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.
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

- November 2024
- Sailesh Maharjan (Doctoral Candidate, Cohort 16), interviewed by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education [diverseeducation.com].
- Thomas Robles (Doctoral Candidate, Cohort 16) Outstanding Student Leader Award Winner 2024 Educational Leadership Summit
- Dr. Jess Block Nerren, doctorate in educational leadership (Cohort 13) to lead first-ever State Bar-approved neurodiversity and disability implicit bias training
Dr. Cherina Betters (Cohort 9), President-Elect of the Association of California Administrators (ACSA) Region 12
- September 2024
- Kevon Lee (Cohort 18 student) shares what the Ed.D program means to him Kevon shares what this program means to him and his family via Instagram
- July 2024
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Dr. Cherina Betters (Cohort 9), was appointed the new SBCCD Trustee. She will represent Area 7, which includes Highland, Lake Arrowhead, surrounding mountain communities, and neighborhoods around the San Bernardino International Airport.
- June 2024
- Juan Carlos Luna (Cohort 16) a devoted educator with two decades of experience in education, was awarded a Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Achievements in the Educational Sector by The City of Rialto.
Dr. Edwin Gomez, Cohort 4 Selected as the CALSA (California Association of Latino Superintendents & Administrators) 2024 Superintendent of the Year!
- May 2024
Pablo Gutierrez Cervantes (Cohort 17) featured in CSUSB Daily News article CSUSB doctoral student’s journey from Mexico to the American Dream
Pablo Gutierrez, Ed.D. Student
- April 2024
- Dr. Veronica X. Valadez (Doctoral Candidate Cohort 15) Keynote Speaker at the 18th Annual Statewide Conference of the Association of Raza Educators [razaeducators.org]
- Dr. Nori Sogomonian (Cohort 1) named 2024 Outstanding Professor, San Bernardino Valley College
- Lisa Davenport (Cohort 15) named Outstanding Doctoral Student (2023-2024)
Dr. Aja Vasquez, program fellow and doctorate in educational leadership (Cohort 4)
CSUF Business Communication Outstanding Citizen Award Winner
- Jan 2024
- Rachael L. Goldberg, Doctoral student in Educational Leadership and Administration (Cohort 13) hired as the Dean of Student Services for Counseling and Support Programs at Copper Mountain Community College in Joshua Tree.
- Oct 25, 2023
- Principal of the Year: CSUSB alumna Erika Tejeda and first-generation Chicana empowers futures:
- Principal of the Year: CSUSB alumna Erika Tejeda and first-generation Chicana empowers futures:
- Oct 24, 2023
- October 18, 2023
- Oct 18, 2023
- Dr. Deborah Grijalva, doctorate in educational leadership (Cohort 11) to serve as Senior Director of University of Redlands new Student Success Center
- October 11, 2023
- Dr. Jenna Aguirre (cohort 10), awarded the Citizens of Achievement award from the League of Women Voters of the San Bernardino Area.
- Sep 5, 2023
- Ed.D. Program alumnus Dr. Eduardo Vásquez (cohort 12) is now a published author in a peer reviewed journal. The publication title is Exploring the Lived Experiences of Faculty of Color Seeking Full-Time Employment in Rural Community Colleges
- August 23, 2023
- Dr. Stephanie Ingalls (cohort 14) hired as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Southwestern Oregon Community College.
- Aug 2, 2023
- Angelica Agudo (Ed.D. Program Cohort 15, Holmes Scholar) selected as a Moreno Valley College Faculty Fellow for the upcoming academic year. Angelica will be working with a mentor within the School of Business, Health, and Human Services at Moreno Valley College and will have an opportunity to shadow her mentor both in their teaching, as well as their other faculty roles outside of the classroom.
- May 10, 2023
- Rangel Velez Zarate named Outstanding DOCTORAL Student (2022-2023), CSUSB, James R. Watson & Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education
- Apr 30, 2023
- Rangel Velez Zarate, doctorate in educational leadership program (cohort 14), wins second place - CSU Systemwide Student Research Competition.
- Apr 21, 2023
- Jason Crowley, Cohort 14, is not only Director of Institutional Research at Owens Community College, but now has added Institutional Effectiveness to his portfolio.
- April 21, 2023
- Angelica Agudo (cohort 15), Rangel Zarate (cohort 14), Olivia Hart (cohort 14), and Jennifer Borton (cohort 14) presented at the 19th Annual Graduate Student Research & Scholarship Symposium (in person) on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 from 6-8 PM.
- April 17, 2023
- Dr. Jenna Aguirre, doctorate in educational leadership (cohort 10), to serve as interim Chief of Staff for Academic Affairs at CSUSB
- April 12, 2023
- Olivia Chavez Hart, Cohort 14, Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership Program, competed in the second-annual Grad Slam with her project Hidden in Plain Sight: Bilingual Hearing Children of Deaf Adults. The Grand Slam is a student research communication competition that asks graduate students to summarize their research projects in three minutes, or less, to a panel of judges.
- April 7, 2022
- The Universidad Autónoma de Baja California in Mexicali published a book, Inclusión educativa desde la Universidad, Ediciones Octaedro (Barcelona). A chapter by recent Ed.D. graduate, Lilia Lopez, Educación superior e inclusión de estudiantes con discapacidad: retos y recomendaciones, is included in this collection.
- April 2022
- Theresa Gonzalez named Outstanding DOCTORAL Student (2021-2022), CSUSB, College of Education
- March 29, 2022
- Austin Quick and James (jimmy) Grabow had a book chapter accepted, titled: Educational Reform: Systemic Inclusion. The writing team consists of Drs. Becky Sumbera and Shannon Sparks, and two doctorate students Austin Quick and James (jimmy) Grabow. This book broadens educational leadership and DEI research by challenging oppressive power structures as it relates to ability and disability in a teacher education and educational leadership context.
- March 27, 2023
- Dr Erika Tejeda (cohort 9), principal of Liberty High School, has been selected as Principal of the Year for the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). There are more than 4000 high schools in California.
- March 14, 2023
- March 13, 2023
- Dr. Cherina Betters, Cohort 9 Alumna, Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership Program, named Outstanding Lecturer for Watson College of Education (CSUSB).
- Feb 22, 2023
- Angelica Agudo was awarded an AERA Conference Registration Sponsorship by AERA Division A! The American Educational Research Association is a professional organization representing education researchers in the United States and around the world.
- February 15, 2023
- January 27, 2023
- Doctoral alumni, Dr. Jess Nerren, Dr. Lilia Lopez, and Dr. Audrey Baca Lopez, and faculty, Dr. Karen Escalante, published in the COE-based, Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice.

Announcements
- Ed.D. at CSUSB - Ranked in the Top 20% of Schools Granting Doctoral Education Degrees Nationwide!
- Revolutionizing Educational Leadership: The Transformation of the Ed.D. Program at California State University-San Bernardino
- The Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at Cal State San Bernardino was commended as “Exemplary” in the most recent Ed.D. 5-Year Self-Study (Chancellor’s directive)
- CSUSB Designation Raised to an R2 Doctoral University: High Research Activity
- Program Update & Academic Review Report Ed.D. Program Spring-Fall Semesters 2024
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
10/16/202410/30/2024
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



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