Educational Leadership (M.Ed.)

Who It's For

The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership is designed for aspiring school leaders, education administrators, and policy experts who seek to lead and innovate in educational settings but do not require a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential (PASC). This program is ideal for individuals looking to:

Advance in leadership roles across public and private schools, districts, and educational organizations.

Drive policy and systemic change in education.

Strengthen organizational leadership and strategic planning skills.

Take a whole-child approach to leadership, integrating child development principles from Preschool through 12th grade.

Prepare for doctoral study, with the opportunity to apply earned units toward the Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership.

What You’ll Learn

The program provides a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to educational leadership, combining expertise in organizational change, psychology, human development, and motivation with practical leadership applications. Coursework is designed to ensure leaders can immediately apply their learning to real-world educational challenges.

Students will develop expertise in:

Personal and Organizational Leadership – Strengthening self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and leadership resilience.

Strategic Planning and Organizational Change – Learning techniques for diagnosing and improving school and organizational systems.

Educational Psychology and Human Development – Understanding the cognitive, social, and emotional development of students from early childhood through adolescence to guide effective decision-making.

Motivation and Engagement – Applying research-based strategies to inspire and support educators, staff, and students.

Education Policy and Innovation – Exploring leadership approaches that shape equitable and forward-thinking education systems.

Program Highlights

Whole-Child Leadership Perspective – Integrates child and adolescent development into leadership training.

Immediate Practical Application – Designed for working professionals to apply learning in real-time within their organizations.

Pathway to the Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership – Earned units may be applied toward doctoral study.

Comprehensive Curriculum – Covers leadership development, organizational change, educational psychology, and motivation theories.

Admission Requirements

Application for admission and application fee.
Official transcripts from all institutions attended. A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a preferred GPA of 2.75 or above in undergraduate work and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in any graduate work.
A Statement of purpose (double spaced, 1, 500 words) that includes an articulation of the following:
1. Your reasons for entering teacher leadership as a profession.
2. Any personal or professional experiences and/or qualifications related to your intended field of study.
3. Your perspectives on the relevance and role of cultural competence in school leadership.
Current résumé.
Two letters of recommendation (on letterhead) from individuals qualified to objectively evaluate the candidate succeed in graduate school and the potential to be a competent educator. Letters must be from individuals who can knowledgeably comment on academic skills, employment/volunteer experience, leadership potential, and professional abilities.

Degree Requirements

Total Program: 30 semester hours

Core Courses

18 semester hours

Course List
Code	Title	Semester Hours
ASCD 503	Educational Psychology	3
ASCD 530	Motivation in Education	3
ASCD 550	Human Development	3
ORGL 606	Personal and Visionary Leadership	3
ORGL 616	Conflict Resolution and Strategic Communication	3
ORGL 626 Building and Leading High-Impact Teams		3

Culminating Experience

Course List
Code	Title	Semester Hours
ASCD 596	Graduate Seminar (A capstone course that synthesizes learning from the program, requiring students to engage in research or applied projects demonstrating their leadership competencies.)	3

Electives

Course List
Code	Title	Semester Hours
Choose 9 units from the following:
ASCD 551	Studies in Attachment	3
ASCD 557	Teaching Adults	3
ASCD 558	Cognition and Brain Development	3
EDUC 501	Educational Assessment	3
EDUC 504	Methods of Research	3
EDUC 590	Issues in Teaching	3
SPED 420	Foundations of Inclusive Education	3
SPED 430	Assessment Practices and IEP Development	3
SPED 450	Inclusive Educational Systems - Law, Behavior, and Case Management	3

Program or Preliminary or Clear Administrative Credential

Applicants who have completed a Teacher Induction Program, a Preliminary or Clear Administrative Credential credential program, or an approved micro-credential program may request to apply up to 9 credits toward the Master’s in Educational Leadership program. Other equivalent experience can be submitted to the chair for consideration.

Applicants must submit a formal request for the credit waiver, including all required documentation.