Graduate Educational Leadership

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Faculty

Mary E. Yakimowski, Chair, Professor
F. Jane Cobia, Professor
Leslie S. Ennis, Professor
Jo Beth Newton, Professor
Amy L.  Benton, Associate Professor
Monique G. Witherspoon, Associate Professor
Kara M. Chism, Assistant Professor

Graduate Programs and Requirements

Degrees
Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) - Class A Certification
          Instructional Leadership (M.S.E.)  

Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) - Non-Certification
          Policy, Organizations, and Leadership (M.S.E.)  

Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) - Class AA Certification
          Instructional Leadership (Ed.S.)  

The Department of Educational Leadership offers graduate education programs in three areas (instructional leadership; policy, organizations, and leadership; and educational leadership) and at two levels of certification (provided current certification requirements of the Alabama State Department of Education have been met): a master of science in education (M.S.E.) degree with Class A certification and an educational specialist (Ed.S.) degree with Class AA certification. An M.S.E. with non-certification is offered in policy, organizations, and leadership.

Candidates currently holding a master’s degree and Class A certification may complete an 18-hour certification program in instructional leadership.

For information on the doctoral education program, click here .

Graduate Admission Standards for Educational Leadership

General Admission Requirements

1. Completion of application and payment of application fee.
2. Receipt of one official transcript from all institutions attended.
3. Satisfactory performance on scholarly writing sample.
4. Two letters of reference. One must be from the applicant’s supervisor.

The admissions committee will evaluate each candidate on a case-by-case basis and may admit students whose qualifications differ from those listed or who have successfully completed a prior graduate degree. Applicants must meet ALSDE minimum admission requirements to apply for certification upon completion of the program.

Additional requirements may apply to specific programs.

Unconditional Admission

1. Minimum GPA of 2.75 on all undergraduate work, if applying to a master’s program. Minimum GPA of 3.00 on all graduate work, if applying to the educational specialist program.
2. Minimum of 295 (combined verbal and quantitative) on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or a minimum of 396 on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) (if applicable; requirement waived if applicant has previously earned a graduate degree.
3. Satisfactory completion of other admission criteria.

Admission Criteria

Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) in Instructional Leadership

(eligible for State certification)

1. Completion of application and submission of application fee
2. Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher
3. One copy of all transcripts
4. Interview
5. Portfolio
6. Disposition recommendation from supervisor
7. Letter of recommendation
8. Writing sample
9. Statement of purpose
10. Minimum score on GRE or MAT (waived if previously earned graduate degree)
11. Experience Verification Form documenting three or more years of experience in which one or more of those years was spent as a classroom teacher
12. Current and valid Class B teaching certificate

Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) in Policy, Organizations, and Leadership

1. Completion of application and submission of application fee
2. Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher
3. One copy of all transcripts
4. Interview
5. Disposition recommendation from supervisor
6. Letter of recommendation
7. Writing sample
8. Minimum score on GRE or MAT (waived if previously earned graduate degree)

Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Instructional Leadership

(eligible for State certification)

1. Completion of application and submission of application fee
2. Graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
3. One copy of all transcripts
4. Disposition recommendation from supervisor
5. Letter of recommendation*
6. Writing sample*
7. Statement of purpose*
8. Current and valid Class A in Instructional Leadership**
9. Experience Verification Form***

———-
*Waived if a previous graduate of three years or less from Samford University’s MSE Instructional Leadership program.
**Contact Graduate Admissions Office for exceptions.
***May require specific verification of employment in some cases.

Certificate in Instructional Leadership

(certificate-only program; eligible for State certification)

1. Completion of application and submission of application fee
2. Graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
3. One copy of all transcripts
4. Interview
5. Portfolio
6. Disposition recommendation from supervisor
7. Letter of recommendation
8. Experience Verification Form documenting three or more years of experience in which one or more of those years was spent as a classroom teacher
9. Current and valid Class A teaching certificate

Transfer Credit

In traditional graduate studies, a student may transfer up to six semester hours of graduate credit from an accredited four-year college or university which has a state-approved graduate program in the major and in teacher education for degree programs only. Exceptions may be granted by the dean of the School of Education. Transfer credits will be evaluated by the educational leadership chair for applicability to the Samford program after application to educational leadership is received. For the interview with the chair, each graduate transfer student will be asked to bring a catalog from the college where the courses were taken. Transfer credits more than six years old will not be accepted. These policies apply to each graduate program.

Graduate Tuition Scholarships

Tuition scholarships are available to all candidates who have been accepted for graduate study at the master of science or educational specialist level. These scholarships are available for courses in education throughout the year.

Retention and Completion

Students on the M.S.E. level must maintain a GPA of 3.25; students on the Ed.S. level must maintain a GPA of 3.50. All students must follow a prescribed course of study specified on their program checklist as approved by the Alabama State Department of Education. They must complete all work within six years. All graduate students in an approved program must take and pass a comprehensive examination for each certification area following completion of their coursework. All graduate students receiving initial certification must also pass the Alabama Prospective Teacher Testing Program (APTTP), which includes the appropriate PRAXIS examination. At the end of any semester, a student whose cumulative GPA falls below the required minimum (3.25 for M.S.E. and 3.50 for Ed.S.) may not continue in the program. Any grade below a C- shall not be counted for credit and the course must be retaken.

Graduate Advisement

Frequent meetings with the director of graduate student services and program director are required throughout the graduate program. Registration and program of study will be determined by the director of graduate student services and program directors. Samford University complies with the requirements of the Alabama State Department of Education concerning the admission, retention, and completion of all requirements for students seeking Class A or Class AA certification.

Requests for information about or applications to educational leadership should be addressed to the Graduate Admissions Office. The graduate admissions coordinator may be reached at (205) 726-2783, and the office is located on the second floor of the Orlean Beeson School of Education, Room 210.

Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.)

The master of science in education (M.S.E.) degree is open to candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Completion of the degree requires 30 credits beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)

The educational specialist (Ed.S.) program is open to candidates who hold a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Completion of the degree requires 30 credits beyond a master’s degree. Upon successful completion, the candidate is eligible for the educational specialist degree and Class AA certification (provided current certification requirements of the Alabama State Department of Education have been met.

Programs

• Instructional Leadership (M.S.E.)
• Policy, Organizations, and Leadership (M.S.E.)

• Instructional Leadership (Ed.S.)

Courses

The courses listed below represent only a portion of the graduate-level education courses available. See the Department of Curriculum and Instruction  for additional courses that may apply to programs offered through the Department of Educational Leadership. Two such courses are EDUC 518 Action Research: Theory and Techniques  and EDUC 519 Field-Based Action Research . NOTE: Courses numbered 600 and above are open to post-master’s degree students.

• EDLD 504 - Leading Diversity in a School Culture (3)
• EDLD 505 - Independent Study (1-3)
• EDLD 518 - Research Theory and Techniques (3)
• EDLD 519 - Research Implementation (3)
• EDLD 520 - Foundations of Instructional Leadership (3)
• EDLD 521 - Issues in School Finance (3)
• EDLD 522 - Management Design for School Improvement (3)
• EDLD 523 - Leading K-12 Special Population Programs (3)
• EDLD 524 - Curriculum Design for P-12 Instructional Leaders (3)
• EDLD 525 - Practicum in School Improvement (3)
• EDLD 526 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Education (3)
• EDLD 527 - Internship in Instructional Leadership (3)
• EDLD 536 - Educational Leadership for Learning (3)
• EDLD 537 - Comparative International Education (3)
• EDLD 538 - Governance and Policy in Educational Systems (3)
• EDLD 539 - Innovative Concepts in Education (3)
• EDLD 540 - Design for Educational Improvement (3)
• EDLD 541 - Issues in Educational Finance (3)
• EDLD 542 - Comparative Legal Issues in Education (3)
• EDLD 544 - Practicum in Educational Leadership (3)
• EDLD 621 - Educational Management and Strategic Thinking (3)
• EDLD 622 - Seminar in Academic Leadership (3)
• EDLD 623 - Organizational Innovation (3)
• EDLD 625 - Legal and Policy Issues in Education (3)
• EDLD 627 - Professional Strategies for Learning (3)
• EDLD 628 - Assessment of Teaching and Learning (3)
• EDLD 630 - Leading in a Diverse Society (3)
• EDLD 637 - Practicum in School Improvement (3)
• EDLD 638 - Professionalism and Ethics in Education (3)
• EDLD 681 - Research for School Improvement (3)