Master of Educational Leadership
Our Master of Educational Leadership (MEdL) is designed for creative, dynamic, passionate educators who are eager to lead change, design meaningful Jewish experiences, and transform the world through education.
Pursuing a graduate degree in educational leadership is the creative, impactful, and spiritual work you’ve been seeking.
Whether you already have experience working in your community or are still exploring the right fit, pursuing a graduate degree in educational leadership is the creative, impactful, and spiritual work you’ve been seeking. The program integrates academic studies and professional experience, equipping students with a vocabulary, toolbox, and laboratory for visionary, relational, effective leadership in Jewish education. The program is designed to tap into and expand your imagination, curiosity, and creativity. Our faculty foster a culture of reflection, inquiry, challenge, and support to enrich all learning.
Coursework
The course of study weaves together four strands of expertise. Each strand is divided into several courses, some required, and some elective: Teaching and Learning, Leadership, Aims & Aspirations of Jewish Education and Judaics. All students complete a capstone project that requires them to apply the knowledge, themes, principles, skills, and experiences they have learned in their coursework and residency to the creation of an authentic example of their work.
Graduate Residency
The centerpiece of the program is a two-year paid part-time graduate residency in selected Jewish educational institutions. These institutions function as living laboratories enabling you to gain meaningful leadership experience and mentorship while experimenting with intrapreneurial educational design and change management.
Concurrent Master of Arts in Jewish Learning
Spend an optional additional year of study at our Jerusalem campus, immersed in the land, literature, and life of the Jewish people to earn credits toward an additional concurrent degree, a Master of Arts in Jewish Learning (MAJL).
The Student Experience
Contact Us
The MEdL program is currently offered on the Los Angeles campus.
The program blends academic coursework and a paid part-time graduate residency of 20-25 hours/week in which you will apply learnings and practice in real life and in real-time settings. There will be a few online classes and “intensives” where a course is conducted on a retreat or in a week-long campus-based experience. You will meet with your cohort on campus three times/week and have a 12-13 credit course load each semester which includes credits for practicum/supervision.
Residency placements are in organizations that are living laboratories led by master educators who are also skilled supervisors and mentors. Placements will be in organizations that are at the cutting edge in thinking about Jewish education, that value innovation, play, experimentation, and are committed to building true interpersonal connections amongst their constituencies. These settings may be congregations, day schools, museums, camps, agencies with explicit educational missions, or other innovative endeavors in Jewish education.
MEdL students earn a salary of $20,000-$25,000, depending on the actual number of hours contracted with the institution and the portfolio of responsibilities. If students want to earn additional income, HUC can help secure additional project work.
