Educational Leadership, MED with Emphasis Area

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Program Description

The Master of Education (MEd) in Educational Leadership program is designed for candidates who wish to prepare for school leadership. This degree program emphasizes the multifaceted-roles in the changing paradigms of school leadership. It consists of 36 hours of specific School Leader courses.

The MEd in Educational Leadership courses are designed to meet the Professional Standards for Education Leaders. The coursework is foundational, theoretical, applicable, and uses a common language for results aligned to a standards-based approach for determining performance levels. The courses are designed for students who are currently working in the field of education and desire advancement in their careers.

The MEd in Educational Leadership is not designed to lead to a School Leader certification. Missouri residents have the option to pursue a certificate for Missouri School Leader K-12 certification, if they already hold a Missouri Teaching certificate.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Visionary Leadership
Innovative Leadership
Instructional Leadership
Relational Leadership
Managerial Leadership

Program CIP: 13.0401 - Educational Leadership and Administration, General.

Program SOC: 11-9032 - Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary

Admission Requirements

Applicants with a cumulative undergraduate grade point average lower than 3.0 are eligible to apply for Conditional Admission. Conditional Admission allows enrollment in one course per session for two sessions, and requires an earned grade of B or higher in those two sessions to remove Conditional status. Failure to earn a B in each course may result in dismissal from the program.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission is based on appropriate professional work and teaching experience and/or potential for academic success at the graduate level. Students who are granted conditional admission are limited to one course per session until a GPA of 3.0 has been maintained through six (6) hours of coursework. When this condition has been met, students will automatically be updated to full program status.

Program Requirements

Students must meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements of the College.
Students must complete a minimum of thirty-six graduate semester hours in an approved course of study. The program is composed of a core of 6 hours of courses required of all students, and an emphasis consisting of 30 hours.

Required Graduate Core Courses (6 sem. hrs)

EDUC 502 - Foundations and Psychology of Educational Leadership 3 hours *
EDUC 562 - Behavior Management Techniques 3 hours Required for Reading Specialist Emphasis Area or
EDUC 564 - Classroom Management 3 hours

School Leader (K-12) Certification Emphasis

The School Leader (K-12) Certification Emphasis also requires a valid Missouri teaching certificate, two years of teaching experience, and passing scores on all state of Missouri assessments.

Assessment

Achievement and Proficiency will be determined through development and oral defense of a Standards based portfolio, based on the Professional Standards for Education Leaders. Anticipated length of the portfolio is approximately 80-100 pages, including artifacts which delineate standards as they are applied in the selected setting through the Practicum for each area. The PSEL Standards are adopted by the National, Association of Elementary School Principals, The National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the University Council of Education Administration, and are appropriate for all Leadership Emphasis Areas.

Minimum Total Semester Hours: 36 hrs

Transfer credit for courses already completed before admittance to the program may be substituted for required courses upon recommendation of the Education Department. After being admitted, the student must complete all course work at Columbia College unless specific permission is obtained from the M.Ed. Graduate Program Coordinator. A maximum of nine graduate hours may be accepted in transfer. Petitions for consideration of transfer credit must be made prior to the successful completion of 12 hours of graduate course work at Columbia College.