Educational Leadership

Program Description

The purpose of the Educational Leadership program is to provide professional and/or academic preparation for individuals interested in leadership roles in Pk-12 and higher education settings. These roles include teacher leaders, mid-level administrators (e.g., school principal or higher education administrators), and upper-level administrative positions such as district superintendents. Degrees offered include a 30-credit Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership-Teacher Leadership, a 36-credit Master of Education (M.Ed.) or Master of Science (M.S.) in Educational Leadership, and an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree. Programs meet certification requirements in the various areas appropriate to the North Dakota requirements for K-12 administration positions.

The program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and approved by the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board. Changes in national and state legislation, standards, or rules can affect academic program requirements.

Admission is considered only after all required application materials have been received and reviewed. Where appropriate, all international student requirements must be met. Admission decisions are based upon the predicted success of the applicant as a student and professional in the chosen field and are made only after considering all available data. A student must meet all requirements for full admission. After being accepted for graduate study in the School of Education, the student should contact her/his assigned adviser assigned for assistance in filing a plan of study for consideration by the program.

Required application materials are as follows:

Master of Education (M.Ed.) or the Master of Science (M.S.) in Educational Leadership

• Official transcripts of all previous collegiate work, including one verifying graduation with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution;
• A cumulative baccalaureate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
• Resume including credentials, licenses and certificates;
• Two references that evaluate the applicant's potential for success as a graduate student in the chosen master's degree program and as an educational leader; and
• A leadership essay.

Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Educational Leadership

• Official transcripts of all previous collegiate work, including one verifying graduation with a master’s degree from an accredited institution;
• A cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher in all graduate-level courses;
• Resume including credentials, licenses and certificates;
• Two references that evaluate the applicant’s potential for success as a graduate student and as an educational leader; and
• A leadership essay.

The Master of Science (M.S.) and the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degrees require a disquisition. The Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree is a non-disquisition, practitioner-oriented degree. Programs vary in their requirements for a written comprehensive exam or a portfolio/oral. 

Sarah Crary, Ph.D.

University of North Dakota, 2018
Research Interests/Areas of Expertise: Information Literacy, K-12 Education Change, Post-Secondary Readiness, Leadership

Jeffery E. Lind, Ed. D.
University of North Dakota, 2015
Research Interests/Areas of Expertise: Leadership, Teacher Leadership, Organizational Behavior, Education Policy and Finance

Ann Trousdale Clapper, Ed.D.
Drake University, 1991
Research Interests/Areas of Expertise: Transformational Leadership, Educational Change, and Implementation Science