Master of Education:
Educational Leadership Option

Master of Education (MEd)
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About

The Educational Leadership Program at Eastern Washington University prepares educators for positions of leadership in public, private and charter prekindergarten through grade 12 schools of all sizes. Upon completion of the program, you will have satisfied the requirements of the Washington State Department of Public Instruction for a school principal’s certificate. The program is grounded in the best practices and current research in educational leadership and management, preparing you to meet the diverse needs of each learning environment. The program endeavors to prepare you to be effective school leaders whether as principals, assistant principals, program administrators or as teachers still in the classroom.

The Master of Education Degree with an emphasis in educational leadership is ideal for a teacher or other certified staff member who desires to prepare for the challenging, meaningful and essential role of a school leader. In addition, the MEd program meets Washington State requirements for a school principal certificate, as described below, if you satisfy the state’s experience requirement (three years) by program completion. You may begin any quarter, including summer.

This option is offered both on-campus and online.

Curriculum & Requirements

For more information, contact the program:

E: edu.edlead@lists.ewu.edu

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Educational Leadership, Master of Education (M.ED)

Master of Education (M.Ed.), Educational Leadership without Principal Certificate—This path is ideal for those interested in leadership with or without teaching certification. No certification is required for admission on this path. The M.Ed. does not lead to a principal certification.

The Educational Leadership concentration is ideal for teachers or candidates who work in education outside of a traditional P–12 school setting. Grounded in best practices and current research in educational leadership and management, this program prepares candidates to lead in diverse settings. 

This program requires a 60-hour internship. Review the Graduate Student Internships page for more information.

This is an online accelerated program with 6-week academic sessions. For more information about this program visit our website. 

Admissions Requirements

  1. Have earned a baccalaureate degree (either a BA or BS) from an accredited institution of higher education.
  2. Have earned a grade point average of ≥3.0 on a 4-point scale during the final 90 quarter credits (or 60 semester credits) of enrolled coursework.
Required Core
EDUC 507PHILOSOPHY AND ORGANIZATION OF THE AMERICAN SCHOOL4
EDUC 520METHODS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH4
EDUC 522TRANSFORMATION OF LEARNING AND TEACHING4
Area Specialization
EDUC 526INTRODUCTION TO MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT4
or EDUC 538 MEDIA LITERACY FOR TEACHERS
EDUC 551SUPERVISION OF INSTRUCTION4
EDUC 554CURRICULAR DESIGN AND EVALUATION4
EDUC 564SCHOOL LAW4
EDUC 565LEADERSHIP FOR TODAY'S SCHOOLS4
EDUC 566LEADERSHIP IN SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS4
EDUC 567SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND BUDGET4
Internship
EDUC 651LEADERSHIP INTERNSHIP I2
EDUC 652LEADERSHIP INTERNSHIP II2
Portfolio and Comprehensive Exam
EDUC 653LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO2
EDUC 654LEADERSHIP COMPREHENSIVE EXAM3
Total Credits49

Students who earn an M.ED. in Educational Leadership from EWU should be able to:

  • demonstrate an understanding of the current theory, research, and strategies needed to effectively lead schools in P-12 educational settings;
  • demonstrate the competency-based knowledge and skills required for effectively working in leadership roles in P-12 educational settings in compliance with Washington state standards and program requirements;
  • understand and prepare for the educational, social, political, economic, and cultural context within which school leaders work.