Interdisciplinary Studies, Educational and Community Leadership, BA

Develop a deep understanding of how to advocate for reform in our community institutions to establish equity, access, and social justice.

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Program Information

Next Start

June 2025

Program Format

8-week courses, 5 terms year-round

Program Length

2 or 3 years, 50–60 units

Cost Per Unit

$475 · Financial aid and scholarships available

Application Deadlines

April 1 for Summer · July 15 for Fall · November 15 for Spring

Create Change and Tackle Inequality

The educational and community leadership way of thinking combines academic disciplines and empowers students to promote change for social justice, which is in demand by employers like the City of San José, San José Unified School District, Santa Clara County Office of Education, Stanford University, and many more. By developing comprehensive leadership, problem solving, communication, and advocacy skills, education and community leadership graduates tend to have fulfilling careers in the arts and design, community and social services, education, media and communication, operations, and beyond.

Our online Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies program with a concentration in Educational and Community Leadership program is taught by our renowned SJSU faculty in collaboration with expert instructional designers. When you complete this program, you will earn the same quality degree as all of our SJSU graduates and have the same opportunity to proudly cross the stage during your SJSU commencement ceremony.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants to all SJSU Online programs must fulfill our general SJSU Online requirements. To view the program's courses, roadmap, and more, visit the Interdisciplinary Studies, Educational and Community Leadership, BA catalog webpage. Students who choose the Early Childhood Education Specialization must also have or find access to field placement in a suitable early childhood setting.

Valuable Learning Experiences

Our program combines courses from our Departments of Child and Adolescent Development, Communicative Disorders and Sciences, Educational Leadership, Special Education, and Teacher Education and includes plenty of opportunities to apply your learning within and beyond your classes. Completing our program will enhance your ability to:

Demonstrate leadership skills that promote change for the betterment of all individuals within a community system.
Create interdisciplinary strategies to manage challenges within one’s professional field.
Advocate an anti-racist approach to establish social justice with diverse communities.

Featured Classes

View 2-Year Roadmap

Core Course

Communication, Leadership, and Social Justice

Utilize a critical lens to develop a foundation for analysis of oral and written communication in the community. Expand personal written and oral communication styles to help amplify your voices in the community and in your careers.

Core Course

Emerging Technology for All Learners

Learn effective use of the computer to meet exceptional learning needs, including special education software evaluation, word processing for written language development, individualized lessons with graphics and speech and database management for cognitive and language development.

Early Childhood Specialization

Foundations for Early Childhood Curriculum

Understand foundations for implementing developmentally appropriate early childhood education curriculum. Examine history and theories underlying curriculum models; assessment of children’s learning; research and standards applicable to curriculum in language, literacy, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) content areas.

Inclusive Education Specialization

Psychological Foundations of Education

Research cognitive, affective and social/emotional development related to school settings. Examine theories of development, learning and instruction. Discuss individual differences, measurement, evaluation, instructional goals, classroom management and diversity in the classroom.

Core Course

The Right to Learn: Language, Dignity, and Education

Debate about the role of formal schooling within a democratic society and analyze the ways in which access to schooling and its benefits have been disparately allocated across US history.

Inclusive Education Specialization

Prepare to work with diverse communities – both in school and beyond school education settings – through pathways such as teacher credential programs, special education credential programs, afterschool programs, and resource coordinators. Complete special education credential courses so that you can later complete a special education credential at SJSU with fewer courses and enroll in the credential as an intern.

Early Childhood Education Specialization

Prepare to qualify for a Master Teacher and Site Supervisor Early Childhood Permit. This pathway is recommended if you are interested in later pursuing a credential to become a transitional kindergarten (TK) teacher or a career working with children ages 0-5 and their families.

What can you do with an Educational and Community Leadership degree?

Through exposure to a curriculum that explores societal inequities and methods to accentuate strengths of a community and of its members, you will develop leadership skills that apply to a wide range of careers in education, child and youth services, community organizations, and social services.

Education administrators in the Bay Area earn an average annual salary of $65,000 and an upper range of $103,000, according to Glassdoor.

Take a look at some of the top sectors, top companies, and examples of job titles of our alumni, according to LinkedIn.

Top Job Titles

Counselor
Donor and data coordinator
Elementary teacher
Health and wellness advisor
Operations director
Program manager
Resource specialist

Top Companies

City of San José
East Side Union High School District
Palo Alto Unified School District
San José Unified School District
Santa Clara Unified School District
SJSU
Stanford University

Top Sectors

Arts and design
Business development
Community and social services
Education
Media and communication
Operations

Expert Faculty and Diverse Classmates

Learn about the expertise of our Educational and Community Leadership faculty and how our program is enabling students from all walks of life to accomplish their goals.