Adriana Ruiz Alvarado
Associate Professor, Department Chair, Co-Director of the REAL Lab
Leadership and Higher Education
Developing leaders who transform education
The School of Education’s Department of Leadership and Higher Education brings together faculty whose expertise spans leadership, educational administration, and policy. The department is dedicated to providing exceptional graduate learning experiences within small, supportive, and personalized educational environments.
We prepare students for leadership and administrative roles across the educational spectrum—elementary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. Through our master’s degree, credential, and doctoral programs, the department centers educational justice and equity, cultivating confident, effective leaders equipped to create meaningful and lasting impact in their communities.
Gain experience from day one
Gain experience from day one
We are proud to offer a historic university community that helped found the consortium of The New American Colleges and Universities (NACU) in 1995 and has one of the first School of Education’s in the state. An interesting piece of the School's history for HESA students, is that Elizabeth Hidden, the first women to work as a faculty member in the School (1926-1954), earned the influential Deans of Women professional diploma from Teachers College, Columbia University, which is widely described as the precursor to graduate degrees in student affairs.
Students work with faculty who have expertise in various areas of the field using a critical and justice-oriented lens. They contribute to the study and practice of higher education, influencing regional, national, and international conversations.
In our program, students have the opportunity to learn about: the support of diverse students at an HSI, how HESA works in an interdisciplinary environment, and different institutional types in a vibrant HE regional landscape.
Explore our degree programs
Master Programs
Master of Arts in Education programs to help build expertise in higher education leadership.
Doctorate Program
The Ed.D. in Leadership for Educational Justice is a nationally recognized program that prepares you for rewarding leadership roles.
Credential Program
This program is approved by the CCTC to attain a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential (PASC).
Our community
Student resources
Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA)
On fieldwork, program pathways, and more.
Ed.D. in Leadership for Educational Justice (Ed.D.
On concentration, dissertation, program pathways, and more.
School and District Leadership
On fieldwork pathways, credentialing program pathways, California Administrator Performance Assessment (CalAPA), and more.
Opportunities
REAL Lab
For SOE students to produce knowledge about the role of race in education.
Leadership and Higher Education faculty
Our faculty combine academic expertise with real-world experience, mentoring students through coursework, research, and career development.
