Educational Leadership (M.Ed.)

Program Overview

The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership program consists of 33 credit hours of coursework designed to prepare candidates for leadership positions in educational settings, as well as to improve the performance of current leaders in educational leadership positions. The program is delivered in formats including the traditional track using in-person, blend flex, hybrid, and online platforms and the accelerated online track offing a fully online 7-week course format. Program content focuses on FPLS standards, educational leader functions, and stresses the relationship between tested practice and applied theory. Candidates complete critical task essays as the culminating project in each of 10 courses in the program. The essays are based on specific internship experiences and are connected to a targeted FPLS standard, coursework, and scholarly research. The critical task essays become part of each candidate's Final Professional Portfolio that is built throughout the program and defended in the final course – Final Leadership Seminar. The M.Ed. program prepares candidates for Florida Educational Leadership certification by the Florida Department of Education as students must pass the FELE to graduate.

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Admission Requirements

Program Options

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Traditional

Courses are offered in a ‘traditional’ fifteen-week delivery method, and candidates are generally expected to complete 2 courses each semester. Courses are offered in-person, online, hybrid, and blendflex.

LEADs+

Candidates are expected to work in collaboration with school district professional development programs as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU that is co-signed by FGCU. Graduates are eligible for immediate entry into the AP Pool upon graduation.

Accelerated

Courses are offered in an accelerated, 7-week delivery method completely online. Candidates typically take one course every 7 weeks.

Successful Candidate Profiles

Traditional
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- Candidates are generally expected to complete 2 courses each semester
- Candidates in this program are those who prefer to attend synchronous classes and are comfortable with active participation in group discussions and favor gaining immediate feedback from their instructors and peers
- While many courses are delivered online, candidates also are able to travel to campus at least once or twice a term
- Candidates commit to performing at least 30 hours of internship activities under the direction of their district mentor
- Candidates have a minimum of 2 years of effective or highly effective teaching experience prior to admission
- Candidates participate in internship experiences aligned with FPLS standards and district processes so they gain real-time, real-world knowledge of specific skills
- Candidates will pass the FELE prior to graduation, and free test prep is included for the traditional program students
- Learn and contextualize FPLS standards and competencies
LEADs+
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- Those accepted into their district’s apprenticeship program will be expected to work in collaboration with that district’s professional development programs as outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that is co-signed by FGCU
- Graduates in LEADS+ are eligible for immediate entry into the AP pool upon graduation
- Districts currently participating in the program include: Collier, Lee, Charlotte, and the Heartland (Hendry, Glades, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee)
- If you are not from one of these districts, please contact the Program Leader to determine if an agreement can be pursued
- There may be some implications for Accelerated candidates as outlined in the Memorandum of Agreement between each district and FGCU. Please consult with the M.Ed. Program Leader for more information
Accelerated
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- Candidates are comfortable taking the same courses in an accelerated, 7-week format
- Candidates in this program are those who prefer to work independently and asynchronously with no set class meetings, prefer to work independently and with minimal interaction
- Candidates prefer to set their own work schedule and are more likely to interact with classmates during off hours. They do not expect immediate feedback about their work (Note: Each instructor does provide a service level standard of providing feedback with 36-48 hrs)
- All courses are delivered online with no travel to campus expected
- While candidates may take more than one course per term, most elect one course at a time because they prefer to sharply focus solely on that course material
- If they participate in the embedded internship experiences, they commit to about 4.5-5 hours per week outside of each course taken to work with a mentor
- If the candidate utilizes the case study route in lieu of internship experiences, the candidates must take one additional 3 credit hour course to document a minimum of 200 hours of internship experiences
- A successful candidate in this program will also pass the FELE examination and be able to study on their own
- Candidates who select the accelerated programs are excellent writers who are comfortable writing the 10-page essays on the compressed schedule and able to sit for portfolio defenses with little outside preparation
- The most successful candidates come to the program with 5-8 years of teaching experience with increasing leadership responsibilities
- These candidates are already familiar with FPLS standards and competencies
- Graduates of the accelerated program may not automatically qualify for the districts’ Assistant Principal (AP) pool

P-12 Educational Leadership (M.A)

This is a similar program to the M.Ed. Educational Leadership program but has additional pathways to FLDOE Leadership Certification.

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Alternative Pathway to Florida Principal Certification

If students have earned an advanced degree courses needed to meet state standards for certification are offered through this pathway.

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P-12 Educational Leadership Programs and Comparisons

Component	Educational Leadership M.Ed. Traditional	Educational Leadership M.ed. Leads+	Educational Leadership M.Ed. - Accelerated	educational leadership m.a. traditional	Educational Leadership M.A. p-12 - accelerated	Alternative Pathway to Florida Principal Certification
Florida Educational Leadership Certification earned upon completion of program	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO	NO
2 + years of teaching experience required at the Effective of Highly Effective level to be admitted	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO	NO
Classes offered in-person	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	YES
Classes offered in accelerated	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO
Blended In-person and online courses	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	YES
Automatically entered into the Assistant Principal Pool (With participating schools and districts)	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO
GRE required for admission	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
Mentor Needed	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
FLDOE leadership Certification may be earned outside of the program	NO	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES

Student Resources

GUIDE TO INTERNSHIP STUDENT HANDBOOK

Accreditation
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Admissions Information
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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.
- One-page personal statement about the applicant's career and personal goals connected with pursuing a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership.
- Documentation that confirms the candidate has completed two years of classroom teaching experience at the effective or highly effective level.
- 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
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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
Course Descriptions
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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
Course Schedule
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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.)
Learning Outcomes
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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).
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance
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Information on Tuition and Fees is available on the Office of the Bursar website.

Financial Aid and Estimated Cost of Attendance

Contact the Financial Aid Office for information about grants, scholarships, loans, and student employment. See FGCU's Financial Aid website for information and applications. This site also has information on estimated cost of attendance for graduate students.
Florida DOE Educational Leadership Information
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Program Course Sequence
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Dr. Keiana Desmore

Assistant Dean

College of Education

kdesmore@fgcu.edu

Lauren Willison

Director of Community Engagement, Recruitment, Communication

College of Education

lwillison@fgcu.edu

239-745-4320

Regsiter for a Zoom Info Session

Getting Started

Please visit the Office of Graduate Studies or contact Graduate Studies at 239-590-7988 or graduate@fgcu.edu for an application for admission and 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.

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