Leadership and Innovation - EdD

University of the Pacific

Our Doctorate in Education, Leadership and Innovation program offers a unique and transformative experience for practitioners interested in the study and practice of learning, leadership, and change. Our students focus on a system and innovation perspective to make real and lasting changes in organizational systems.Benerd College empowers passionate leaders in cultivating a hub of innovation and learning in California's Sacramento Valley. We provide a dynamic, intimate, humanistic, and student-centered approach to teaching and learning.Our programs are designed for working professionals wanting to foster true innovation through learning and education.ProgramThe program focuses on fostering innovation and creativity in Leadership & Innovation. We purposefully recruit students from throughout the learning system: K12 education, higher education, non-profit and advocacy organizations, government, the military, and corporations. The curriculum is focused on inquiry and practice for learning, leadership, and change.Applied Inquiry CourseworkAn 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 CommunityA 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.Action Oriented Project Based DissertationOur faculty work with each student in deciding which type of dissertation is most appropriate to address a "problem of practice," with the ultimate goal of producing innovative and creative solutions using one of several methodologies including Action Research, Design Thinking, Program Evaluation, and Case Study.

Benerd College