Educational Leadership, M.ED. with Emphasis Areas

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Emphasis areas include: Principal and Instructional Leadership.

Program Description

The Master of Education, Education Leadership Program is designed for candidates who wish to prepare for school leadership in the areas of School Principal or Instructional Leader. This degree program emphasizes the multifaceted-roles in the changing paradigms of school leadership. It consists of a core curriculum of 27 hours and two tracks providing an additional 9 hours of electives per track.

The Master of Education, Educational Leadership courses are designed to meet the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards (ISLLC). 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 primarily designed for students who are currently working in the field of education and desire advancement in their careers.

This degree program prepares students to take their state’s School Leaders Licensure Exam. The program meets the requirements for the Missouri Initial Principal Certification. Students who plan to enroll in this degree program are responsible for verifying that the program meets licensure requirements for the State Department of Education for the state in which they reside.

An undergraduate degree with teacher certification in one or more areas, plus teaching experience, is required as a prerequisite.

Students who would like to acquire the degree and already have an MAT degree may apply up to 9 hours from their MAT toward the additional degree.

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 27 hours of courses required of all students, and an elective emphasis consisting of 9 hours. Students must choose one or more of the emphases listed in the elective emphasis listings. Students who wish to complete more than one emphasis will have more than 36 hours upon completion.

Required Graduate Core Courses (27 sem. hrs)

Elective Graduate Courses (9 sem. hrs)

Principal Emphasis

Instructional Leader Emphasis

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.

Assessment

Achievement and Proficiency will be determined through development and oral defense of a Standards based portfolio which includes Research design, Action Research completion, and the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Standards. Anticipated length of the portfolio is approximately 60 pages, including artifacts which delineate standards as they are applied in the selected setting. The ISLLC Standards are adopted by the National, Association of Elementary School Principals and The National Association of Secondary School Principals and are appropriate for all Leadership Tracks.