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The Mills College School of Education offers the following credentials and degrees in our Educational Leadership Program:
Administrative Services Credential (ASC)
Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (MA)
Joint MBA/MA in Educational Leadership
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Leadership Program in Early Childhood Education (MA or EdD)
Our schools need leaders who put teaching and learning at the center of every decision they make, who lead with ideas about what schools should be, as well as with the skills and capacities to move our current schools in a better direction. The Educational Leadership Program at Mills began with the recognition that reflective, intelligent teachers graduating from Mills serve children best in schools where leadership also questions orthodoxies and values inquiry. The Mills Educational Leadership Program draws on the strength of the long and proud tradition of preparing educators to work with students from diverse backgrounds in urban schools.
Whether students are preparing for an administrative credential or a doctorate, our program in educational leadership is focused on the development and preparation of thoughtful, reflective leaders committed to student development and social justice in schools. Our view of leadership is that leadership entails action, and that this action is best when it emerges from a thoughtful analysis of self and context. We strive to foster in students the greater self-awareness, empathic listening, and ability to manage self and others to effectively create positive change in schools and other educational settings.
We prepare leaders who are focused on issues of equity and social justice across education settings, with particular attention given to the urban educational contest. Our program is focused on developing 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 for information about admission and 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 a required two-semester course called Inquiry into Leadership, as well as a number of elective courses in topics such 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.
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
The School of Education and the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business have
joined together to offer an innovative joint MBA/MA in Educational Leadership Program designed specifically to
prepare future educational leaders and managers for success in a rapidly changing educational landscape.
Educational leaders and managers are increasingly confronted by complex challenges that require knowledge of
educational processes as well as strategic business and management skills. Our joint program prepares students to
provide expertise and leadership in both the instructional and the managerial aspects of high-performing educational
organizations. The program is appropriate for graduate students who are preparing to serve as educational
administrators in early childhood, K-12 institutions, higher education and out-of-school time programs; leaders and
business officers in independent and charter schools; directors of educational nonprofits; educational consultants;
and business consultants working in the education sector.
Educational leaders and managers are increasingly confronted by difficult challenges that require knowledge of
educational processes as well as fundamental business and management skills. These challenges include: new models
of schools, such as charter schools run by management companies and nonprofits; increased demands for accountability
and reporting mechanisms from a diverse set of stakeholders; constrained resources coupled with increased
expectations for educational quality and demands for specialized services; and the growing reliance on turnaround
processes for troubled schools. All of these challenges require expertise that crosses traditional boundaries of
business and education.
Our joint program will prepare future leaders, managers, and educational consultants to provide expertise and
leadership in both the instructional and managerial aspects of high performing educational organizations. In the
future, effective leadership in education will demand more than the basic knowledge of managing budgets and people,
areas typically offered by educational leadership programs. It will require enhanced leadership and management
knowledge and skills in areas such as strategy, operations, marketing, finance, information and technology
management, ethics, and organizational change.
For additional information about the joint program, please see the MBA/MA in Educational Leadership brochure, which you may download from our website.
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.
Leadership in Early Childhood
The Mills Leadership Program in Early Childhood is a 14-month, four-semester master’s degree program; each new cohort begins in May. In addition, there is an EdD track that requires an additional two to three years of advanced course work and research. Developed for working professionals, the program offers courses on weekday evenings and weekends.
Students take classes in leadership theory and development, organizational change, administrative and fiscal practices, public policy and systems analysis, ethics and morality, family and community diversity, research methods, and the application of child development theory to current issues in early care and education. In addition to academic course work, students complete a field placement that is individualized to expand their understanding of the various sectors of the early childhood field and to deepen their knowledge of the complex issues challenging the profession. Students also strengthen their leadership skills through ongoing interactions with professional mentors, all established leaders in the early care and education field. This mentorship component supports our students to develop effective professional networks that they are able to continue to build upon as they advance in their careers.
All course work, field placement, and mentorship activities emphasize the development of key dispositions for leadership including inquiry-driven problem solving, critical thinking, collegiality, culturally responsive communication, and ongoing self-study and reflective practice. Graduates of the leadership program assume a variety of leadership roles in policy, program development and administration, advocacy, higher education, and research.
For additional information see the Leadership in Early Childhood Handbook.
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