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Graduate Deparment

Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Administration

Program Description
Admissions
Program of Study
Course Rotation
Program Resources
Program Faculty

Program Description

The Master of Education with Educational Administration Emphasis is designed to strengthen the student’s understanding, knowledge, and skills in Core Professional Studies and Educational Leadership as they relate to building level administration.

Admissions

A. Admission Criteria

Criteria for Admission to the Masters of Education (M. Ed.) in Educational Leadership:

  1. A bachelor's degree in Education or related field from an accredited institution.
  2. Grade point average of 3.0 or higher for all upper division credits taken at the undergraduate level. or
  3. Score at the 35th percentile or above on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or score at the 35th percentile or above on one of the sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)(Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical).
  4. Submit admission forms and application fee to the Office of Graduate Studies, and be admitted by the Office of Graduate Studies.
  5. Successful completion of an admission interview with the Master's program faculty.
  6. Fulfill any additional requirements of the proposed master's program area.

B. Admission Process

  1. The applicant must submit their application. Application materials may be obtained from the Graduate Department of Educational Leadership and Instructional Design or the ISU Office of Graduate Studies. International application materials are available at the ISU International Student Admissions and can be downloaded online.
  2. Applicants must submit the following application materials to the ISU Office of Graduate Studies:
  3. When an application for admission to the Master's Program in Educational Leadership is received, it is forwarded from the ISU Office of Graduate Studies to the College of Education and Graduate Department of Educational Leadership and Instructional Design. The department reviews the application for completeness and acceptability. If materials are missing the applicant will be informed in writing.
  4. If the application is complete, the department chair will make a recommendation that the applicant either be accepted as Classified, Conditional, Unclassified, or may reject the application if the applicant fails to meet the required criteria. The application is then forwarded through the College of Education to the ISU Office of Graduate Studies.

Classified Status may be granted to graduates of accredited institutions who have earned an grade point average of 3.0 or higher for all upper division credits taken at the undergraduate level, and achieved and submitted official GRE scores that meet or exceed minimum requirements (35%tile or better in at least one area).

Conditional Status may be granted to those students who do not have an acceptable undergraduate GPA, and/or have not yet taken the GRE or MAT test, or achieved scores that do not meet minimum requirements.

C. Notification of Admission

  1. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance or rejection via a letter from the ISU Office of Graduate Studies.
  2. Applicants for admission to the Master's Program in Educational Leadership will also be notified of their acceptance or rejection via a letter from the College of Education - Graduate Department of Educational Leadership and Instructional Design. The acceptance notice will include a package of informational materials, as well as an advisor assignment.

Program of Study

Up to nine (9) credits may be transferred from other accredited institutions (or from one degree program to another within the institution) with the approval of the student's advisor, and chair of the Graduate Department of Educational Leadership and Instructional Design. A minimum of 39 credits must be earned by the student for completion of the Master's Degree in Educational Leadership. Up to nine (9) credits may be transferred from other accredited institutions with the approval of the student's advisor.

Students must take a minimum of 21 credits at ISU. The Program of Study for those seeking the Master's Degree in Education Leadership is as follows:

  • EDUC 6601 Research and Writing
  • EDUC 6602 Theories of Learning
  • EDUC 6610 Applied Educational Statistics
  • EDLA 6608 Education Leadership & Administration
  • EDLA 6612 School Law
  • EDLA 6614 Curriculum Leadership
  • EDLA 6615 Supervision of Instruction
  • EDLA 6642 School Communications and Public Relations
  • EDLA 6657 Internship
  • EDLA 6650 Thesis OR EDLA 6651 Field Project/Case Study in Education

For Those Who Have a Masters Degree:

The Program of Study for those who already hold a master's degree in some other area and are seeking to add School Administration to their current certification is:

  • EDLA 6608 Education Leadership & Administration
  • EDLA 6612 School Law
  • EDLA 6613 Using Data to Improve School Leadership
  • EDLA 6614 Curriculum Leadership
  • EDLA 6615 Supervision of Instruction
  • EDLA 6630 Education Equity & Ethics
  • EDLA 6642 School Communications and Public Relations
  • EDLA 6651 Field Project/Case Study in Education
  • EDLA 6657 Internship

Students who seek certification who have a master's degree in a field other than education must have taken courses similar to EDUC 6601/6602/6610 in their master's degree program, or they will be required to take it as part of the ISU program.

Program of Study Information

Students are required to fill out a Program of Study with their advisor before the completion of their second semester of study. A sample Program of Study can be downloaded in PDF file and should be used by the student to help keep track of course completion. A final Program of Study form must be completed the semester immediately preceding the student's intended graduation. The final program of Study form lists all requirements that must be completed in order to receive the degree. Following completion of the program of study, students must apply for graduation during the semester immediately preceding expected graduation.

Limitation on Course Substitutions/Transfer

1. Generally speaking, no substitutions will be accepted for the following courses:

2. No substitution or transfer will be accepted for EDLA 6612 if taken more than five years prior to planned completion of ISU program.
3. Substitutions for EDLA 6614 will be accepted only at the discretion of the student's advisor.
4. For any course for which a substitution or transfer is sought, a copy of syllabus must be submitted with a transcript.

Grade Point Average

The student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to qualify for the Master's Degree. During the program, two grades below B in courses required or used to meet the requirements for this degree will automatically disqualify the student from the program in accordance with procedures outlined in the ISU College of Education Graduate Catalog.

Completing Program Requirements

Students may complete either a thesis or non-thesis program of study. Thesis students must select a topic not later than the beginning of the second semester of course work. Approval must be gained from the student's advisor. Students must work closely with their advisor to complete the thesis requirement. Thesis form and style must meet acceptable writing standards as directed in the ISU Instructions for Preparing Theses, Dissertations, DA Papers, and Professional Projects and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) (current edition). A proposal meeting with all examining committee members is required before data collection can begin. The examining committee shall consist of three members (2 from the Graduate Department of Educational Leadership and Instructional Design - the student's major advisor and one other faculty member selected by the student, and a Graduate Faculty Representative - may also be selected by the student, but must be approved by the ISU Office of Graduate Studies). All examination committee members are to receive a copy of the thesis proposal (first 3 chapters) a minimum of two weeks prior to the proposal meeting. Final copies of the thesis should be distributed to all examining committee members a minimum of 3 weeks prior to the scheduled defense. The major advisor is responsible for reporting the grade to the registrar for all prior thesis registrations when the oral defense has been successful and the thesis has been approved by the examining committee.The non-thesis option requires the Case Study (EDLA 6651) class. This class should be taken during the student's final semester of study. The examining committee will consist of three members (2 from the Department of Educational Leadership and a Graduate Faculty Representative assigned by the ISU Office of Graduate Studies). Case Study examinations are scheduled through the Department of Educational Leadership and the faculty assigned to direct the Case Study.

All requirements for the M.Ed. degree program must be completed within eight years preceding the student's graduation. Extensions of time may be obtained for good cause ending approval from the Graduate Department of Educational Leadership and Intructional Design, ISU Office of Graduate Studies and the ISU Graduate Council. A graduate petition must be obtained and completed (in coordination with the student's advisor) through the ISU Office of Graduate Studies.

Course Rotation

Course Rotation PDF

Program Resources

Program Handbook PDF
Program of Study PDF
Supplemental Writing Manual

Program Faculty

Mark Neill
Sarah Sanders
Gloria (Jean) Thomas