Are you ready to make an impact as a leader in education? A Master of Science in Educational Leadership from NSU's Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice will empower you to effect change where we need it the most.
The landscape of education is always evolving, creating a need for innovative, transformational leaders capable of creating collaborative learning environments. Our goal is to promote academic success and overall well-being for all students and teachers.
An MS in Educational Leadership will give you the competitive edge you need to become a competent and confident decision-maker inside and outside of the classroom.
Program Highlights
Earn Your Masters in Less Than a Year
You can earn your MS in Educational Leadership in as little as nine months when you take advantage of the flexibility of the individualized learning pathways in core courses. If you select the state-approved pathway, you will earn your educational leadership certificate, be ready to enter your district’s respective leadership program, and equipped with the knowledge and skills to positively impact your community and the future of education.
Flexible, Individualized Curriculum Delivered Online
Our program uses individualized learning pathways to tailor the learning experience to your unique needs. The flexible online format allows you to complete coursework around your busy schedule. You can accelerate and finish a course before the term ends leaving you time to prepare for the next class. You can also slow down when you come to a more challenging topic or just need the extra time.
Learn from Experts in Education
Members of our faculty are experts in the field, with many currently serving in districts as Principals and Superintendents. Across your program experience will be opportunities to attend virtual guest speaker sessions with national leaders in education. In addition, internship courses are taught by active building and district leaders in our partner districts across the state and nationally giving students the opportunity to build relationships and develop a strong network for the future.
Faculty Mentors
When you begin the MS in Educational Leadership program, you will be assigned a faculty mentor, who will support you across your personal educational journey. The faculty mentor will meet with you regularly throughout the program to provide course advising, support your work in the required field project, and help you navigate your program experience.
Virtual and Face-to-Face Field Experiences
Field experiences, which progress from observer to active practitioner, are embedded across the program to provide an opportunity for you to practice the skills you learn in the core courses. One-on-one and class style: Virtual simulation field experiences are delivered via a hybrid artificial intelligence and human interaction platform that allow you to practice and refine your skills prior to engaging in authentic settings. Then you will complete your face-to-face experiences in one of our many partner districts under the supervision of practicing school leaders.
Internship
The internship experience spans 32 weeks and four courses allowing you sufficient time to develop and refine your leadership skills in collaboration with your faculty supervisor. As part of the internship experience, you will have the opportunity to serve in elementary, middle, and secondary settings, ensuring you are ready for any educational leadership role. Through collaboration with our office of placement services, we will assist you with locating settings for completing all requirements of the internship
Field Project
In the MS in Educational Leadership program, you will engage in a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) experience that builds across the internship courses. The focus of the PBL is to develop your capacity to propose an assessment-based solution to an educational challenge. As a culminating experience, you will present your final project to your peers, faculty, and district leaders at the Summer Symposium Showcase.
Summer Symposium
At the conclusion of the program, you will engage in a week-long summer conference experience that will bring together your peers, faculty, and educational leaders across our partner districts. You will have the opportunity to attend sessions on wellness, school safety including mock experiences, and other leading issues in education. With the final event of the experience allowing the opportunity to showcase your field project in a conference setting, this will also be an opportunity to build relationships and strengthen your professional network.
Be Prepared for Qualifying Exams like the FELE and Praxis II
To ensure your success in the field, we focus on your preparation for the qualifying exam (FELE or Praxis). All core courses include FELE style questions with reasons for the correct answers. The culminating seminar course includes access to exam preparation materials for each sub-tests. The materials include practice questions, explanation videos, and progress monitoring. The seminar concludes with a mock exam to ensure you are more than ready for the exam.
Career Opportunities
Our graduates have built rewarding careers as K-12 Principals, Assistant Principals, District Administrators, Higher Education Instructors, and Admissions Directors. With over 5,000 alums from the MS in Educational Leadership program and many employed in leadership roles, you will join a national network of highly skilled and successful educational professionals.
Who Should Apply?
Aspiring assistant principals, principals, teacher leaders, district leaders in public, charter, or private settings, and leaders of not-for-profit organizations will be prepared to lead an organization in transformational ways, close the achievement gap, and navigate the educational challenges of the 21st century.
The MS in Educational Leadership is available to practicing prekindergarten through 12th-grade teachers who wish to obtain graduate degrees and enter the field of educational leadership. Those with a bachelor's degree and a valid professional teaching certificate who wish to obtain a graduate degree and/or add a certification area in educational leadership are also welcome.
Choose Your Certification Path