The online Master's degree in Educational Administration (PK-12) at the University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences consists of 33 credit hours of coursework, including an extensive field-based practicum and a comprehensive interactive digital portfolio for licensure candidates, and a comprehensive exam for non-licensure candidates - all of which can be completed within two years. 

For licensure candidates, the Internship Gateway course opens up halfway through the program after a student completes six courses.  This allows the graduate students to start internship hours earlier than the final internship ELPS 895 course.  While completing the remaining six courses for the master's program, students will meet with their mentor and faculty instructor to discuss the internship requirements as they finish their 175 hours of field internship experience and build a digital portfolio to complete the program. 

This program fulfills the academic requirements necessary for Kansas state licensure at the school (building) level and is designed to accommodate working educators who currently hold initial teaching licensure and work in the classroom (or other positions such as instructional coach) in their schools.  Depending on students' educational administration career aspirations they will develop a demonstrated understanding of content and skills that have been aligned with the National Educational Leadership Preparation building level standards: https://www.npbea.org/

Graduate students will learn from expert scholars and practitioners, as well as fellow classmates, who bring diverse leadership experiences to the principal preparation program at KU. The rigorous program stresses fundamental knowledge and educational policy development necessary for effective leadership. Taught by a mix of full-time tenure track faculty members who are experts in their field and by practitioners who were leaders in their schools, graduate students enrolled in this program, can expect to:

• Extend their knowledge of pedagogy and leadership

• Enlarge their understanding of schooling & develop an appreciation of the political, economic and social forces that influence the decisions of educational leaders

• Share in-depth analyses and discussions of theory for application to real-world experiences in an online forum

• Build upon the skills and knowledge acquired in the previous terms with progressive sequence of coursework

• Develop and submit an e-portfolio during their final practicum experience to illustrate personal perspectives and experiences 

• If seeking non-licensure, the candidate will complete a comprehensive exam during their final semester demonstrating their competencies in educational leadership

Graduate Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet both the University and departmental admission requirements to be considered for the program.

University of Kansas Graduate Admission Requirements

• All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy. 
• Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.  
• English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required. 

Masters of Science in Education in Educational Administration Application Requirements

• Applicants must have 3-5 years of teaching experience in a state-accredited school while holding a professional level teaching license.

• A completed graduate application.
• Application fee.
• Official transcripts of all degree-granting post-secondary institutions you have attended and an official transcript for each degree earned.
• One letter of recommendation from a current supervisor.
• Personal statement declaring your interest in the program and its relationship to your graduate course or study and/or career objectives.
• Current resume or CV.

Building Leadership

The online master’s in educational administration Building Leadership Concentration includes an internship for students who intend to acquire a license as a principal or other building leader, either immediately following the program or at some point in the future. For licensure candidates, we require our students experience a field-based practicum and digital portfolio that serves as a progressive tool to apply for administrative positions.

COURSES INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ELPS 750	Principalship	3
ELPS 756	Data-Driven Leadership	3
EPSY 715	Understanding Research in Education	3
ELPS 757	Education in American Society	3
ELPS 752	Education Law	3
ELPS 755	Human Resource Management	3
ELPS 852	School Resource Management	3
ELPS 854	The Student in Society	3
SPED 756	Special Education Leadership	3
ELPS 853	Staff Evaluation and Development	3
ELPS 895	Internship ( *, **for non-licensure concentration, the internship is replaced by one of the elective courses below)	3
Total Hours		33

 *ELPS 895 needs to be taken concurrently in the semester, 1 credit hour for first 8 weeks and 2 credit hours for second 8 weeks.

Non-Licensure 

The online master’s in educational administration Non-Licensure Concentration* substitutes coursework for the internship requirement with the expectation that participants want to earn their Master’s and gain knowledge about leadership, but are not pursuing a license.  For non-licensure candidates, we require a comprehensive exam.

COURSES INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ELPS 750	Principalship	3
ELPS 756	Data-Driven Leadership	3
EPSY 715	Understanding Research in Education	3
ELPS 757	Education in American Society	3
ELPS 752	Education Law	3
ELPS 755	Human Resource Management	3
ELPS 852	School Resource Management	3
ELPS 854	The Student in Society	3
SPED 756	Special Education Leadership	3
ELPS 853	Staff Evaluation and Development	3
C&T 806	Instructional Strategies and Models	3
ELPS 895	Internship ( *, **for non-licensure concdentration, the internship is replaced by one of the elective courses below)	3

 *ELPS 895 needs to be taken concurrently in the semester, 1 credit hour for first 8 weeks and 2 credit hours for second 8 weeks.

**Elective courses for non-licensure concentration students only. Please choose one of the following courses to replace ELPS 895 from the building leadership concentration.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
C&T 801	Planning for School Improvement	3
C&T 803	Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction	3
SPED 854	Family and Interprofessional Collaboration in Special Education	3
SPED 856	Transition Education and Services from Childhood through Adulthood	3
SPED 857	Career Development for Youth	3
SPED 861	Blending Academics and Transition	3
SPED 863	Student Engagement in School and Community	3

 At least 50% of coursework in the master degree must be at the 700 level or above.

At the completion of this program, students will be able to: 

• Collaboratively lead, design, and implement a school mission, vision, and process for continuous improvement that reflects a core set of values and priorities that include data use, technology, equity, diversity, digital citizenship, and community.
• Understand and demonstrate the capacity to advocate for ethical decisions and cultivate and enact professional norms. 
• Develop and maintain a supportive, equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive school culture. 
• Evaluate, develop, and implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, data systems, supports, and assessment. 
• Engage families, community, and school personnel in order to strengthen student learning, support school improvement, and advocate for the needs of their school and community.
• Improve management, communication, technology, school-level governance, and operation systems to develop and improve data-informed and equitable school resource plans and to apply laws, policies, and regulations.  
• Build the school’s professional capacity, engage staff in the development of a collaborative professional culture, and improve systems of staff supervision, evaluation, support, and professional learning.