School Administration, M.Ed.

OSRHE Program Code: 103
CIP Code: 130401
Major Code: 3765

Purpose

The School Administration program leads to the completion of academic requirements for an elementary or secondary standard principal’s certificate. Persons admitted to this program 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.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Explore the various roles of a building administrator through applying the skills candidates learn in their courses to their current employment.
2. Illustrate an understanding of the role of school administrators from a systems thinking process by examining the numerous variables in place within an effective school system.
3. Through various assignments, evaluate and reflect upon their current system based upon best practices and consider changes as needed.
4. Think critically about the change process in a school system and how to effectively implement change to increase student achievement by identifying barriers to change and applying best practices to overcome those barriers.
5. Obtain licensure for either building (principal) or district (superintendent) level administrator.

Admission, Retention, and Graduation

Admission. Beyond the admission requirements for the Graduate College, admission to the program requires:

1. Be eligible for an Oklahoma teacher’s certificate/license.
2. 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

*Potential candidates not meeting GPA requirements will be placed on conditional program enrollment.

Submit the following to the online portfolio:

1. A statement of your specific immediate and long-term career objectives (Goals Statement) and how a master’s degree in the program will help the applicant achieve your objectives.  (This statement is to be between one and two pages, typed, double-spaced, 12 point font with margins of 1 inch all around.)
2. A copy of your teaching certificate (if a licensed teacher in any state).
3. Three (3) sealed letters of recommendation addressed to:

Northeastern State University
College of Education / Dept. of Ed. Leadership
600 North Grand Avenue
​Tahlequah, OK 74464

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

*Conditional Admission. For individuals who wish to pursue a degree, but are unable to meet the undergraduate GPA requirements, conditional enrollment may be allowed as follows:

1. A graduate program GPA of 3.5 must be obtained for 12 credit hours of course work taken at Northeastern State University, and all other admittance requirements must be completed during first semester of enrollment.
2. Full admittance will be considered by the program faculty at the completion of 12 credit hours upon the written request of the student within the semester deadlines for admissions.
3. The second semester of enrollment will have to be authorized by the student’s advisor.
4. Course work completed will be considered and applied to the degree as applicable.
5. 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 students an advisor upon admission to graduate studies. It is the candidate’s responsibility to make an appointment with the advisor prior to enrollment to discuss policies and procedures relevant to the degree program. Conferring with the student, the advisor develops the plan of study, assists in the selection of classes, and counsels the student.

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

Retention and Graduation. Candidates for the Master of Education in School Administration degree must satisfy the following requirements:

1. Continue to meet the Graduate College’s retention standards. See the Academic Information page for more information.
2. Monitor degree progress using the degree audit system in the goNSU portal.
3. Meet Graduate College policies detailed in Academic Information and Master’s Degree Requirements regarding GPA, minimum grades, coursework age, residency and institutional / state regulations governing degree conferral.