programs at the AACTE Annual Meeting

A job fair at the AACTE Annual Meeting and access to position announcements through the year

Annual Holmes Scholars Summer Policy Institute in Washington, DC, including participation in AACTE’s Day on the Hill and networking events associated with the AACTE State Leaders Institute

Attend the AACTE Holmes Scholars® Dissertation Retreat and Research Symposium

Leadership and professional development opportunities at the school level, campus level, and national level, such as participation in conference presentations and policy/advocacy training

Holmes Scholar Expectations

Two-to three-year commitment to the CSUSB AACTE Holmes Scholars® program

Attendance to CSUSB AACTE Holmes Scholars® program meetings & sponsored events

Engagement in collaborative research with annual refereed publication and presentation deliverables

Excellent academic standing in your program

Collaboration with CSUSB faculty, community partners, and national educational partners

Participation in/facilitation of community-engaged projects

Engagement in selected specific professional organizations both locally and nationally

Annual attendance at the AACTE National Conference

Participation in at least one AACTE Summer Policy Institute

Peer-mentoring of a first-year Holmes Scholar (in years two and three)

P.R.E.P. (Professional Resource and Engagement Program)

You've defined your future. Now PREP for it!

Professional Resource and Engagement Program (PREP) is a space for you as a CSUSB graduate student to take advantage of free workshops to develop professionally and personally. Your rigorous graduate program at CSUSB engages you in a rich academic experience and allows you to develop a high level of expertise. PREP prepares you to articulate how your academic expertise aligns with your personal and professional development. Your academic journey is a personal one as is your professional persona. PREP offers you a selection of seven categories as shown below. When you see a category that piques your interest based on your own needs, click the link to locate related PREP workshops as well as other relevant workshops across campus.

Research Support Resources

Doctoral Scholar-Practitioners can take advantage of CSUSB Pfau Library Educational Leadership Databases and Research Resources, including research appointments with Librarian, Lisa Bartle, research orientation materials, APA 7th Edition updates, and more!

Educational Leadership Library Resources