In addition to the criteria established for general admission to graduate studies, applicants must have the following: 

• A graduate GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale 
• A master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. The master's degree must be appropriate to the student's educational objective. If not, the student will be required to take additional graduate work before regular admission is granted. 
• A valid professional teaching certificate 

In addition, international applicants must have a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 OR TOEFL score of 95. This requirement is for non- United States citizens who are not native English speakers. Students from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are exempt from English proficiency verification.

Applicants who are in the process of completing a master’s degree may be admitted to graduate study on a provisional basis and be allowed to complete a maximum of six semester hours of prerequisite coursework, if applicable, prior to graduation. If no prerequisite courses are needed, the student may complete a maximum of six semester hours applicable to program requirements prior to full admission to the program. 

• EA709 Leadership and Communications (3)
• EA710 Leading District Improvement (3)
• EA718 Instructional Leadership Strategies II (3)
• EA721 Data Driven Leadership for School Improvement (3)
• EA722 Equity in Educational Leadership Practices (3)
• EA727 Curriculum Development and Alignment (3)
• EA730 Internship I (Field Experience) (3)
  
• EA731 Internship II (Field Experience) (3)
• EA737 Administration of Curriculum (3)
• EA755 Ethics, Law, and Policy (3)
• GR799 Education Specialist Oral Examination (0)

NOTE: This program does not lead to administrative certification. This program does not include principal or superintendent certification. 

NOTE: Internship I & II – Each internship is 112 hours for a combined 224 hours. The candidate will gain relevant experience in school/district/institution leadership by observing and assisting district/school level teacher leaders and/or administrators in the exercises of the role. 

NOTE: All courses are taught online with the 6 hours of internship conducted in the student’s school district. Students can typically complete the program in 5 semesters. 

Students will select one of five concentration areas of leadership: 

Operations Specialist: focus on financial management and leadership, school plant planning and operations, communications and public relations, food service, and safety. 

Curriculum and Data Specialist: focus on curriculum development and alignment at the district level, data for school improvement, innovation in instructional practices, interventions for diverse populations, and professional development. 

Instructional Technology Specialist: focus on trends in instructional technology, designing instruction for online learning, integrating technology into teaching in the elementary and secondary classroom, and leadership in instructional technology in the district. 

Human Resource Specialist: staffing analysis, hiring and termination practices, mentoring, evaluations, benefits, HR management. 

Instructional Coach: focus on helping teachers develop their skills in curriculum, instruction, and assessment; focus on professional development and mentoring.