Specialist in Education in Educational Leadership

Advisors: Walter Burt, Joseph Kretovics, Nancy Mansberger, Dennis McCrumb, Sue Poppink, Patricia Reeves, Jianping Shen
Room 3571, Sangren Hall.

The Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) prepares individuals for leadership roles in K-12 educational administrative 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 clear 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 requirements found at www.wmich.edu/leadership/edleadership/specialist-app.htm. Admission deadlines, criteria for admission, and application materials can be found on the department website.

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 endorsement from the state 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 & Ethics Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6620 - School Business Management Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6630 - Personnel Administration Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6640 - Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Leadership Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6670 - The Principalship Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6720 - School Finance Credits: 3 hours
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 hours
EDLD 6810 - Policy Development Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 7120 - Professional Field Experience Credits: 2 to 12 hours
3 hours
EDLD 7200 - Specialist Project Credits: 1 to 6 hours
6 hours needed
EMR 5400 - Fundamentals of Evaluation, Measurement, and Research Credits: 3 hours

Select either:

EDLD 6850 - Facilities and Technology Systems for Learning Credits: 3 hours
OR
EDT 6490 - Planning and Implementing 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 of courses noted above may be developed by that student’s advisor. This may lead to 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 courses prescribed in order to meet the residency requirement for students within the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership program.