Why Apply?

There are many reasons for selecting University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences for advanced studies. We will mention just four distinguishing factors here.

First is the value of your University of San Diego degree. U.S. News & World Report ranked SOLES as one of the top 100 schools of education in the country and the top-ranked Catholic university from the region. The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). SOLES programs are accredited by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). SOLES curriculum is accredited by our peers and rated as both challenging and rewarding by our graduates. Our reputation in the areas of education, counseling, therapy and leadership is highly respected by our peers, the community, and our alumni network of more than 3,500 people representing virtually every organizational setting.

The second factor that distinguishes us from other institutions is the quality of the faculty, their teaching, and scholarship. They are outstanding instructors who are enthusiastic about their roles as teachers. Their reputation as productive scholars continues to differentiate them in their fields of academic specialization and in the educational, therapeutic, counseling and leadership communities.

The third distinguishing factor is the availability of the faculty, who pride themselves on the individual attention that they are able to provide. Students in all programs have ample opportunities to meet with faculty in both formal and informal settings in order to take full advantage of their counsel and advisement.

Finally, we are especially proud of our diversity and international work. We offer courses and educational partnerships around the world and all SOLES graduate students are required to take part in an international experience. Recently, we received the Best Practice Award in Support of Global Diversity and Inclusion from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.