School Administration, M.Ed.

OSRHE Program Code: 103
CIP Code: 130401

Major Code: 3765

(36 total hours)

Purpose

The School Administration program prepares individuals for positions in educational administration at the building level. Persons admitted to this program will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to administer elementary and/or secondary schools and other units of school administration such as departments of personnel, curriculum development, secondary education, elementary education, and federal programs.

Specialty Accreditation

NSU’s educator preparation programs at the baccalaureate and master’s levels are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), www.caepnet.org, (1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036-1023, 202-223-0077), and the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (840 Research Parkway, Suite 455, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, 405-522-5399), www.ok.gov/oeqa

Credential Requirements

All candidates seeking certification need to take the state certification test for school administration at the completion of the program. There are fees associated with certification testing which is administered by an outside agency under contract with the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability. NSU’s Education Certification office can assist with information regarding university recommendation for certification.  If seeking certification in any state other than Oklahoma, it is recommended that individuals contact the appropriate State Department for guidelines so they can be built into the program.

Admission

Admission to the School Administration program includes:

Step One:

Prior to first enrollment (in the first semester)

• Be admitted to the Graduate College.
• Be eligible for an Oklahoma teacher’s certificate/license.
• Meet with an assigned advisor and sign a Plan of Study.
• Must be completely admitted into the program during first semester to enroll in the second semester.

Step Two (Program Admissions):

During first semester, meet the following program requirements:

• Score at least a six (6) on the WritePlacer © or pass other assigned writing test at the discretion of the program chair. After the second failure, the student must seek help from her/his advisor before the test can be taken a third time.
• Take and earn a satisfactory score on either the MAT or GRE.
• Submit the following to the online portfolio:
  • A statement of specific immediate and long term career objectives and how master’s degree in the program will help the applicant achieve these objectives. (The statement is to be between one and two pages, typed, double-spaced, 12 point font with margins of 1 inch all around.)
  • A copy of a teaching certificate (if a licensed teacher in any state).
  • GRE/MAT Score
  • WritePlacer Score

Mail (or drop off at an office designated by your advisor), three(3) sealed letters of recommendation. Letters may be mailed to

Northeastern State University
College of Education/ Department of Educational Leadership
600 N. Grand Avenue
Tahlequah, OK 74464

Program faculty may request a formal interview and/or other materials to make recommendations concerning admission to the program.

• GPA requirement of:
  • 3.00 overall, undergraduate, or
  • 3.25 in the last 60 credit hours, undergraduate, or
  • Have an earned Master’s degree from an accredited university

If the GPA requirements (see above) are not met, one of the following items must be satisfied:

• MAT - scaled score of 383, or
• GRE - combined math and verbal score of 291
• Must use scores from MAT/GRE that are less than five (5) years old

*It is recommended that applicants pass the entrance examination prior to enrollment admission

Step Three (Candidacy):

After acceptance into the program and two portfolio artifacts have been submitted to the portfolio, students should contact their assigned advisor to complete the candidacy process.

Conditional Program Admission

For those persons who wish to pursue a degree, but are not able to meet the requirements for the undergraduate GPA and/or MAT/GRE, conditional enrollment may be allowed as follows:

• Students attempt the MAT/GRE at least two more times or until a satisfactory score has been obtained.
• Students must earn a graduate program GPA of 3.5 for twelve credit hours of coursework taken at Northeastern State University, and all other admittance requirements must be completed during the first semester of enrollment.
• The program faculty will consider full admittance when the student completes 12 credit hours and upon written request of the student within the semester deadlines for admissions.
• The student’s advisor must authorize the second semester of enrollment.
• The regular requirements and procedures will be followed.
• Coursework completed will be considered and applied to the degree as applicable.
• All coursework for a degree must be completed within a period of six years.
• Program faculty will make all final determinations on conditional enrollment.

Students who do not meet the program requirements within the specified time frames and structure will be blocked from further enrollment in the program.

Advisement

The Graduate College assigns an advisor in the School Administration program when the student is admitted to graduate studies. It is the student’s responsibility to make an appointment with the advisor to discuss policies and procedures relevant to the degree program. The advisor develops the plan of study in conference with the student, assists in the selection of classes each semester, and counsels the student.