Master of Education (MED/ALTA) Instructional Leadership

The Instructional Leadership program will focus on leadership that develops candidates for the critical task of transforming school districts into cultures of excellence. To this end, candidates will be equipped with the appropriate knowledge, abilities, and dispositions to facilitate organizational change. In keeping with our institutional academic goals, one of our missions is to develop candidates who will assist and lead school systems to eliminate the achievement gap and to improve the lives of the economically and socially disadvantaged who have for too long been underserved educationally in this state and nation.

Candidates will be expected to develop expertise in using data to drive improvement efforts, assessments, and to create and lead schools and school systems committed to student learning and achievement.

Program Requirements

The Educational Specialist Program in Instructional Leadership includes 30-33 credit hours with no fewer than 30 of the semester hours of coursework being at the sixth-year level or above. Candidates will complete 21 credit hours of core courses, including technology, six credit hours of problem analysis, and a three-credit-hour advisor elective. If candidates have not successfully taken a Survey of Special Education course, they will need to take SED 500 – the Exceptional Student.

The 27 credit hours of core courses and problem-analysis project are as follows:

• ILP 674 Leadership in Instructional Technology
• ILP 680 Organizational Theory and Practice
• ILP 681 The Superintendency and School Organization Seminar
• ILP 682 School Business Management and Accountability
• ILP 683 Curriculum and Teaching for Instructional Leaders
• ILP 684 Ethical and Legal Decision-Making for Superintendents
• ILP 685 Advanced Human Resources Development
• ILP 686 Clinical Study in Instructional Leadership I
• ILP 687 Clinical Study in Instructional Leadership II

Candidates will select one advisor-approved elective from among the following:

• EDU 602 Intermediate Statistical Methods
• A 600 level Reading course
• A 600 level Special Education course

Comprehensive Examination: After the 15 semester hours of core coursework, all candidates must take and pass a comprehensive examination before entering the research phase of the program. During the thesis or field study research phase of the program, candidates are required to be continuously enrolled.

Graduate Fees

Below are estimated tuition and costs for full-time graduate students residing on-campus during the 2017-18 academic year. Actual costs and fees may vary depending on enrollment and lifestyle decisions. You also may wish to review estimated tuition and costs for part-time graduate enrollment on our complete budget worksheet.

For a breakdown of fees by credit hour and by semester, download the 2017-18 Schedule of Student Tuition and Fees.