Specialist in Education in Educational Leadership

Advisors: Andrea Beach, Louann Bierlein Palmer, Walter Burt, Van Cooley, Joseph Kretovics, Dennis McCrumb, James Morse, Sue Poppink, Patricia Reeves, Jianping Shen, Charles Warfield, Gary Wegenke
Room 2217, Sangren Hall.

The Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) prepares persons for leadership roles in educational administration positions. The Ed.S. is a degree appropriate for students wishing to initially earn a post-master’s, but not doctoral, degree. Persons seeking admission to the Ed.S. program should be definite about academic and professional goals and aspirations. Students are cautioned that satisfactory completion of courses prior to admission to the Department program does not guarantee admission to the program.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Ed.S. program should review the application requirement found at www.wmich.edu/coe/elrt/edleadership/phd/docinfo.htm. In addition to The Graduate College requirements, the Department requires the submission of an autobiography, sketch, 3 graduate reference forms, completion of a Summary of Leadership Experience form, an interview with at least two members of the Educational Leadership faculty, and review and acceptance by the faculty as a whole at a meeting scheduled for student admission.

Program Requirements

A program of study consists of a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree and leads to an Ed.S. degree. In addition to the Ed.S. degree, a student can be recommended to receive, from the state, an endorsement as a central office administrator, if the appropriate courses are completed as follows (or equivalents as determined by the student’s advisor):

EDLD 6020 - Educational Leadership, Systems and Change Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6060 - Advanced Systems Thinking Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6300 - Data-Informed Decision-Making, Research and Evaluation Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6610 - School Law Credits: 3 hrs.
EDLD 6620 - School Business Management Credits: 3 hrs.
EDLD 6630 - Personnel Administration Credits: 3 hrs.
EDLD 6640 - Curriculum Development Credits: 3 hrs.
EDLD 6670 - The Principalship Credits: 3 hrs.
EDLD 6720 - School Finance Credits: 3 hrs.
EDLD 6730 - Instructional Leadership and Supervision Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6740 - School Community Relations and Cultural Competence Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6800 - The Superintendency Credits: 3 hrs.
EDLD 6810 - Policy Development Credits: 3 hrs.
EDLD 6850 - School Facilities Planning Credits: 3 hrs.
EDLD 7120 - Professional Field Experience Credits: 2-12 hr.
3 hours
EDLD 7200 - Specialist Project Credits: 1 - 6 hours
3 hours
EMR 6400 - Fundamentals of Evaluation, Measurement, and Research Credits: 3 hours

Select either:

EDLD 6820 - Computer Applications in Administration Credits: 3 hrs.
EDT 6490 - Planning and Implementing District Level Educational Technology Credits: 3 hours

Electives

6 credit hours from Master’s degree or other courses as approved by the advisor to meet the student’s program needs.

Note

Depending on a student’s goals, an Ed.S. program of study (equaling at least 60 credits) other than the list noted above may be developed by that student’s advisor. This may lead to the receipt of an Ed.S. degree and a recommendation to receive, from the state, the K-12 Administrator Certificate and the basic principal endorsements.

Upon completion of an Ed.S. degree in Educational Leadership from WMU, any such student admitted to the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership will be able to count up to 60 graduate credit hours towards the 90 credit hour (post bachelors) required within that Ph.D. degree. This means that for such students, not withstanding any other policy, the minimum credit hours required to be taken at WMU after admission to such a doctoral program is 30 credit hours (including dissertation credits). There is also no specific number of course prescribed in order to meet the residency requirement for students within the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership program, although the university’s general residency requirement must be met by students with the Ph.D. in Education Leadership (either within the Ed.S. program at WMU or within their Ph.D. program at WMU).

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