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The Educational Leadership Program offers a credentialing degree (the administrative services credential), and master's and doctor of education (EdD) degrees. This program attracts a diverse array of working practitioners who seek to extend their knowledge, experience, and skills to address the most pressing issues related to educational policy and practice as managers and leaders of school change. In contrast to many traditional models, the program prepares leaders to build and sustain the professional relationships that undergird educational leadership, reform, and renewal. Course work builds on the diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences students bring to the program, illustrating how these strengths can contribute to and shape current educational policy and practice. With a focus on developmental and constructivist approaches to education, the administrative service credential program teaches school leaders to test theory in practice, anticipate consequences, and evaluate outcomes in a wide range of educational settings. The master's degree in educational leadership emphasizes topics such as school-community relations, race and ethnicity, organizational development, and ethical and moral concerns. Designed for accomplished practitioners, the doctoral program prepares individuals for a wide variety of professional leadership positions, from K-12 schools, to non-profit educational organizations and higher education institutions, extending our impact on the preparation of teachers and leaders in the Bay Area. All students take course work in research design and methodology along with a self-selected leadership focus. There are several opportunities for specialization within the leadership program including the leadership for early childhood strand which provides academic and field-based experiences for working professionals in the early childhood field with a focus on how to address key policy issues as an informed and powerful practitioner.
Administrative Services Credential (ASC)
Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (MA)
Joint MBA/MA in Educational Leadership
Doctor of Education (EdD)
We prepare leaders who are focused on issues of equity and social justice across education settings, with particular attention given to the urban educational context. In both master's and doctoral degree programs, students may follow curricular tracks that focus on leadership in early childhood, community college leadership, and independent school leadership; or they may select their own focus of interest.
Our program is focused to develop a core set of capacities within our students: (1) The capacity to critically reflect on one’s own beliefs, attitudes, and prejudices and the role that they play in our decisions and to help others do the same; (2) The capacity to evaluate data and the corresponding ethical dilemmas they present and to take effective and responsible action based on that information; (3) The capacity to effectively engage a culturally and ethnically diverse group of individuals to work collaboratively around a shared mission or vision of how things could be; and (4) The capacity to recognize one’s own strengths and weaknesses in leadership as well as those of others, and to effectively mobilize individuals to do their best work.
Please see Requirements and Deadlines for information about admissions and Requirements for information about degree/credential requirements.
Administrative Services Credential (ASC)
With a focus on developmental and constructivist approaches to education, the ASC program emphasizes testing theory in practice, thoughtfully anticipating consequences, and evaluating outcomes. Our graduates have a strong record of becoming successful school administrators and leaders in educational reform.
The program offers course work that prepares students for two credentials that certify educators to become school administrators in California's K–12 public school system:
Preliminary Administrative Services Credential-Tier I
Professional educators who hold a valid California teaching credential (or other school services credential) and have a minimum of three years of full-time school-based professional experience may earn the preliminary administrative services credential, tier I, in one year of full-time course work at Mills College. Students who earn the preliminary credential can complete a master's degree in educational leadership by continuing their studies for an additional academic year.
Professional Clear Administrative Services Credential-Tier II
The Mills College Alternative Tier II Program is a field-based program that can be completed in two years. The program provides extended time for reflection on field-based activities. The first year of the Tier II program involves part-time course work, advising, and self-assessment. The second year involves advising and self-assessment. In order to participate in the Tier II program, candidates must hold a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential and be employed as a school administrator.
For more information about the state requirements for the Administrative Services Credentials please visit the website for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
For additional information about the program see the Educational Leadership Graduate Handbook.
Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (MA)
This program is well suited for professionals who would like additional preparation to hold leadership positions throughout the educational system and related organizations. The curriculum includes such courses as school-community relations, race and ethnicity, organizational development, ethical and moral concerns, the principalship, and fiscal and business services. Students work with their faculty advisor to create a program that meets their individual needs and interests. Students complete a professional portfolio as a capstone project.
Students interested in leadership in early childhood also take classes in public policy and systems analysis, family and community diversity, and the application of child development theory to current issues in early care and education. In addition to coursework, students complete a field placement and develop leadership skills through ongoing interactions with professional mentors.
The concentration in independent school leadership is designed to enhance students' knowledge, skills, values, and practical experience so they can achieve their potential as leaders in independent school settings. The core curriculum of this program builds on the current school leadership program and is complemented with electives focused on independent school leadership. Within the context of their coursework, students will experience integrative projects and related fieldwork. The special features of the program include course work and guided fieldwork experiences specifically geared to meet the needs of independent school educators as well as connections to an extensive network of cooperating schools.
A master's degree in educational leadership may be earned by ASC candidates who elect an additional year of course work, by EdD candidates as they complete course work towards their doctoral degree, or by students who enroll in the MA program only. For those who enroll in the MA program only, the program is usually completed in two academic years.
For additional information about the program see the Educational Leadership Graduate Handbook.
Joint MBA/MA in Educational Leadership
Located in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Mills College School of Education and the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business have joined together to offer an innovative MBA/MA in Educational Leadership Program. The joint MBA/MA degree is designed specifically to prepare future educational leaders and managers for success in a rapidly changing educational landscape.
Educational leaders are increasingly confronted by complex challenges that require knowledge of educational processes as well as strategic business and management skills. These challenges can include:
- new models of schools, such as charter schools run by management companies and nonprofits
- increased demands for accountability and reporting mechanisms from diverse sets of stakeholders
- constrained resources coupled with increased expectations for educational quality and demands for specialized services
- growing reliance on turnaround processes for troubled schools
Challenges such as these require expertise that crosses traditional boundaries of business and education, in addition to tools beyond the basic knowledge of managing budgets and people typically offered by educational leadership programs.
The Mills MBA/MA in Educational Leadership Program prepares graduate students with knowledge and skills in areas including strategy, operations, marketing, finance, information and technology management, ethics, and organizational change. The program is appropriate for students who are preparing to serve as educational administrators in early childhood, K–12, higher education, and out-of-school programs and institutions; leaders and business officers in independent and charter schools; directors of educational nonprofits; educational consultants; and business consultants working in the education sector.
Graduate students can earn a joint MBA/MA degree from Mills in three years or less, depending on the previous fulfillment of foundation courses and a student’s individual course load. This specially designed joint degree track enables students to reduce their time in school by at least one academic year, providing significant financial savings and allowing future educational leaders to begin the next stage of their career in just three years.
For additional information about the joint MBA/MA degree, please download the MBA/MA in Educational Leadership Program brochure.
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Designed for accomplished practitioners, the doctoral program prepares individuals for a wide variety of professional leadership positions, from K-12 schools, to nonprofit educational organizations and higher education institutions. Applicants to this program must have a bachelor’s degree and significant professional experience in the field of education.
The EdD requires the equivalent of three full years of course work and by the doctoral dissertation. Applicants may petition for transfer of up to one year of credit from relevant prior graduate-level work. Required courses include research design and methods, race and ethnicity, ethical and moral concerns in educational leadership, and directed reading in the area of one’s dissertation topic; elective courses include a wide range of topics such as school-community relations, organizational development, the principalship, and fiscal and business services.
The doctoral dissertation focuses on a topic that is of particular interest and concern to the student and of relevance to the broader field of education. Course work supports this project by guiding students to develop a conceptual framework and research questions, research design, and literature review.
For additional information about the program see the
Educational Leadership Graduate Handbook.
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