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2025 Graduate Catalog

Master of Education: Educational Leadership

The Master of Education in Educational Leadership program is designed for current educators who wish to specialize in K-12 administrator and supervisory functions in public and/or private educational school settings. Each educational leadership concentration provides a different focus and offers practical applications, as well as the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to be successful as an educational leader.

This online master's degree is meant for practicing teachers seeking administrator roles which do not require state certification.

Completion of the program does not lead to state certification or licensure.

This program has specific admission requirements.

Degree Program Objectives

In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:

  • Manage a school setting with awareness of historical, social, political, legal, and economic influences on education, show effective leadership, and also recognize the importance of community and collaboration.
  • Assimilate effective interpersonal communication skills to work well with school personnel, pupils, and parents and to acknowledge and appreciate diversity in its many forms to assess and instruct without influence of bias.
  • Support educational technology as an effective means to promote student learning as well as a medium to improve communication among colleagues, staff, parents, students, and the larger community.
  • Develop school policy, implement strategic plans and new programs, exhibit problem-solving skills, analyze and respond to emerging issues and trends in education, and put into practice the accepted norms and principles of educational research.
  • Manage daily school operations including record keeping, finances, and reports, and show effective leadership in the areas of supervision, evaluation, professional development, legal issues, and school reform that results in student success through fair and ethical means.
  • Recommend performance-based assessments, and implement assessment, instruction, evaluation, and intervention plans as appropriate for diverse learner needs.

If required, students in this program must be physically located in proximity to a school district where the right to conduct on-site observations and an internship is approved.

Background check requirements, including fees, for the selected school placement(s) are the student's responsibility.

Programmatic Admission Requirements

The following documentation is required for admission into any of the Educational Leadership program concentrations, and must be provided prior to course registration:

  • Official bachelor’s transcript showing conferral of degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, or a master’s transcript showing conferral of degree
  • Graduate writing sample
  • Signed statement of understanding (SOU)
  • Documentation of 1 year K-12 teaching experience or 1 year K-12 managerial experience in an instructional setting

Important notes:

  • This program is not designed to lead to certification or licensure. In order to make an informed decision about your education, prior to applying here we strongly encourage you to explore any state-specific or other requirements applicable to you, including with respect to certification, licensure, and certificate enhancements.
  • You are required to take EDUC519 as the first course in this degree program, but other courses may be taken in conjunction with EDUC519.
  • You must be physically located in proximity to a school district where the right to conduct on-site observations is approved.
  • Background check requirements and fees for on-site observations might be required and are your responsibility.

Please visit our AMU or APU graduate admission page for more information on institutional admission requirements.

Need help?

If you have questions regarding a program’s admission requirements, please contact the Admissions Team at 877-755-2787 or [email protected].

Degree at a Glance

There are no final program requirements for this program.

Degree Program Requirements

Core Requirements (18 semester hours)

Students receiving financial aid may be required to enroll in six (6) semester hours to maintain full time status, but the courses may be taken back to back in the semester rather than concurrently.

Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from a Concentration in K-12 Athletic Administration, Concentration in K-12 Professional Administration, or Concentration in K-12 Virtual School Administration.

Concentration in K-12 Athletic Administration (18 semester hours)

Teaches an array of leadership skills necessary for managing an athletic department in nontraditional K-12 learning organizations such as charter and private schools. Topics include: budgeting and financial management; legal issues, risk, and liability management; conflict resolution; managing facilities; and strategies for coaching and mentoring teachers.

Objectives

Upon completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Help to prepare candidates for leadership and managerial positions in athletic administration at the interscholastic level.
  • Develop leadership skills to meet today’s secondary dual role of managing an athletic department and performing everyday supervision and leadership duties as a school administrator.
  • Develop specific leadership skills relative to athletic budgeting and financial management, handling legal issues relative to managing an athletic department, conflict resolution, and managing facilities.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

Concentration in K-12 Professional Administration (18 semester hours)

Explores the unique structures of nontraditional K-12 learning organizations, including charter schools and private schools. Topics include: effective teaching strategies during the observation/walkthrough process; methods of collecting and analyzing assessment data; effective fundraising programs; and the importance of quality financial reporting and controls to protect and sustain nonprofit organizations.

Objectives

Upon completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Apply programmatic objectives to non-traditional school environments.
  • Synthesize key similarities and differences between traditional and non-traditional school environments.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

Concentration in K-12 Virtual School Administration (18 semester hours)

Looks at online learning in nontraditional K-12 learning organizations. Topics include: different types of software/genres and their effect on raising student achievement; intellectual property and copyright infringement issues; philanthropy and effective fundraising programs; and the differences between the learning needs and abilities of adult learners and K-12 learners.

Objectives

Upon completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Apply programmatic objectives to non-traditional school environments, including consideration for instructional design and technological access.
  • Synthesize key similarities and differences between traditional and non-traditional school environments, including an appropriate expression of governance, online learning culture, socialization, staffing, and professional development.
  • Synthesize andragogy and pedagogy appropriate for the virtual environment.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

  1. Required as the first course in the program but may be taken concurrently with another course.

If you're ready to move forward, we're ready to take you there.

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