Educational Leadership
The principal purpose of the Educational Leadership Program is to provide professional/academic education for individuals preparing for leadership and mid-management administrative positions (i.e., elementary school principal, secondary school principal, community education director, staff administrative positions (i.e., school district business managers, technology coordinators, curriculum coordinators), and upper-echelon administrative positions (i.e., superintendent of schools).
Minnesota State University Moorhead also offers a highly individualized program to prepare aspiring administrators for licensure in Minnesota as a Director of Community Education, Director of Special Education, K-12 principal, and Superintendent. The program is planned as a competency-based program to meet each licensure area. Aspiring K-12 principals, superintendents, and directors of special education must attain a minimum of 60 semester credits, which must include a completed master’s degree in any field. Six hours of ED 794 Practicum is required for the first licensure (three seperate practica). Aspiring directors of community education must attain 20 semester graduate credits and hold a bachelor’s degree prior to enrollment and participate in a minimum of two practica in the master’s degree.
The organization of the program follows the Transformational Leadership Process of development. The instructional program focuses on the development of professional and personnel knowledge, skills, and dispositions using appropriate adult learning strategies. The program is built around several mutually supportive, interdependent curricular area dimensions that reflect intended programmatic outcomes found in the NCATE [ELCC] standards and state programs in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Performance based assessment is found throughout the program and integrated into the development of students. The program is based upon student demonstration of competency through a culminating portfolio. Selected performance based assessments accompany each class. In addition to the course requirements for performance based assessments, all students are required to complete a portfolio using exhibits from their courses, their practica, and fieldwork to insure all competencies are demonstrated.
1. Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
2. Completed “Application for Admission to Graduate Study” form.
3. Undergraduate and other transcripts sent directly from the institution to the Graduate Studies Office.
4. Non-refundable $20.00 fee for first-time applicants to Minnesota State University Moorhead.
5. Two letters of recommendation which evaluate the applicant’s potential for success as a graduate student and as an educational administrator (forms provided).
6. Essay on professional goals.
1. Admission requirements.
2. Curriculum (between 33 and 47 semester credit hours of course work, depending on the degree plan and individual study option chosen by the student).
3. 3.0 grade point average required for courses submitted for the degree. Grades below C are unacceptable for graduate credit.
4. A written comprehensive examination.
5. A thesis or individual study option and subsequent oral examination.
M.S. Degree/Coursework Options
Minimum Credits needed for Master's degree: 36
ED 603/703 Research, Measurement & Program Evaluation (3)
ED 613/712 Social, Cultural, & Political Dimensions of Ed (4)
ED 630/730 Leadership and Organizational Behavior (3)
ED 631/731 Educational Law and Organizational Structure (3)
ED 632/732 Curriculum, Instruction, and Learning Theory (4)
ED 633/733 Technology and Information Systems (2)
ED 634/734 Personal Communication and Ethics (3)
ED 635/735 Personnel, Supervision and Staff Development (4)
ED 636/736 Policy and Educational Finance (2)
Degree Specialty OPTIONS (choose one):
Elementary Principalship Option
ED 638/738 Administration Elementary School (2)
ED 642/742 Elementary School Curriculum (2)
Secondary Principalship Option
ED 639/739 Administration Secondary School (2)
ED 643/743 Secondary School Curriculum (2)
ED 644/744 Middle School Administration (2)
Community Education Option
ED 717 Adult Learning (2)
718 Community Education (2)
Superintendent of Schools Option
ED 790 Seminar Superintendency (2)
ED 794 Superintendent Practicum (2)
ED 788 School Finance & Business Management (4)
General Leadership Option
ED 722 Instructional Systems, Media, Methods (2)
ED 780 Instructional Models (2)
Disquisition Options
ED 797 Masters Paper (i.e. Case Study) (3-4)
ED 798 Thesis (i.e. Experimental studies) (4)
General Leadership with Educational Technology Emphasis, 36 credits
This is a collaborative program with Bemidji State University. Registration for BSU classes must be completed through the registrar's office at BSU. Students admitted into the collaborative program will be assigned special status to enroll online. Some courses will have limited enrollment and priority will be given to students fully admitted to this emphasis. Please check with the program coordinator for more details.
ED 602: Statistics in Educational Research (2)
ED 630: Leadership/Planning/Organize Behavior in Education (3)
ED 631: Educational Law & Organizational Structure of Education (3)
ED 635: Personnel, Supervision & Staff Development (4)
ED 697: Individual Study (Paper or Portfolio Option) (2)
OR
ED 645/646: Portfolio (2)
BSU ED 6100: Educational Research (2)
BSU ED 6107: Advanced Educational Psychology (3)
BSU ED 6334: Curriculum and Instruction (3)
BSU ED 6446: Distance Education: History & Dev (3)
ED 519: Creating Web-Based Curriculum Materials (2)
ED 522: Electronic Resources: Issues and Practice (2)
ED 525: Methods of Computer-Mediated Communication in Education (2)
ED 528: Effective Use of Multimedia (2)
ED 796: Seminar in School Leadership-Technology Planning (1-4)
ONE of the following:
ED 535: Infusing Technology into the
Mathematics Curriculum (2)
ED 539: Infusing Technology into Literacy
Instruction (2)
ED 542: Infusing Technology into the Science
Curriculum (2)
Specialist Admission Requirements
1. A Master’s Degree from an accredited institution.
2. Completed “Application for Admission to Graduate Study” form.
3. Undergraduate and other transcripts sent directly from the institution to the Graduate Studies Office.
4. Non-refundable $20.00 application fee for first-time applicants to Minnesota State University Moorhead.
5. Two letters of references which evaluate the applicant’s potential for success as a graduate student and as an
educational administer (forms provided).
6. Essay on professional goals.
Degree Requirements
1. Admission requirements.
2. Course work in educational leadership, the nature of which depends on the degree plan chosen by the student.
3. 3.25 grade point average required for courses submitted for the degree. Grades below C are unacceptable for graduate credit.
4. Six semester credits of practica [field based study] (ED 794).
5. A minimum of two semester credits of coursework in an elective area.
6. A four-semester credit field study and subsequent oral examination.
Specialist Degree/Coursework Options
Specialist degree students are required to have completed all of the coursework prescribed for the master's degree in the same specialty option area. Students may complete deficiency work while enrolled in the specialist degree, but credit earned in coursework taken to remove deficiencies may not count in the minimum number of credits required for the specialist degree.
Minimum Credits needed for Specialist degree: 36
ED 780 Instructional Models (2)
ED 782 Supervisory and Administrative Theory (4)
ED 783 Computer Data Management and Decision Making (2)
ED 784 School Personnel Administration (2)
ED 786 School Facility Planning (2)
ED 788 School Finance and Business Management (4)
ED 789 School Community Relations (2)
Electives:
ED 640 Education and Society (2)
ED 748 Collective Bargaining (2)
ED 777 Tort Liability (2)
ED 769 Politics and Policy Analysis I Education (2)
ED 785 Organization & Administration of Vocational/Technical (2)
ED 715 Superintendency (2) ED 790 Seminar in School Administration & Supervision (1-3)
ED 793 Individual Study/Tutorial (1-5)
ED 795 Field Experiences (1-15)
ED 794 Practica courses:
Select three (3) depending upon specialty role or position sought:
Practicum: Budget & Finance (2)
Practicum: Elementary Principal (2)
Practicum: General Administration (2)
Practicum: Secondary Principal (2)
Practicum: Superintendency (2)
Practicum: Supervision (2)
Disquisition (Field Study/required for the specialist degree) ED 798s (4)
Minnesota Licensure Requirements
Recommended Licensure Courses for all Candidates
630 Leadership, Planning, and Organizational Behavior in Education (3)
631 Educational Law and Organizational Structure of Education (3)
632 Curriculum, Instruction, and Learning Theory (4)
635 Personnel, Supervision, and Staff Development (4)
636 Policy and Educational Finance (2)
645/646 Independent Study–Portfolio Option (2)
Students who have not completed their master's degree through TCU are required to register for 697 to complete this requirement. All students must complete three (3) practica
Specific Licensure Recommendations
K-12 Principal
642 Elementary School Curriculum (2)
638 Administration of the Elementary School (2)
794 Practicum: Elementary School Principalship (2)
639 Administration of the Secondary School (2)
643 Secondary School Curriculum (2)
794 Practicum: Secondary School Principalship (2)
Superintendent
788 School Finance & Business Management (4)
796 Seminar: The Superintendency (2)
794 Practicum: Superintendency (2) "
794 Practicum: Budget and Finance (2)
Director of Community Education
796 Seminar in Adult Learning
789 School Community Relations (2)
794 Practicum: Director of Community Education (4)
796 Seminar: Admin. of Community Education (2)
Director of Special Education
594 Legal/Social Foundations of SPED (3)
796 Seminar: Admin. of Special Education Programs (1-4)
794 Practicum: Director of Special Education (2)
794 Practicum: Budget and Finance (2)
Alternative Licensure Requirements
A route is open to aspiring principals and superintendents who have no teaching experience. These candidates must complete all licensure requirements and demonstrate the equivalency of one year of teaching experience. For more information contact the licensure coordinator.
Request Additional Information
Program Specific Information
| Boyd Bradbury |
218-477-2019 |
| Lommen 108 B |
bradbury@mnstate.edu |
Graduate Studies Information Requests
| Graduate Studies Office | 218-477-2134 |
| 215 Owens | graduate@mnstate.edu |