Department of Educational Leadership
Location: 204 Education Building, Phone: (409) 880-8689
Department Chair: Dr. Diane Mason
Director of Doctoral Studies: Dr. Brett Welch
Graduate Faculty
Professor: Dr. Sandra Harris, Dr. Gary Martin, Dr. Kaye Shelton
Associate Professor: Dr. Diane Mason, Dr. Robert Nicks, Dr. Brett Welch, Dr. James Young
Assistant Professor: Dr. Donna Azodi, Dr. Kelly Brown, Dr. Jimmy Creel, Dr. Cindy Cummings, Dr. Neil Faulk, Dr. Krystal Hinerman, Dr. J. Vincent Nix, Dr. Johnny O'Connor, Dr. Tilisa Thibodeaux
Clinical Instructor: Dr. Shelly Allen, Dr. Daryl Borel, Tonya Colunga, Dr. Katy Delahoussaye, Dr. Donna Fong, Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik, Dr. Glen Harrison, Dr. Thomas Harvey, Dr. Christina Puente, Dr. Porchanee' White
Visiting Assistant Professor: Dr. Clementine Msengi
The Department of Educational Leadership offers a variety of graduate certificates and degrees that prepare students for leadership roles in various areas of the educational system. Programs in this department at the master's level prepare students for roles as principals and educational technology specialists; other certifications and programs prepare superintendents and educational researchers at the doctoral level. Master of Education degrees in Educational Administration and Educational Technology Leadership are offered online in an accelerated format with students taking one, five-week course at a time. Learn more information about the online programs.
Certifications Offered: Principal and Superintendent
Degrees Offered:
Masters of Education in Digital Learning and Leading
Master of Education in Educational Administration
Master of Education in Educational Technology Leadership
Certifications Offered:
Advanced Certified Digital Educator
University Admission
Admission to a master’s degree program or a post master’s “certificate only” program is required of all students taking courses in the Educational Leadership Department.
Admission to a “Certification Only” Program
The Educational Leadership Department offers post master’s certification programs leading to certification as a superintendent and principal. Students who hold a master’s degree and teacher certification and seek an additional certification offered by this department should apply to the Educational Leadership Department for admission to the appropriate certification program. Those admitted to “Certification Only” are expected to have equivalent and recent course work for substitutions to be made for required courses. Upon completion of the application and receipt of an official transcript, a program advisor will be assigned, who will develop a course plan for the student. After completion of the certification plan requirements, the student must apply for and pass the TExES examination and file for the certificate at the Lamar Certification Office.
Admission to a Master’s Degree Program
Students with a 3.0 GPA undergrad or 3.0 in their last 60 hours are admitted unconditionally. Those students who do not have the minimum GPA are then required to take the GRE. Students required to take the GRE must meet the institutional GRE and GPA standard according to the formula (GPA X 50) + GRE Verbal + GRE Quantitative =/or greater than 428.
- GRE taken before August 2011: Undergraduate GPA (or last 60 hours, whichever is higher) x 200 + (verbal= quantitative GRE score) =/or greater than 1350.
- GRE taken after August 2011: Undergraduate GPA (or last 60 hours, whichever is higher) x 50 + GRE Verbal + GRE quantitative =/or greater than 428.
Students not meeting the standard 428 must retake the GRE and submit their scores for additional consideration. Appeals may not be processed without the results of a second GRE attempt.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) may be accepted as a substitute for minimum scores on the Graduate Record Exam, with approval of the department chairman. If a student has applied for admission to a degree program and has not received notification of acceptance (or non-acceptance) within 30 days after application, the student should check with the Graduate Admissions Office.
Department Admission - M.Ed. in Digital Learning and Leading
1) Valid applicant needs to be employed in a position such as PK-12, higher education or corporate training, where they can implement course content and develop portfolio artifacts
Department Admission - M.Ed. in Education Administration, M.Ed. Educational Technology, 18-hour Principal Certification Preparation Program
Educational Leadership requires the following for admission to the department program.
1) Valid teaching certificate **
2) Two years of teaching experience
3) Employed on a TEA approved public or private school campus *** To determine if your school is TEA approved, please use the following links:
4) Personal Essay
5) Reference from your Principal
**Please note that out of state students may not be required to meet these criteria
*** Not applicable to out of state students unless taking the TExES Principal Exam
****Out of state students should check with their state department of education to determine if there are specific state requirements needed.
Educational Leadership requires the following for admission to the department program.
Master's Degree in Digital Learning and Leading (online only)
EDLD 5302 Concepts of Educational Technology – The Concepts of Educational Technology emphasizes how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can enhance the teaching and learning experience and enable students to lead digital learning.
EDLD 5303 Applying Educational Technology Portfolio - Evidence-based uses of educational technology in organizations.
EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation in Education - Success in leading technological change in your learning environment is directly related to how well you and your organizations are prepared. By embracing technological innovations as opportunities rather than challenges, students will proactively use those changes as catalysts to enhance their organization’s learning environments.
EDLD 5304 Leading Organizational Change - Explore current leadership theories and practices for leading digital change in organizational systems. Professional leaders will learn to address the resistance to change that occurs when launching innovative digital learning initiatives in educational environments.
EDLD 5313 Creating Significant Learning Environments - Explore the theories of constructivist epistemology used to create student-centered learning environments. By applying constructivist techniques, students create active and engaging learning environments that utilize technology, increase motivation for learning, and engage the learner.
EDLD 5314 Digital Learning in Local and Global Contexts - Provides opportunities to explore benefits of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) used in educational environments and the best approaches in which innovative ICT practices have been used for education in local and global contexts.
EDLD 5315 Assessing Digital Learning and Instruction - Professional educators learn to quantify and assess student-learning in digital learning environments using practical measurement solutions to overcome the common misperception that abstract concepts such as learning are immeasurable.
EDLD 5316 Digital Citizenship - Students examine the critical elements of digital citizenship by interacting with multiple learning communities.
EDLD 5317 Resources for Digital Environments - This course focuses on ongoing discussion and analysis of existing digital learning resources to understand and evaluate their practicality and value for educational use.
EDLD 5318 Instructional Design in Online Learning - Learn the basics of creating effective instructional design for online courses using the Understand by Design framework.
EDLD 5388 Special Topics-Technology - This course will help students to identify and engage in professional learning opportunities and develop a foundation for their personal learning goals.
EDLD 5320 Synthesis of Digital Learning and Leadership/Capstone - The purpose of the synthesis course is to provide students with the opportunity to synthesize the knowledge, skills and values gained from the program and field experiences. The course will strive to expand students’ ability to master new content, think critically, and develop life-long learning skills across the disciplines.
Master’s Degree in Educational Administration (Online Only)
The master’s degree in educational administration requires successful completion of a 36-semester-hour program of study. Certification as a principal requires 36 hours of
prescribed course work. Requirements for the traditional program are as follows:
EDLD 5311 Fundamentals of Leadership This course provides students the opportunity to construct a foundation of leadership through fundamental theories of leadership. Students define their own purpose of leadership and begin to develop the basic skills required to build communities that support learning for all students. Special emphasis is given to leadership as relationships between and among people and systems.
EDLD 5301 Research Methods This course provides an introduction to skills and techniques for descriptive and inferential research on education problems with an emphasis on planning, designing, and selecting methodology for research projects. Significant course time is devoted to writing a research proposal.
EDLD 5326 School Community Relations This course provides a foundation for developing relationships with stakeholders within the school community—students, faculty, parents, and the community at large for the expressed goal of supporting student learning. A fundamental purpose of the course is to understand and implement strategies to develop essential partnerships between schools and the larger community to foster student learning and achievement.
EDLD 5333 Leadership for Accountability This course concentrates on both short and long-range district and campus planning. Students will examine the state accountability system, disaggregate data, and use data and resources to improve instruction and the curriculum. An emphasis will be placed on problem-solving techniques and the facilitation skills of effective school leaders.
EDLD 5335 Curriculum Management This course builds an understanding of curriculum models; curriculum frameworks, including those articulated at the state level; alignment of instruction to standards; and assessment of learning outcomes. District-level curriculum and policies are reviewed. The alignment of policy, goals, and human resources are examined with application to a specified school context.
EDLD 5339 Organization & Management Issues This course positions the school leader as the effective manager of the organization and its operations. Multiple topics are addressed, such as safe and effective learning environments, student support services, school policies and procedures, discipline management, behavior intervention, and fiscal issues in school management.
EDLD 5344 School Law This course provides teachers a foundation to understand the legal, ethical, and policy dimensions of education. Special emphasis is given to the interpretation of case law, Texas Education Code, and federal and state statutes.
EDLD 5345 Human Resource Management This course focuses on building the human resources to support the learning and instructional mission of the school and the attainment of school goals. Topics include ethical considerations in interactions with others, district policy and its relationship to personnel, confidentiality, employment and personnel law, contract renewal and non-renewal, teacher development, and an understanding of motivational theories and its application within the school environment.
EDLD 5352 Instructional Leadership This course emphasizes techniques for improving instruction and learning through the application of the research on effective schools and on models of instruction. Topics include leadership related to curriculum, instruction, supervision, and theories and methods for adult learning and professional development. The principal as the leader of learning involves such tasks as teacher evaluation, supervision, mentoring, and effective communication.
EDLD 5312 Diverse Learners This course enhances teachers’ ability to develop instructional programs to assess, instruct, and support students with diverse learning needs. Special emphasis is given to special education, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged students.
EDLD 5397 Internship for Supervision This course provides master's students with an opportunity to review and further develop their Action Research and Internships.
EDLD 5398 Internship in Administration
Principal Certification (Online Only)
A student who completes requirements for a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration will have fulfilled the hours required for a principal certificate. The student’s degree plan will include any additional courses required for certification.
Students already holding a master's degree from an accredited university may enter the "Certification Only" program for Principal Certification by making application in the Graduate College as a post-master’s student and office of the Department of Education Leadership and providing an official transcript of all applicable graduate work. Once admitted, students will be assigned an advisor who will develop a certification plan, which depending on age of course work, will require a minimum of 18 hours with additional hours required as appropriate.
To receive the principal certificate, a student must complete all course requirements, hold a valid Texas Teacher certificate, have two years of classroom teaching experience, and pass the TExES examination. To apply for the certificate, go to
Professional Superintendent Certificate (Online Only)
Prerequisites for the Professional Superintendent Certificate include a master’s degree and Principal Certification. Students who meet these prerequisites and wish to seek certification as a school superintendent should apply to the Department of Educational Leadership. Admissions may be limited. Applicants are expected to meet the GPA and GRE requirements for admission to the Graduate School for graduate work. Upon completion of the application and receipt of an official transcript of graduate work, an advisor will be assigned to develop a certification plan for the student. Students meeting the prerequisites can usually obtain certification as a superintendent by completing 12 semester hours plus a year-long internship of six hours. After completion of the certification plan, the student must take and pass the TExES examination and apply for the certificate at .
Master’s Degree in Educational Technology Leadership (Online Only)
The master’s degree in educational technology leadership requires the successful completion of a 36-semester-hour program of study. Principal certification is part of the ETL program. Please see Principal Certification above. Requirements for the traditional program are as follows:
EDLD 5311 Fundamentals of Leadership This course provides students the opportunity to construct a foundation of leadership through fundamental theories of leadership. Students define their own purpose of leadership and begin to develop the basic skills required to build communities that support learning for all students. Special emphasis is given to leadership as relationships between and among people and systems.
EDLD 5301 Research Methods This course provides an introduction to skills and techniques for descriptive and inferential research on education problems with an emphasis on planning, designing, and selecting methodology for research projects. Significant course time is devoted to writing a research proposal.
EDLD 5352 Instructional Leadership This course emphasizes techniques for improving instruction and learning through the application of the research on effective schools and on models of instruction. Topics include leadership related to curriculum, instruction, supervision, and theories and methods for adult learning and professional development. The principal as the leader of learning involves such tasks as teacher evaluation, supervision, mentoring, and effective communication.
EDLD 5333 Leadership Accountability Focused on accountability and data, this study develops planning and problem-solving abilities using techniques employed by effective school leaders. Special emphasis will be given working with campus improvement committees and to applications on an individual campus and the relationship of campus processes to district planning processes.
EDLD 5344 School Law This course focuses on knowledge and implementation of school law as found in the Texas Education Code and the handbook of Public School Law as well as laws relating to technology, ethics, and digital citizenship.
EDLD 5345 Human Resource Development Fundamentals of human relations and organizational behavior in developing programs of recruitment, selection, assignment, evaluation, promotion, and termination of personnel.
EDLD 5302 Concepts of Educational Technology – The Concepts of Educational Technology emphasizes how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can enhance the teaching and learning experience and enable students to lead digital learning.
EDLD 5303 Applying Educational Technology Portfolio - Evidence-based uses of educational technology in organizations.
EDLD 5316 Digital Citizenship - Students examine the critical elements of digital citizenship by interacting with multiple learning communities.
EDLD 5317 Resources for Digital Environments - This course focuses on ongoing discussion and analysis of existing digital learning resources to understand and evaluate their practicality and value for educational use.
EDLD 5397 Internship for Supervision Designed to give the prospective supervisor job-related experience with school district mentor and faculty of ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ.
EDLD 5398 Internship in Administration
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D..) (Online Program)
The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership prepares educators for advanced professional responsibility, leadership and accountability in diverse school and learning communities. Because of our rapidly changing world that continues to evolve into a global community and emerging markets, leaders must be able to work in a diverse, multi-national environment whether it be corporate, non-profit or education. Therefore, the ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program has adapted its goals and focus to produce leaders with leadership competencies that can effectively lead in this changing global society.
Admission Considerations
The program begins in the summer semester. Applicants to the program should submit all necessary paperwork by the end of March. While the Doctoral Executive Council considers all applicants and makes recommendations regarding acceptance, entrance into the program is competitive. Applicants should submit the following information to: Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 11614, Beaumont, TX 77710:
1. All official transcripts, including transcripts evidencing master's degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5 and a bachelor's degree: and
3. Graduate Record Examination scores
In addition, applicants shall submit an essay of approximately 500 words directly to the department with the department application in TK20. The essay shall reflect commitment and demonstration of interest in education as a career and to the advancement of education through professional leadership. The essay shall also reflect the applicant’s background, professional career goals, and reason for pursuing a doctoral degree.
Students should be currently or previously involved in and have educational leadership experience encompassing a number of settings, including schools, colleges and universities, health and human service agencies, and community-based organizations.
Applicants shall also provide three (3) professional references by emailing completed reference forms to edd.lea@lamar.edu. Reference forms are available on the doctoral website.
Degree Requirements
The Ed.D. requires the completion of 60 semester hours, which includes 33 hours of core courses, 15 hours are in research and 12 hours in dissertation. All course work (including successful defense of the dissertation) must be completed within ten years.
EDUD 6302 Global Ethics and Values This course focuses on the ethical practices of global educational leadership and on the ethics of equity and social justice. Specific philosophical approaches and ethical theories will be discussed. Particular attention will focus on ethical leadership practices from the perspective of global, regional, and local learning communities.
EDUD 6303 Global Cultural Awareness Examination of global leadership issues in cultural and social patterns affecting local, national and global educational systems.
EDUD 6305 Global Leadership Issues Exploration of the role of change in promoting continuous improvement and in modifying educational practices to result in creative, innovative outcomes within the local, national, and global societies.
EDUD 6306 Dynamics of Global Leadership The study of leadership theory as it applies to the school setting and extends into the global community.
EDUD 6307 Global Educational Leadership and Policy The theory and practice of policymaking and the global political influences that affect education in a global society. This course explores the knowledge base in the origin and types of law that operate within global educational systems. Investigating the relationship between legal issues and their impact on school policy is also emphasized.
EDUD 6312 Global Communication This course facilitates excellence in leadership by exploring current knowledge and research related to communication that builds positive relationships and community in a global society. Issues discussed include, but are not limited to, socioeconomic, ethnicity, literacy, gender, age, and other issues that require courageous communication. An emphasis on the educational leader as a scholar-practitioner will guide the examination of socio-cultural and diversity issues pervasive in communication and building relationships in a global society.
EDUD 6313 Contemporary Issues Examines current trends, emerging issues, and research-based practices in education organized around broad themes: school effectiveness and improvement, quality teaching and instructional leadership; caring, collaborative, and change-sustaining learning environments; diversity and culture; schools of choice; schooling for democracy. Themes will be announced in the printed schedule. The course may be repeated for credit when the topic varies.
EDUD 6314 Academic Research Writing I This course provides an overview of technical research writing as a precursor to the dissertation required in the doctoral program. The focus is to articulate an in-depth knowledge base in verbal and written format. It is Part One of a two-part scholarly writing process.
EDUD 6317 Academic Research Writing II This course provides an overview of technical research writing as a precursor to the dissertation required in the doctoral program. The focus is to articulate an in-depth knowledge base in verbal and written format. It is Part Two of a two-part learning process in scholarly writing. Academic Research I is a required prerequisite.
EDUD 6320 Foundations of Distance Education A foundational study of teaching and learning at a distance for both K-12 and higher education. Topics include the history of distance learning, administrative models, policy development, faculty and student support, and current research and future trends.
EDUD 6322 Trends and Issues in Multicultural Education Examines current trends, emerging issues, and research-based practices in multicultural education organized around broad themes: delivery of services to students with special needs (includes, but not limited to race/ethnicity, culture, language, age, gender, immigrant, migrant, deaf, other physical disabilities, and gifted and talented); labels and categories; impact of court cases discrepancies in accountability; resource systems in education; emphasis on least restrictive environment; patterns of government support, including federal and state mandates; other cultural issues.
EDUD 6350 Quantitative Research I Section I of a two-part quantitative research class covers descriptive and inferential statistics applications and a review of hypothesis testing. Descriptive statistics including correlational techniques and introduction to the general linear model and applications.
EDUD 6351 Quantitative Research II Section II of two-part quantitative research class covers descriptive and inferential statistics applications and a review of hypothesis testing. Descriptive statistics including correlational techniques and introduction to the general linear model and applications.
EDUD 6352 Qualitative Research I Section I of a two-part qualitative research class explores naturalistic observation, archival research, ethnographic studies, case studies and surveys. A field study will be conducted for application.
EDUD 6353* Synthesis Seminar Student proficiency assessment comprised of portfolios, synthesis paper and synthesis paper oral presentation. Successful completion allows the student to apply for candidacy.
EDUD 6354 Qualitative Research II Section II of a two-part qualitative research class explores naturalistic observation, archival research, ethnographic studies, case studies and surveys. A field study will be conducted for application. EDUD 6352 is a required prerequisite for this course.
EDUD 6361* Dissertation I Proposal Writing Students must maintain continuous enrollment from the time of advancement to candidacy and register for at least 3 credit hours each semester until successful dissertation defense, not to exceed 3 years of advancement to candidacy. The maximum number of dissertation credit hours is 12.
EDUD 6362 Dissertation II Proposal Defense Students must maintain continuous enrollment from the time of advancement to candidacy and register for at least 3 credit hours each semester until successful dissertation defense, not to exceed 3 years of advancement to candidacy. The maximum number of dissertation credit hours is 12.
Successful completion required for advancement to candidacy
EDUD 6363 Dissertation III Students must maintain continuous enrollment from the time of advancement to candidacy and register for at least 3 credit hours each semester until successful dissertation defense, not to exceed 3 years of advancement to candidacy. The maximum number of dissertation credit hours is 12.
EDUD 6364 Dissertation IV Students must maintain continuous enrollment from the time of advancement to candidacy and register for at least 3 credit hours each semester until successful dissertation defense, not to exceed 3 years of advancement to candidacy. The maximum number of dissertation credit hours is 12.
Prerequisite: Approval of Doctoral Director—Note: Students must maintain continuous enrollment from the time of advancement to candidacy and register for at least 3 credit hours each semester until successful dissertation defense, not to exceed 3 years of advancement to candidacy. The maximum number of dissertation credit hours is 12.