Education: Educational Leadership (EDLD) (MAEd)
Degree: Master of Arts in Education
Program of Study: Educational Leadership (EDLD)
Program Code: 8201
About This Major . . .
The Master of Arts in Education, Educational Leadership/Principal Licensure is designed as a dynamic program to meet the needs of education professionals as they gain additional expertise in one or more state endorsement areas. The degree is awarded after successful completion of 36 semester hours for the Educational Leadership concentration. The program is designed to provide the student with 12 hours of Master’s foundation courses in theory of curriculum design and assessment, educational technology, culture and pedagogy, research, and a capstone project. The subsequent courses focus on Educational Leadership skills and competencies.
The program is guided and adheres to the Colorado Professional Standards for Principals. Admission to the program follows the stated guidelines for graduate admission procedures outlined in the university catalog. Additionally, students must provide three letters of reference from the profession, educator professional license, and a statement of purpose. Applicants must hold a valid teaching licensure to be considered for admission. The degree is granted after completion of all courses with a grade of B or better, successful completion of a capstone project, and a ranking of proficient or better on all elements of a comprehensive exam.
Important information about this program:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college is required, prior to beginning the program.
- A fully completed application including official transcripts is required prior to beginning the program.
- Applicants must hold a valid Professional Colorado Educator License.
- It is recommended that students work closely with a faculty advisor when selecting courses and scheduling classes prior to registration.
All CMU masters-level graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, quantitative fluency, communication fluency, critical thinking, information literacy, and ethical reasoning. In addition to these campus-wide student learning outcomes, a graduate of this program will be able to:
- Create and deliver oral and written communication based on sound educational theory and research for public education leadership. (Communication Fluency)
- Evaluate and formulate education plans based on research, current issues, and public education stakeholders. (Critical Thinking and Specialized Knowledge)
- Synthesize, evaluate, and refine information from an information base of scholarly resources. (Information Literacy)
- Evaluate and articulate responses to moral, ethical, legal, and professional challenges from the perspective of an educational leader. (Ethical Reasoning)
- Employ statistically valid processes to analyze assessment data to evaluate student learning with respect to district, state, and federal goals. (Quantitative Fluency)
- Work individually and collaboratively on research-based change and innovation in Education. (Specialized Knowledge and Applied Learning)
Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements.
To print or save an overview of this program's information, including the program description, learning outcomes, requirements, suggested course sequencing (if applicable), and advising and graduation information, scroll to the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu and select "Print Options." This will give you the options to either "Send Page to Printer" or "Download PDF of This Page." The "Download PDF of This Page" option prepares a much more concise presentation of all program information. The PDF is also printable and may be preferable due to its brevity.
Institutional Graduate Degree Requirements
The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU graduate-level degrees. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.
- Graduate certificates consist of a minimum of 5 credit hours. Master’s degrees consist of a minimum of 30 credit hours. Doctoral degrees consist of a minimum of 60 credit hours.
- All credits in a graduate program must be minimally at the 500-level.
- At least fifty percent of the credit hours must be taken at CMU.
- Students must achieve a 3.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU coursework.
- Students may not apply coursework with a grade lower than a “B” toward graduation requirements.
- A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
- Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Requirements.
- The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and certificate requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
- See “Graduate Degree Requirements” in this catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
- All policies for graduate degrees are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures Manual, Capstone Guidelines Manual, and Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines Manual, all of which are provided on the Graduate Studies website.
Program Specific Requirements
(36 semester hours, must earn a “B” or better in each course)
- It is recommended that students work closely with a faculty advisor when selecting courses and scheduling classes prior to registration.
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| EDUC 500 | Culture and Pedagogy | 3 |
| EDUC 501 | Educational Technology | 2 |
| EDUC 502 | Theory, Design & Assessment of Curriculum | 3 |
| EDUC 503 | Introduction to Educational Research and Design | 3 |
| EDUC 600 | Master's in Education Capstone | 1 |
| Educational Leadership Courses | ||
| EDLD 506 | Leadership and Organizational Change | 3 |
| EDLD 515 | Dynamic School Leadership in a Democratic Society: Introduction to School Administration | 3 |
| EDLD 520A | Principalship I | 2 |
| EDLD 520B | Principalship II | 2 |
| EDLD 532 | School Finance and Legal Aspects of School Administration | 3 |
| EDLD 535 | Internship in Educational Leadership I | 1 |
| EDLD 540 | School Improvement and Accountability | 3 |
| EDLD 542 | Instructional Supervision and Management/HR | 3 |
| EDLD 545 | Internship in Educational Leadership II | 1 |
| EDTL 513 | Information Based Educational Practice and Statistics | 3 |
| Comprehensive Exam 1 | ||
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Educational Leadership students are required to achieve proficiency on all elements of a comprehensive exam taken the final semester of the program. The written exam evaluates the critical thinking and problem solving skills of candidates in relation to the Colorado Professional Standards for Principals.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer Semester | Semester Credit Hours | |
| EDUC 502 | Theory, Design & Assessment of Curriculum | 3 |
| EDUC 503 | Introduction to Educational Research and Design | 3 |
| EDLD 515 | Dynamic School Leadership in a Democratic Society: Introduction to School Administration | 3 |
| EDLD 520A | Principalship I | 2 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 11 | |
| Fall Semester | ||
| EDUC 501 | Educational Technology | 2 |
| EDLD 535 | Internship in Educational Leadership I | 1 |
| EDLD 540 | School Improvement and Accountability | 3 |
| EDLD 542 | Instructional Supervision and Management/HR | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EDTL 513 | Information Based Educational Practice and Statistics | 3 |
| EDLD 545 | Internship in Educational Leadership II | 1 |
| EDUC 600 | Master's in Education Capstone | 1 |
| EDLD 532 | School Finance and Legal Aspects of School Administration | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 8 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Summer Semester | ||
| EDUC 500 | Culture and Pedagogy | 3 |
| EDLD 520B | Principalship II | 2 |
| EDLD 506 | Leadership and Organizational Change | 3 |
| Comprehensive Exam | ||
| Semester Credit Hours | 8 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 36 | |
Advising Process and DegreeWorks
Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a degree. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and discussing the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for their intended degree.
DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a certificate and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Process
Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their degree requirements:
- Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
- Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
- Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
- Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.
Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found on the Graduation web page.
If a student's petition for graduation is denied, it will be their responsibility to apply for graduation in a subsequent semester. A student's “Intent to Graduate” does not automatically move to a later graduation date.