Doctor of Education in Educational and Organizational Leadership

University of the Pacific's Doctoral Program in Educational and Organizational Leadership offers a unique and transformative experience for practitioners interested in learning, leadership and change. 

Flexible Format for Working Professionals

This part-time program is designed around the needs of working professionals. Students attend in a hybrid face-to-face/online format.  We offer a Residency Weekend format with intensive face-to-face classes in a workshop format, combined with online interactive videoconferences on two weeknights when face-to-face sessions are not held.

Unique Curriculum Scope

Our students focus on a systems and innovation perspective to learning, leadership, and change.  We work to integrate all pieces of the learning pipleline: from K12, to college/university, to the workforce and through lifelong learning. Students represent all sectors and learn from each other through our tight-knit community.

Specialization Options

We offer multiple cognate concentration options (four-course sequence of courses), which allow you to specialize in a particular area of practice:

• Curriculum and Instruction (Stockton Campus)
• Educational Policy and Advocacy  (Sacramento Campus)
• Educational Psychology  (Stockton Campus, Online)
• K-12 Administration (California Preliminary Administrative Services Credential) (Stockton Campus)
• Organizational Learning and Effectiveness (Sacramento Campus)
• Research Methods (Stockton Campus)
• Special Education (Stockton Campus)
• Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Sacramento Campus)
• Student Affairs in Higher Education (Stockton Campus)

Multiple Dissertation Options

Our approach to dissertations allows you to customize your work around an area of personal and professional interest.  This model allows for an individually transformative approach to integrating theory, research and practice.

Dissertation options include:

• Traditional five-chapter dissertation.
• Alternative dissertation consisting of multiple articles. 
• Action-oriented project-based dissertation.

Each dissertation option provides a rigorous and transformative experience.  Faculty will work with you to decide which approach will best help you meet your personal and professional goals.

Applied Inquiry Coursework

An important feature of the Pacific program is the Applied Inquiry coursework.  Through a series of four courses, you complete a large percentage of your dissertation work during your regular courses.  Our students begin working toward completing their dissertation proposal in the first semester. The entire draft proposal is targeted for completion in the first semester of Year 3.   

Supportive Community

A distinctive element of our program is the structured individual and group support that continues through graduation.  Traditionally, the dissertation writing process is an isolated, individual endeavor.  While our dissertations consist of individual research, we have unique cohort support structures in place that help you to move through the process with others.  Students continue meeting as a group until they defend their dissertation.