Become a change agent in education, leading schools as an innovative district leader. Loyola University Chicago seeks to prepare district-level leaders to be responsive and adaptive, viewing superintendent candidates as apprentice professionals from the time they enter the program and fostering their development of reflective learning and transformative leadership skills. Because superintendent candidates are in school districts observing, learning, and honing their own skills in Chicagoland’s diverse school districts, candidates gain extensive experiences engaging with diverse populations, including diverse learners, special needs and English learners programs.

Loyola's Superintendent EdD is designed for students who will demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be highly effective district leaders. Students pursuing this degree have worked for at least 2 years as a licensed educator or administrator and wish to gain their Superintendent Endorsement/License in the state of Illinois.

We strive to purposefully dismantle traditional boundaries between institution-based and field-based scholarly work and service; to build trust and deep, lasting relationships with our partners in education; to understand that we must work not for communities but to be of those communities; working shoulder to shoulder with partners, communities and families, sharing their commitment and responsibility to address their needs, priorities, and goals from a social justice perspective.

CURRICULUM

All courses will be delivered online in the evening. Asynchronous learning modules, embedded field-based experiences, and group projects will support synchronous class meetings.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ELPS 461	Issues in School Law	3
ELPS 465	Workshop (Variable Topics) (Instructional Leadership: Cultural Context Informed Decision Making (Rome Center) )	3
or ELPS 408	Leading for Diversity
ELPS 465	Workshop (Variable Topics) (The Superintendency)	3
ELPS 468	Problems in Finance and Business Management	3
ELPS 472	Administration of Special Education and Pupil Services	3
ELPS 475	Human Resource Administration for the School District Leader	3
ELPS 485	Instructional Leadership: Equity and Justice	3
ELPS 560	Seminar in School Administration	3
ELPS 562	Practicum School Administration	3
ELPS 562	Practicum School Administration	3
ELPS 571	Seminar in Current Issues in School Supervision	3
Required Educational Research Courses
CIEP 488	Participatory Action Research (PAR) in Schools and Communities	3
ELPS 600	Dissertation Supervision (Capstone Supervision)	0
ELPS 620	Dissertation Research (Capstone Research)	3
RMTD 400	Introduction to Research Methodology	3
RMTD 404	Introduction to Educational Statistics	3
RMTD 406	Educational Evaluation	3
Total Hours		48

Suggested Sequence of Courses

The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework. An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study. Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Summer		Hours
ELPS 560	Seminar in School Administration	3
ELPS 465	Workshop (Variable Topics) (The Superintendency)	3
	Hours	6
Fall
ELPS 485	Instructional Leadership: Equity and Justice	3
ELPS 571	Seminar in Current Issues in School Supervision	3
	Hours	6
Spring
ELPS 472	Administration of Special Education and Pupil Services	3
ELPS 475	Human Resource Administration for the School District Leader	3
	Hours	6
Second Year
Summer
ELPS 468	Problems in Finance and Business Management	3
ELPS 465	Workshop (Variable Topics) (Instructional Leadership: Cultural Context-Informed Decision Making (Rome Center))	3
	Hours	6
Fall
ELPS 461	Issues in School Law	3
ELPS 562	Practicum School Administration	3
	Hours	6
Spring
ELPS 562	Practicum School Administration	3
RMTD 400	Introduction to Research Methodology	3
	Hours	6
Third Year
Summer
RMTD 404	Introduction to Educational Statistics	3
RMTD 406	Educational Evaluation	3
	Hours	6
Fall
CIEP 488	Participatory Action Research (PAR) in Schools and Communities	3
ELPS 620	Dissertation Research (Capstone Research)	3
	Hours	6
Spring
ELPS 600	Dissertation Supervision (Capstone Supervision)	0
	Hours	0
	Total Hours	48

Program Features

• Two years of school supervisory or administrative experience and a Type 75 General Administrative or ISBE Principal Endorsement on PEL
• Study Abroad - Complete ELPS 465 Workshop (Variable Topics) – Two-week Residency course in Rome, Italy

Program Length

Students have a maximum of seven years to complete the degree. Most students complete the required coursework in less than three years, including summer enrollment. Completion time for the capstone project varies.

Program Format

The Superintendent EdD is an online program which means that all courses, including field supervision, are offered online. All advising sessions for leadership development and support will be hosted online for district leadership candidates. 

 Program Requirements

For Superintendent Endorsement

• Successful completion of Loyola’s ISBE-approved course sequence – 33 credit hours (includes internship)
• Successful completion of supervised yearlong internship – PK-12
• Successful completion of IPA or AA Learning Modules: Principal Evaluators Training
• Passing score on Illinois’ Superintendent Exam 225.
• Submitted proof of 2 years of experience working full time as a principal, director of special education, chief school business official, or other administrative position while holding a valid administrator license.

For EdD

• Successful completion of Loyola’s ISBE-approved course sequence - 48 credit hours of transformative district leadership curriculum.
• Successful completion of written Capstone Project – Problem of Practice
• Successful Oral Defense of approved Capstone Project – Problem of Practice

Illinois Licensure Requirements

Students in the Superintendent Preparation Program are required to pass the ILTS 225 exam through the Illinois State Board of Education.

Transfer/Advanced Standing Credits

Each student will have the opportunity to transfer a maximum of 36 semester hours of previous coursework towards the required 72 semester hours. Upon being accepted to the EdD program, each student may request the Educational Leadership Program Chair to review transcripts to determine which, if any, courses can count toward the EdD program.

Continuous Enrollments

Doctoral students in Educational Leadership are required to maintain the status of continuous enrollment during their program of studies. This means that during each semester of each academic year (excluding Summer Sessions), each student must enroll in at least one course. A formal leave of absence may be granted upon request and the approval of the School of Education’s Assistant Dean of Student Academic Affairs.

Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations

Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Loyola's Superintendent EdD program is designed to:

• Prepare district leaders who will successfully construct and apply knowledge to positively impact the lives of individuals, families, organizations, and school communities;
• Provide diverse learning opportunities for district leadership candidates to develop and demonstrate collaboration and communication skills to work with diverse communities and to build partnerships;
• Cultivate, supervise and assess field-based learning opportunities to analyze problems of practice and use multiple administrative frameworks and leadership lens' to develop meaningful solutions;
• Develop a professional knowledge base that integrates both practical and research knowledge, links theory to systemic and systematic inquiry, and emphasizes the generation, transformation, and use of professional knowledge and practice to address educational inequities in our field.