Educational Leadership, M.Ed.

Ethics & Multicultural Concentration Contact Information

Contact: Dr. Mike Dishman
Office: TP 3805
Phone: (770) 499-3671
Fax: (770) 423-6910
Email: mdishma2@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://www.kennesaw.edu/education/grad/EdLeadership%20-%201.htm

Technology Leadership Concentration Contact Information

Contact: Dr. Traci Redish
Office: KH 2119
Phone: (770)499-3349
Fax: (770) 499-3263
Email: tredish@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://www.kennesaw.edu/education/grad/EdTechnology.htm

The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership is designed to prepare and develop educational leaders to direct school improvement toward higher levels of student learning and achievement. The program allows experienced educational professionals to earn an M. Ed. in six semesters while continuing their careers. Candidates complete six semesters of course work taught by full-time graduate faculty and experienced school personnel. The program is delivered in cohorts offered on campus and occasionally off site. Completion of the program leads to an NL-5 certificate in Educational Leadership.

During the course of study, candidates develop a personal, professional portfolio including Board of Regents, Professional Standards Commission, and NCATE standards. A field experience is embedded into each semester’s work to provide synthesis of the practical and theoretical knowledge necessary for today’s educational leader. At the conclusion of the program, candidates will possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to lead schools to higher levels of achievement for all students. Candidates can select from two concentrations in Educational Leadership: Ethics & Multicultural Leadership or Technology Leadership.

The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership prepares educational leaders to:

• facilitate the development of programs responsive to the strengths and needs of Georgia’s increasingly diverse population and ever-changing society;
• set high expectations for all students in the school or system, organizing curriculum, instruction, and assessment to yield high student achievement;
• use data on student learning and achievement to benchmark and monitor progress toward continuous improvement;
• lead schools using standards-based objectives, results-based performance management, and continuous improvement, and;
• work collaboratively with school communities, including students, parents, and staff members, service agencies and non-profit organizations.

General Requirements for Admission to M.Ed. in Educational Leadership

The M. Ed. in Educational Leadership is designed for experienced educational professionals and is limited to current practitioners who have successfully completed at least two years of full-time work in the field.. The Department of Educational Leadership Graduate Admission Committee in the Bagwell College of Education determines the eligibility of each applicant. To be considered for admission to the Master of Education Program of Study in Educational Leadership a candidate must possess the following:

1. a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution
2. cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) or above on all undergraduate and any graduate work completed (GRE scores may be considered if GPA is below 2.75)
3. a professional résumé documenting education, experience, and a record of leadership activities
4. a completed mentor form from a current administrator
5. a Georgia Teaching Certificate or equivalent
6. two years successful contractual experience as an educational professional in the public schools
7. a completed evaluation and statement of support from two administrators

Admission to a cohort group is competitive and open to a limited number of candidates. The decision from the Graduate Admissions Committee is communicated in writing to the applicants. An applicant will not be considered for admission until all application requirements are met by the specified deadline. If admission is denied upon the first review, the applicant must contact the Office of Graduate Admissions to update his or her application for review in a future semester.

Transfer Credit

Graduate courses taken at other accredited institutions must be evaluated and approved by the program coordinator or department chair. A maximum of nine semester hours of transfer credit (with grades of “B” or better) may be applied toward a degree program. No courses will be accepted for transfer credit if they are more than five years old at the time of evaluation or have been used in completing another degree.  Transfer credit includes all course work accepted into the M.Ed. program prior to admission in full standing (maximum nine semester hours), whether earned at another institution or at Kennesaw State University.

Grades in Graduate Courses

Expectations for satisfactory graduate level student performance are detailed in Academic Policies section of this catalog.

Non-Degree Candidates

Students classified as non-degree students are not permitted to enroll in the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. This program will not provide graduate level course work for certification renewal purposes.

Petition to Graduate

Each M.Ed. candidate must petition to graduate at least one semester prior to completion of program requirements. The candidate should contact their program to request a petition. The Petition to Graduate form can be found online at www.kennesaw.edu/education/grad/.

Programs of Study