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Educational Leadership
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Credits for Licensure:
31-33(4 terms)
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Credits:
32(4 terms)
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Degree:
Master of Education
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Program Approved:
Massachusetts Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education
Program Description
The Educational Leadership master’s degree prepares competent, caring, ethical, and highly qualified leaders in P-12 settings. The program is based on standards upheld by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council. The master’s in educational leadership is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and follows this organization’s Professional Standards for Administrators.
What Is Educational Leadership?
Educational leadership involves working with teachers, parents, students, and public policy makers to improve the quality of education and the education system. Educational leaders are often employed as school principals, deans, department chairs, or other administrative and leadership roles.
Who Is the Master’s in Educational Leadership Designed For?
The degree supports career advancement for currently licensed practitioners in P-12 settings with at least three years of employment in a Massachusetts-approved school or district. The Principal/Assistant Principal license (PK-8 or 5-12) is for those seeking to lead schools. The non-licensure option is designed for seasoned professionals in educational settings or agencies that do not require the Massachusetts license.
Cambridge College Educational Leadership Program Highlights
With guidance of the program chair, seminar leaders, faculty, and licensed, current practitioners in schools and districts within Massachusetts, candidates for the master’s in educational leadership learn first-hand how to engage in site-based leadership.
- Hands-on training and professional development. Licensure students will engage in a 500-hour Principal/Assistant Principal Practicum, while non-licensure students will complete the Professional Seminar and Independent Learning Project. Effective leadership is further evidenced through written reflections, key assessments, tasks assigned, and field experiences documented in an e-portfolio and submitted via TaskStream.
- Flexible class options. With day, evening, weekend, and online class options designed for working professionals, you can pursue your master’s in educational leadership on a schedule that fits your life.
- Experienced faculty. Cambridge College faculty bring diverse educational leadership research experience to the program and work closely with students as teachers and mentors.
- Diverse experiences. Ranked as one of the most ethnically diverse colleges in America, Cambridge College gives you the opportunity to work with other adult learners from all over the world, enriching your educational experience in the process.
- Convenient location. All of our classroom locations are close to public transportation and/or offer free student parking throughout the year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, elementary, middle school, and high school principals working in Boston, Massachusetts, earn an average of $114,310 per year. Boston is one of the metropolitan areas with the highest level of employment for this occupation.
Educational Leadership Learning Outcomes
The master’s in educational leadership offers a range of educational and professional advancement opportunities depending on your goals and experience. Graduates of the program will be prepared with the skills and training to:
- Create a physically and emotionally safe school environment.
- Ensure that curriculum is of high quality, standards-aligned, rigorous and culturally responsive.
- Build a professional culture supportive of reflective practice, high expectations, and continuous improvement of skillfully implementing high quality curriculum which exhibits target skills through evidence-based teaching and learning.
- Engage school communities including teachers, parents, district leaders, and community partners in ways supportive of the school’s academic and social-justice mission.
- Effectively implement plans, policies, procedures, routines, budgets, and operating systems, including technology, that are equitable, honor all students' backgrounds, eliminate bias and address the full range of safety, health, and social-emotional needs of students.
Educational Leadership Jobs
Graduates typically pursue leadership or policy-related positions in P-12 schools.
Those in the Principal/Assistant Principal option typically become school leaders or pursue management positions in education-related organizations and agencies.
Those in the non-licensure option typically lead private or charter schools and later return to pursue licensure through the CAGS program in order to pursue further advancement in public schools and districts.
Example Educational Leadership Courses
The Educational Leadership master’s degree program at Cambridge College features classes such as:
- Legal Aspects of School Administration
- Organizational Change for School Leaders
- Contemporary Issues and Topics in Educational Administration
Download the Educational Leadership program sheet.
Educational Leadership Scholarships and Financial Aid
You may qualify for grants, scholarships, loans, and other types of financial assistance to help pay for your master’s degree. Learn more about applying for financial aid at Cambridge College.
Many companies also offer tuition assistance programs that can help to pay for education. Find information about getting your company to help.
Related Programs at Cambridge College
If you’re still exploring degree options, you might be interested in learning more about these programs at Cambridge College:
Curriculum
Professional Seminar and Project
11
Credits
EAD800 Independent Learning Project is required only for non-licensure students, instead of practicum.
Professional Seminar I: School Administration (Initial)
EAD 691N • 2 credit(s)
This seminar focuses on the development of leadership and human relationships within the school and community. Attention is paid to personal aspects of leadership such as style, dealing with stress, time management and the moral responsibility of school administrators. Students also discuss educational topics and issues of current interest. (This theme continues through all four terms.) Students are introduced to basic research skills such as use of on-line and professional libraries and the conventions of APA style for writing papers and the Independent Learning Project (ILP). Pre-practicum hours of directed field-based training required.
Professional Seminar II: School Administration (Initial)
EAD 692N • 2 credit(s)
Prerequisite: EAD691N. Pre-practicum: Fifteen hours directed field-based training required. This second seminar emphasizes the development and functioning of organizations and the study of organizational behavior. Attention is paid to the leader's role in culture and climate. Students examine the culture and climate of their own work setting within frameworks reviewed in the seminar. Students learn how to prepare and write the literature review for the ILP.
Professional Seminar III: School Administration (Initial)
EAD 693N • 2 credit(s)
Prerequisite: EAD692N. This third seminar emphasizes the study of introducing and supporting change efforts in schools. Topics include managing change, dealing with varying attitudes toward change and institutionalizing change. Supporting topics include the use of vision, goal setting, identifying priorities, allocating resources and collecting data on learning. Students learn principles of basic research design and should develop the initial draft of their ILP this term. Those students completing a practicum in this term will present it to the students in the seminar, providing a basis for the discussion of the relationship of action research to the reality of school reform. Practicum hours of directed field-based training required.
Professional Seminar IV: School Administration (Initial)
EAD 694N • 2 credit(s)
Prerequisite: EAD693N. The final seminar emphasizes linking practice and theory. Particular attention is paid to processing the issues and questions that arise during the practicum experience. Interpersonal aspects of leadership are revisited in the context of the field experience. Students discuss issues connected with obtaining a leadership position including resumes, the interview process and contracts. The ILP is completed and presented to the members of the seminar, providing a basis for the discussion of the relationship of action research to the reality of school reform. Practicum hours of directed field-based training required.
Independent Learning Project: Educational Leadership
EAD 800 • 3 credit(s)
Prerequisites: EAD691-693. The Independent Learning Project (ILP) is a culminating learning experience required only for non-licensure students, that helps educational leaders integrate their personal and formal learning and their professional experiences into a meaningful whole and articulates the individual’s educational and administrative philosophy. The project is research and action based on a focused topic chosen by the student within the area of intended practice. It engages students in sustained research into educational leadership.
School Administration Courses
21
Credits
- EAD721 required only for Non-Licensure
- SEI705 Supervision of Sheltered English Immersion Instruction for Administrators is required for licensure, if the SEI requirement has not previously been completed.
Program Portfolio Integration
EED 735
Students are required to enroll in this 0-credit course during the first semester of their program experience. Enrollment in this 0-credit course activates student access to the Tevera portfolio which facilities the tracking and storage of essential documents required for program completion.
Curriculum Principles and Practices for Educational Leaders
EAD 712 • 3 credit(s)
To better understand and utilize state curriculum frameworks, this course focuses on curriculum construction principles and aims that underlie the organized programs of study in schools. Students will examine the origins of the school curriculum and gain familiarity with methods of organization, curriculum planning and development, pertinent curriculum applications, and current trends. Equity issues related to curriculum tracking and detracking will also be examined through the use of appropriate case studies.
Selection, Development, and Supervision of Educational Personnel
EAD 684 • 3 credit(s)
This course alerts students to the wide range of activities covered by the term “personnel management” and presents the best of current practices in the field. Students are prepared to select, develop and supervise teachers and other staff effectively. The school is presented as a learning organization - a place where all are supported in continuous growth and describes the administrator’s role in creating that culture. Formative and summative techniques for feedback about performance are emphasized. The course also includes the topics of the legal and ethical aspects of evaluation, hiring and dismissal. The importance of the administrator’s role as an instructional leader is emphasized. Practicum hours of directed field-based training required.
Legal Aspects of School Administration
EAD 688 • 3 credit(s)
This course explores the legal principles which apply to current educational practice. It specifically deals with issues of students’ rights and teachers’ rights which impact and influence the operation of schools and the related tension created by multiple structures. Laws/ regulations and court decisions related to free speech, equal rights, and school discipline are studied. In addition, laws and policies dealing with IDEA (special education) and No Child Left Behind are examined in depth. Practicum hours of directed field-based training required.
Finance and Business Administration for the School Administrator
EAD 690 • 3 credit(s)
This course prepares educators to understand and effectively manage the fiscal aspects of a school or school district. The work focuses on school finance as a matter of public policy and law, the different sources of school financing, and the funding mechanism at various levels of government. Proposition 2 1/2, the Massachusetts foundation budget process, financing procedures in other states, and the financing of charter, choice and voucher programs are examined. In addition, educators study school budgets, the role of the school’s community in developing and establishing the budget, and different approaches to the budgeting process. Finally, educators address the issues of plant management, custodial care, building maintenance, preventive maintenance, scheduling, energy management, collective bargaining and purchasing of materials for plant management. Practicum hours of directed field-based training required.
Contemporary Issues and Topics in Educational Administration
EAD 662 • 3 credit(s)
The effective educational administrator actively pursues further study in his/her field. By so doing, the administrator strives to acquire a knowledge base which will help deal with contemporary issues that will affect students, staff, community and the organization of the school. This course, therefore, features research and in-depth discussion of topics of immediate concern to the educational administrator. The topics may include, but will not necessarily be limited to strategic planning, organizational change, effective staff development, team building, outcomes based learning, the use of data for decision making, interpersonal skills necessary for site-based management, teacher evaluation, issues of equity, and community relationships. Practicum hours of directed field-based training required.
Leading Antiracist Schools
EAD 783 • 3 credit(s)
Prerequisite: EAD 691. This course will provide school leaders opportunities to understand how schools can be a powerful force for equity and equality in American society. Through readings, presentations, and critical discussions, students will identify effective strategies for identifying and countering institutional racism and for creating and sustaining antiracist schools and communities.
Supervision, Induction & Coaching of New Teachers
EAD 721 • 3 credit(s)
This course is designed to build capacity among teacher leaders in the implementation of performance assessment systems tailored for the improved enhancement of teacher practice reflective of state regulatory requirements. The course is structured to support effective supervision and coaching of new teachers specific to professional practice in Pk-12 settings. Included are techniques designed to facilitate improved student learning and retention of school personnel.
Supervision of Sheltered English Immersion Instruction for Administrators
SEI 705 • 2 credit(s)
Participants in the Cambridge College Administrator License program will be prepared to effectively serve English language learner students (ELLs). Participating students will be knowledgeable and able to administer, supervise and promote effective classroom strategies that maximize learning for ELLs. Participants in the Cambridge College Administrator License program will evidence an understanding of major trends in the twenty-first century language teaching and recognize the domains of listening, speaking, reading, writing and form focused instruction (grammar) for ELLs.
Practicum
5
Credits
Practicum Prerequisites
• Signed acknowledgement of area/level of licensure sought
• Successful completion of all courses with a grade of “B” or better.
• Unless evidence is submitted that the SEI RETELL or SEI MTEL was successfully completed prior to program admission, all candidates must take the SEI 705 Sheltered English Immersion for School Administrators.
• Pre-Practicum logs documenting hours embedded in courses appropriate to the area of licensure.
Practicum Logs, Portfolios, MA PAL
• All practicum logs evidencing completion of all hours must be verified by the supervising practitioner, professional seminar advisor, and program chair before uploading logs into TaskStream.
• All candidates must submit an electronic portfolio by uploading all documents specific to licensure, including reflections, key assignments, practicum logs, and evidence of current licensure in TaskStream.
• Candidates for the Principal/Assistant Principal licensure option are required to have successfully completed all required tasks for the Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL).
Practicum: Principal/Asst Principal (Pre K-8) 500 hours Completion
EAD 790 H • 5 credit(s)
Principal License, levels PreK-8, 500 hours. Prerequisites: Pre-practicum, all initial licensure courses, pass all teacher tests required for this license by Massachusetts: Communication and Literacy Test-MTEL). Professional Seminar III or IV required concurrently: EAD693 or 694.
Effective Fall 2014: 500 hours in the role and at the level of the license sought, under a cooperating practitioner with the appropriate license, with Cambridge College supervision. The College supervisor and the cooperating practitioner plan the practicum with the student to achieve the minimum 500 hours at the practicum site. At least 95% of these hours will include direct administrative responsibility. Some of the hours may be logged during the school vacation periods when students are not present, and other administrative tasks such as scheduling, budget preparation and similar tasks are being performed. No more than 80 hours of the 500 should be logged during vacation periods. This practicum experience provides field based training for students pursuing licensure for principal/assistant principal (PreK-8). Students work with the guidance and support of an experienced school administrator and observe his/her administrative strategies in action. Students reflect on their own professional growth and examine theory through actual practice. During the practicum, the cohort group continues to meet in the Professional Seminar. This support system serves as a forum for discussion of administrative experiences, problems and solutions; and provides opportunity to share action research paper experiences. The student prepares an Exit Performance Portfolio to document the experiences. Evaluation is based on current standards for licensure. Practicum hours of directed field-based training required.
Practicum: Principal/Asst Principal (5-12) 500 hours Completion
EAD 790 J • 5 credit(s)
Principal License, levels 5-12, 500 hours. Prerequisites: Pre-practicum, all initial licensure courses, pass all teacher tests required for this license by Massachusetts: Communication and Literacy Test-MTEL). Professional Seminar III or IV required concurrently: EAD693 or 694.
Effective Fall 2014: 500 hours in the role and at the level of the license sought, under a cooperating practitioner with the appropriate license, with Cambridge College supervision. The College supervisor and the cooperating practitioner plan the practicum with the student to achieve the minimum 500 hours at the practicum site. At least 95% of these hours will include direct administrative responsibility. Some of the hours may be logged during the school vacation periods when students are not present, and other administrative tasks such as scheduling, budget preparation and similar tasks are being performed. No more than 80 hours of the 500 should be logged during vacation periods. This practicum experience provides field based training for students pursuing licensure for principal/assistant principal (5-12). Students work with the guidance and support of an experienced school administrator and observe his/her administrative strategies in action. Students reflect on their own professional growth and examine theory through actual practice. During the practicum, the cohort group continues to meet in the Professional Seminar. This support system serves as a forum for discussion of administrative experiences, problems and solutions; and provides opportunity to share action research paper experiences. The student prepares an Exit Performance Portfolio to document the experiences. Evaluation is based on current standards for licensure. Practicum hours of directed field-based training required.
Admissions
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Admission Test:
No standardized graduate school tests required for admission into non-licensure programs
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Admissions Office:
1-800-829-4723
- Application Form:
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Application Fee:
$50 ($100 for international students)
Program Requirements
Principal/Assistant Principal License - Three full years of employment in an executive management/leadership role or in a supervisory, teaching, or administrative role in a public school, private school, higher education, or other educational setting accepted by ESE. The required employment must be documented by official letter(s) from supervisor or human resources director.
Health Requirements for Massachusetts Students
The Massachusetts Health Department and Cambridge College require the following of students in Massachusetts:
Immunizations – All students in Massachusetts are required to get certain immunizations before you can register for your first term. See form
Health Insurance – In Massachusetts, undergraduate students taking nine or more credits/term and graduate students taking six or more credits/term must enroll in the College’s health insurance plan. Students who have insurance with comparable coverage may request a waiver. See information and enroll or waive.
School Requirements
International Students
International students need to provide supplemental documentation:
- Official demonstration of English language proficiency
- Supplemental documentation for issuance of I-20
- International transcripts, evaluated by an accepted evaluation service
Transfer Credit
Please complete the transfer credit request form if you wish to have prior course work evaluated for transfer. Learn more about transferring credits.
Tuition
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Credits for Licensure:
31-33
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Credits:
32
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Cost per credit hour:
$639
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Application Fee:
$50 ($100 for international students)
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Health Insurance Fee:
$3,940 - Required for Massachusetts students only. See waiver details on Tuition & Fees page.)
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Internship/Practicum Fee:
$400
Note: Rates are as of July, 2022, and are subject to change without notice. Rates apply to all students, unless otherwise noted.
Financial Aid
Cambridge College offers financial aid to students in our degree programs who are enrolled at least half time. Undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 6 credits each term. Graduate and doctoral students must be enrolled in at least 4 credits each term. Learn more
Grants, Scholarships and Loans
Cambridge College welcomes the opportunity to support your efforts to pay for college. Federal, state and local resources in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study, including Cambridge College Scholarships, are available to help defray the cost of tuition. Learn more
Getting Your Company to Help
Many companies have tuition assistance programs, designed to help their employees with their professional development. Learn more
Take the Next Step Toward Your Educational Leadership Master's Degree
Take the Next Step Toward Your Educational Leadership Master's Degree
