Educational Leadership (M.Ed.)

Institutional Accreditation

Information on FGCU institutional accreditation is available at http://www.fgcu.edu/Provost/accreditation.html

Getting Started

Applicants must submit an application online at apply.fgcu.edu. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 239-745-GRAD or graduate@fgcu.edu for additional information about the application process. Satisfaction of minimum University and program requirements does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Applicants should check with the program for the most up to date admission requirements prior to commencing the application process.

See program website at URL listed above.

Program Specific Requirements

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership explores the functions of educational leaders and stresses the relationship between tested practice and applied theory. Students in the program are prepared for leadership positions in educational settings. Graduates complete all requirements for Educational Leadership certification by the Florida Department of Education.

The department bases decisions for admissions based on a holistic review of credentials in which the criteria listed below are used to assess the potential success of each applicant.

• Transcripts verifying a four-year undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate coursework.
• Two letters of recommendation from professionals familiar with the applicant’s teaching and/or academic potential for successfully completing graduate coursework. (Fillable Reference PDF forms for this purpose available on request).
• A letter from a current or former supervising principal that confirms the candidate has successfully completed two years of classroom teaching experience and who can certify their leadership potential.
• A professional teacher certificate.
• A minimum score of 550 on TOEFL or 6.5 on IELTS for international students, who speak English as a second language.

Program Requirements for the 2020-2021 Catalog Year

Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements

• Students must satisfactorily complete the minimum number of credit hours specified by the graduate degree program.
• A grade of B or higher must be earned in all required/core courses in the program.
• Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all coursework in program.
• Students must pass all portions of the Florida Educational Leadership Examination.
• Candidates must complete and succesfully defend their final portfolio.
• The College of Education limits the transfer of coursework into its graduate programs to a maximum of 12 credits or three courses. To be considered, courses must have been completed with a minimum grade of B and no more than seven years prior to the date of entry into the graduate program and no more than ten years prior to graduation from the graduate program.

Program Requirements

Required Courses (33 - 36 credits)
EDA 6061 Principles of Ed Leadership (3)
EDA 6192 Organizational Development (3)
EDA 6232 School Law (3)
EDA 6242 School Budgets&Fin Reporting (3)
EDA 6942 Field Experience Workshop (3)*
EDA 6948 Final Leadership Seminar (3)
EDF 6401 Data & Analysis in Education (3)
EDG 6326 Learning, Account & Assess (3)
EDG 6391  Instructional Leadership (3)
EDG 6627 Found. of Curriculum & Instr. (3)
EDS 6050  Human Resources Development (3)
EME 6425 Tech for Educational Leaders (3)

*EDA 6942 Field Experience Workshop will be waived for candidates who have successfully completed 300 hours of external field experience activities prior to enrollment into EDA 6948 Final Leadership Seminar.  Waiver of EDA 6942 will reduce the program of study to 33 credits.  

Total Credits Required: 33-36 HRS

Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search

Getting started with the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.

*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)

Academic Learning Compact

Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes in the areas of content/discipline knowledge and skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

 

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills

• Work collaboratively to develop and implement an instructional framework that aligns curriculum with state standards, effective instructional practices, student learning needs and assessments.
• Manage the organization, operations, and facilities in ways that maximize the use of resources to promote a safe, efficient, legal, and effective learning environment.

Content/discipline knowledge and skills are assessed at the program level through assignments in the following courses: EDG 6326 Learning, Accountability, and Assessment (Curriculum Development Project) and EDA 6242 School Finance (School Budget Project). They are also assessed on the EDA 6999 Educational Leadership Learning Portfolio and the Florida Educational Leadership Examination.

Communication Skills

• Practice two-way communications and use appropriate oral, written, and electronic communication and collaboration skills to accomplish school and system goals by building and maintaining relationships with students, faculty, parents, and community.

Communication skills are assessed at the program level through assignments, projects, and senior research project in every course and in the EDA 6999 Educational Leadership Learning Portfolio- Community and Stakeholders Partnership Integrative Essay. Communication Skills are also assessed on the Florida Educational Leadership Examination.

Critical Thinking Skills

• Employ and monitor a decision-making process that is based on vision, mission and improvement priorities using facts and data; specifically, use critical thinking and problem solving techniques to define problems and identify solutions.

Critical thinking skills are assessed at the program level through assignments in EDG 6326 Learning, Accountability (School Improvement Plan Project).