Educational Leadership, Ed.S.
Become an educational leader of effective and lasting change.
About the Education Specialist in Educational Leadership
The Ed.S. in Educational Leadership (K-12) prepares school leaders for entry-level roles in K-12 leadership, typically assistant principals, instructional support leadership roles, or special program administrators. The research and standards-based curriculum is framed around Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) Standards for Clinical Experiences for the preparation of school leadership.
Residential Ed.S. in Educational Leadership
The Ed.S. in Educational Leadership (K-12) enhances excellence in school leadership by encouraging individual growth and application of research-based practice consistent with National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) and Professional Standards for Educational Leadership (PSEL) standards.
These standards emphasize a consensus in educational research that effective schools are characterized by professional educators working together to improve their own professional practice and achieve personal and shared organizational goals. The vision of the program is to develop educational leaders to change professional practice to better serve school and community stakeholders.
Residential programs are offered at any of the following regional campuses, Booneville, DeSoto, Grenada and Tupelo.
- Residential programs are cohort-based with each campus meeting one night a week for the duration of the program.
- Courses begin in fall of each year
- See Degree Plan for course timeline.
Online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership
Take your knowledge and vision to the next level with the University of Mississippi’s online Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in K-12 Educational Leadership.
The vision of the K-12 Educational Leadership Program at the University of Mississippi (UM) is to drive and support improvement in primary and secondary education in all Mississippi schools through the preparation of leaders with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to continually improve collaborative professional school organizations.
Geared toward education professionals in Mississippi and within 50 miles of the state border in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee, this research-based, fully online certification program enhances current educators’ skill sets with a curriculum emphasizing National Educational Leadership Preparation Standards (NELP) and Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) best practices. A flexible, convenient format accommodates your schedule as a determined full-time educator seeking to further your education and fulfill your aspirations.
Learn more about our online program.
For educators who need a masters, our M.Ed. in Educational Leadership follows the same degree plan as the Ed.S. program.
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Program Information
Degree
Ed.S. in Educational Leadership
Required Credit Hours
30
Program Type
Specialist Program
School
Duration
2 years
Explore Everything the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership has to Offer
The Ed.S. in Educational Leadership (K-12) requires the following courses for a total of 30 credit hours.
To complete the Education Specialist in Educational Leadership (K-12), students must complete:
- 30 hours of Program of Study Courses
Program of Study Courses (30)
- EDLD 613 Instructional Leadership
- EDLD 610 Mission, Vision, & Core Values of Leadership
- EDLD 615 Building Level Human Resources Leadership
- EDLD 616 Data Informed Leadership
- EDLD 611 Ethics & Professional Norms for Educational Leaders
- EDLD 617 School Law & Leadership
- EDLD 612 Equity & Cultural Leadership
- EDLD 618 Operations & Management of Leadership
- EDLD 614 Community & External Leadership
- EDLD 619 School Turnaround
Other Academic Requirements
At least 400 internship hours are embedded into the coursework and will be completed under the mentorship of an Instructional Leader Mentor.
Students applying to the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership (K-12) must meet the following requirements. Students must have:
- A Master's degree from an accredited college or university with a 3.0 GPA overall
- A current resume emphasizing any leadership activities
- Class AA teaching license
- 3 years (prior to the start of the program) of K-12 teaching experience
- A writing sample in response to a leadership-focused prompt
- 2 letters of reference with evidence of leadership potential
- 1 letter (not a reference letter) from a licensed assistant principal, principal, or equivalent in the applicant's school of employment agreeing to serve as the Site Mentor for internship
- A successful admissions interview with program faculty
To properly complete the application process for online admission, students can submit applications at any time for fall, spring, or summer.
Summer: April 1
Fall: July 1
Spring: November 1
To properly complete the application process for Residential admission, students can submit applications at any time for our fall enrollment.
- Fall: July 1
Graduate Program Coordinator
If you have any questions about the Online and Residential Education Specialist in Educational Leadership (K-12), don't hesitate to reach out!
Braxton Stowe
Director of Mississippi Principal Corps and Clinical Assistant Professor of Leadership and Counselor Education
Next Steps
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We have a variety of scholarships and financial aid options to help make college more affordable for you and your family.
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Are you ready to take the next step toward building your legacy?