Skip to Main Content

School of Leadership and Education Sciences

Subpages

The School of Leadership and Education Sciences offers graduate programs in three departments: Leadership Studies, Learning and Teaching, and Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy. Our degree and credential programs prepare professionals to lead and serve in many different sectors of society as administrators, executives, therapists, professors, counselors, teachers, and educators. Our programs have met the high standards established by the following accrediting bodies: Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, Commission for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Education Programs, and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

At the graduate level, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences offers a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies (MA), Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership (MA), Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership and Management (MA), Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership and Management (MS) online, Master of Arts in Restorative Justice Leadership and Facilitation (MA), Master of Education (MEd), Master of Arts in Counseling (MA), Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy (MA), Doctorate in Leadership Studies (PhD), Doctorate in Organizational Leadership (EdD), and a Doctorate in Education for Social Justice (PhD). Please refer to subsequent pages for more information regarding these programs.

The School of Leadership and Education Sciences also offers credentials for teachers, counselors, and education specialists. Please contact the School of Leadership and Education Sciences’ Credential Analyst team for more information. Additionally, graduate students may seek certificates in Arts and Culture Leadership, International School Counseling, Leadership Coaching, Nonprofit Management, and TESOL. 

In addition, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences offers undergraduate coursework in three departments: Leadership Studies, Learning and Teaching and Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy. Our certificates, credentials, courses and minor fields lay a foundation for leadership roles in teaching, counseling, marital and family therapy and administration in school settings; as well as leaders in the public, nonprofit and military sectors. Please refer to the current Undergraduate Course Catalog for more information regarding these programs.

Vision Statement

SOLES shapes the future by educating and empowering professionals to enact social justice, enhance human dignity, and improve the quality of life of diverse individuals, families, and communities.

Mission Statement

The School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) at the University of San Diego believes in academic excellence, innovation, and a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. We educate, engage, model, mentor, and challenge the campus community to promote social justice and ignite meaningful change in our diverse society.

Internationalization Experience Requirement

School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) students are required to complete an international experience to graduate. SOLES recognizes that students are living in a global society and they need to understand how other countries and cultures approach the issues and concepts in their program areas. The internationalization experience will strengthen students in their current lives and future careers. Each program has identified specific ways in which its students can meet the internationalization requirement, including participation in a global study course offered through the SOLES Global Center. Students should check with their respective program/department for more information on options for satisfying the SOLES International Experience Requirement. Please note: Beginning in Summer 2011, courses with an “I” designation following the course number are courses that satisfy this requirement.

Centers and Institutes

  • Catholic Institute for Mental Health Ministry

  • Center for Restorative Justice

  • Character Education Resource Center

  • Global Center

  • Hansen Summer Institute

  • Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education

  • Manchester Family Child Development Center (MFCDC)

  • Nonprofit Institute (NPI)

Academic Degree Programs, Credentials and Certificates

Doctoral Degrees

The School of Leadership and Education Sciences offers three doctoral degrees. The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Leadership Studies and the Doctor of Education in Organization Leadership are housed in the Department of Leadership Studies and the Doctor of Philosophy in Education for Social Justice is housed in the Department of Learning and Teaching.  The 57-unit PhD in Leadership Studies requires the successful completion of a dissertation and allows students to develop their chosen career goals. The 48-unit EdD in Organizational Leadership is a rigorous and comprehensive practitioner-scholar program which culminates in a dissertation and presentation of findings to the academic and professional community. Courses are offered synchronously online, with minor asynchronous components. The 48-unit PhD in Education for Social Justice is a fully online professional program. Candidates for the PhD in Education for Social Justice are expected to complete a dissertation. 

Master’s Degrees

The master’s programs in SOLES prepare qualified professional personnel in education and related areas through a sequence of graduate work that includes field and laboratory experiences as well as coursework. The School of Leadership and Education Sciences grants three master’s degrees: the Master of Arts (MA), the Master of Education (MEd) and the Master of Science (MS). Each program requires a specified minimum number of graduate credits and most require the successful completion of an action research project, a comprehensive examination, a culminating curriculum project, thesis, or a portfolio. There is no foreign language requirement.

Credential Programs

USD’s credential programs are approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Students should see their advisors for specific requirements regarding each credential. It is possible to combine credential programs with a degree program. Students should check with their respective program/department for more information.

Certificate Programs

SOLES offers a variety of certificate programs designed to enhance students’ professional learning. Students should consult their academic advisor or program director for details about certificates currently being offered.

Transfer of Credit

Students may transfer up to six appropriate master’s-level units taken at an accredited and approved institution within the past five years into a 30-44 unit program, up to nine units into a program requiring 45 or more units, and up to 12 units into a PhD program, with the approval of the advisor and program director/department chair, Associate Dean and clearance by the Office of the Registrar. The EdD program does not allow any transfer units.

Reservation of the Right to Modify

Every effort has been made to provide current and accurate information in the description of doctoral, master’s degree and credential programs. However, we reserve the right to change program requirements. Students should confer with their advisors and the credential analyst to ensure progress toward their degrees and/or credentials.

© University of San Diego. All rights reserved.