Educational Leadership

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Faculty

J. Maurice Persall, Chair, Orlean Bullard Beeson Professor
Leslie Sturdivant Ennis, Professor
J. Mark Bateman, Associate Professor
Jo Beth Newton, Associate Professor
F. Jane Cobia, Associate Professor
Peggy Connell, Assistant Professor
Julie Hannah, Assistant Professor
Monique Gardner Witherspoon, Assistant Professor

Graduate Programs and Requirements

Degrees/Majors

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

Instructional Leadership, M.S.E.  
Music Education*

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. 

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Educational Leadership, Ed.D. 

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. The department also offers a doctorate in education (Ed.D.). See the Graduate Advisement subsection for contact information.

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

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*See the School of the Arts Music Division  section for details on graduate music education programs.

Graduate Admission Standards for Educational Leadership

Admission Requirements

1. Completion of application and payment of application fee.
2. Receipt of two official transcripts from all institutions attended.
3. Satisfactory score on Graduate Record Exam (GRE) admissions test or Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
4. Alabama Class B or Class A certification to be eligible for certification.
5. Satisfactory performance on statement of purpose essay.
6. Satisfactory performance on scholarly writing sample.
7. Three letters of reference. One must be from the applicant’s supervisor.
8. Professional portfolio (applies only to M.S.E. in instructional leadership).

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.

Levels of Admission

Formal Admission

1. Minimum GPA of 2.75 for all college work attempted.
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).
3. Satisfactory performance on scholarly writing essay.

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. Please note that this scholarship is not available for doctoral students.

Retention and Completion

Students on the M.S.E. and Ed.S. level must maintain a GPA of 3.00; students on the Ed.D. 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 (3.00 for M.S.E. and Ed.S.; 3.50 for Ed.D.) 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 graduate advisement counselor are required throughout the graduate program. 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 Chair of Educational Leadership, Department of Educational Leadership, Samford University. This office is located in OBB Room 226.

Graduate Program Advisors

M.S.E. in Instructional Leadership - Julie Hannah
M.S.E. in Policy Organizations and Leadership - Monique Witherspoon
Ed.S. in Instructional Leadership - Jane Cobia
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership - Jodi Newton

Master of Science in Education

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. Upon successful completion, the candidate is eligible for the master of science in education degree and Class A certification, provided current certification requirements of the Alabama State Department of Education have been met.

Educational Specialist

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. educational leadership, OBB 226, for requirements and additional information. Please contact the chair of educational leadership, OBB 226, for requirements and additional information.

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

Curriculum

The Ed.D. program requires 66 semester credits above the master of science degree. Students first complete a 30-credit educational specialist program and then begin 36 credits of coursework for the Ed.D. degree. The coursework is organized in the following five categories as recommended by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE):

1. Instructional Leadership
2. Strategic Leadership
3. Organizational Leadership
4. Political and Community Leadership
5. Field-Based Research

A program leading to the doctor of education (Ed.D.) degree is offered in the area of educational leadership. The doctoral program is designed for students interested in leadership issues, as applied to educational institutions. A master of science degree from an accredited institution is required for admission along with other criteria designed to select those students who provide evidence of previous academic success, exhibit leadership skills, have excellent teaching and/or administrative abilities, and show creative energy for solving educational problems.

Admission decisions will be based on a combined evaluation of the candidate’s GPA or previous graduate work, qualifying score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Miller’s Analogy Test (MAT), results of a writing sample, written recommendations, and a personal interview. The following requirements are required for admittance:

1. The candidate shall have earned a master of science degree and an educational specialist degree in educational leadership or teacher leader from an accredited college or university.
2. The candidate shall have earned a 3.75 GPA on all previous graduate work.
3. Each candidate shall submit writing samples for the purpose of assessing the candidate’s ability to meet graduate school standards.
4. Each candidate must be recommended by his/her immediate supervisor (superintendent, principal) or by a professor knowledgeable of the student’s previous academic and/or work experience.
5. Each candidate must submit a minimum of two additional references, one of which shall be a peer or professional colleague and the other a person knowledgeable of the candidate’s character.
6. Each candidate will participate in an interview with the cohort mentor team for the purpose of assessing the candidate’s leadership abilities and motivation for graduate work.

Admission to the program will be competitive. Decisions will be based on advice from the interviewer(s) and the candidate’s ability to meet admission criteria.

Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

The Instructional Leadership, Ed.S.  program must be completed before a prospective student may be admitted to the Educational Leadership, Ed.D.  program.

Programs

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

• Instructional Leadership, Ed.S.

• Educational Leadership, Ed.D.

Courses

• EDLD 520 - Foundations of Instructional Leadership (3)
• EDLD 521 - Issues in School Finance (3)
• EDLD 522 - Management Design for School Improvement (3)
• EDLD 523 - Managing the P-12 Exceptional Education Program (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 Business Management: Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis (3)
• EDLD 622 - Seminar in Instructional Leadership (3)
• EDLD 623 - Organizational Innovation: Strategies and Tactics (3)
• EDLD 625 - Legal and Policy Issues in Education (3)
• EDLD 627 - Professional Development and Mentor Training for Quality Education (3)
• EDLD 628 - Advanced Evaluation of Teaching and Learning (3)
• EDLD 629 - Practicum in Quality Leadership: The Quality Improvement Analysis Project (3)
• EDLD 637 - Current Issues in Education and Leadership (3)
• EDLD 638 - Professionalism and Ethics in Education (3)
• EDLD 681 - Research in Certification Field (3)

• EDLD 731 - Educational Policy Development and Analysis: The Political Dimension of Schooling (3)
• EDLD 732 - Foundations of Educational Inquiry (3)
• EDLD 733 - Field-Based Inquiry: Authentic Problems of Practice (3)
• EDLD 734 - Strategic Planning (3)
• EDLD 735 - Ethical Issues in Education: The Moral Dimension of Schooling (3)
• EDLD 737 - Organizational Dynamics: Creating the School of the Future (3)
• EDLD 738 - The Learning Organization (3)
• EDLD 739 - Foundation of Qualitative Inquiry (3)
• EDLD 741 - Directed Doctoral Study (2)
• EDLD 742 - Dissertation Research (1)
• EDLD 743 - Seminar in Educational Leadership (1)
• EDLD 744 - The Emerging School Superintendency: The Practice of Paradoxical Leadership (3)
• EDLD 745 - The Art and Practice of Negotiation & Conflict Resolution (3)
• EDLD 746 - Behavioral Research and Statistics (3)
• EDLD 750 - Ed.D. Dissertation Manuscript Seminar (3)

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