Coursework

USP Cohort 14 members (front row, left to right) Sean McPhetridge, Barbara Adams, Mishe Harvey, Shonda Huery; (back row, left to right) Petal Walker, Carl Hermanns, and USP graduate Samona Joe Tait, Local Instructional Superintendent, New York City Public Schools Region 4.

Established in 1990, the Harvard Urban Superintendents Program (USP) is recognized as the nation's premier program for preparing individuals to lead urban school districts. For twenty years, USP provided innovative training for aspiring superintendents, enrolling its last cohort in Fall 2009. Building on the tremendous success of USP, HGSE will launch the Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) program in Fall 2010. The new Ed.L.D. Program builds upon the skills, knowledge base, and relationships with school systems and leaders developed in USP. The program will maintain USP's strong focus on urban school leadership while expanding to include students preparing to lead a broad range of organizations including non-profit organizations, mission-based for-profit organizations, and government agencies. Individuals interested in pursuing careers as urban superintendents should visit the Ed.L.D. program for more information.

During coursework at Harvard, participants in the Urban Superintendents Program confront many issues critical to leading urban schools. By studying teaching and learning, politics of policy making, economics of education, conflict negotiation, media management, and the law as a policy lever, students gain valuable insight into the challenges today's urban superintendent faces.

USP students take a variety of the courses required of doctoral candidates at the Harvard Graduate School of Education as well as other courses required specifically for the USP program. The courseload is heavy -- USP students have only 12 months (July through the following June) to take courses typically completed in two years by doctoral students.

• View the Course Requirements
• 2008 Spring Syllabus for the Professional Seminar on the Urban Superintendency (324KB pdf)
• 2007 Fall Syllabus for the Professional Seminar on the Urban Superintendency (298KB pdf)
• 2007 Summer Syllabus for the Professional Seminar on the Urban Superintendency (238KB pdf)
• View the HGSE Courses of Instruction