Specialist in Education in Educational Leadership (ELDS)

Advisors: Louann Bierlein Palmer, Brett Geier, LaSonja Roberts and Rusty Stitt
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 admission deadlines, criteria for admission, and application link, which can be found on the department website. A student must have a completed master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA prior to beginning the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership program.

Program Requirements

The Ed.S. program of study consists of a minimum of 24 credit hours taken after the completion of at least a 30 credit master’s degree (for a total of at least 54 credits beyond the baccalaureate). In addition to the Ed.S. degree, a student can be recommended to receive from the state a school administrator certificate or a central office endorsement, if the appropriate courses are completed as follows (or equivalents as determined by the student’s advisor):

1. Central Office Endorsement Option (at least 24 credits taken at WMU after admission to the program)

EDLD 6060 - Organizational Change for Complex Systems Credits: 3 hours *
EDLD 6630 - Maximizing Human Capacity with Adaptive Personnel Practices Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6650 - Principles and Practices of Adult Learning Credits: 3 hours *
EDLD 6720 - Strategic District Finance and Operations Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6800 - High Impact District Governance and Community Relations Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6810 - Law, Policy, and Ethics for District Leaders Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6850 - Dynamic Systems for District-level Instructional Leadership and Assessment Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 7120 - Professional Field Experience Credits: 1 to 12 hours
(3 hours needed)
* Note: For EDLD 6060 and EDLD 6650, other course(s) may be taken at WMU as approved by advisor.

2. School Administrator Certificate: Building Level Option (the following 27 credits, of which 24 credits must be taken at WMU after admission to the program)

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 6640 - Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Leadership Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6670 - The Principalship Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6730 - Instructional Leadership and Supervision Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6740 - School Community Relations and Cultural Competence Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6793 - Principal Internship I Credits: 3 hours
EDLD 6794 - Principal Internship II Credits: 3 hours

Note:

Depending on a student’s goals, an Ed.S. program of study (equaling at least 24 credits taken at WMU after admission to the program) other than the list of courses noted above may be developed by that student’s advisor. This will not lead to State Administrator Certification.

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 at least 30 graduate credit hours towards the 60 credit hour required within that Ph.D. degree. This means that for such students, notwithstanding 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.