Educational Leadership, M.Ed.

The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (Higher Education emphasis) is a 36 credit-hour non-thesis program that prepares individuals to serve in educational leadership in college and university and higher-education related settings. The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (Higher Education emphasis) is comprised of the following course of study:

Higher Education Emphasis

Credit for Prior Learning

Students admitted to the M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership Program who possess a minimum of 3 years of prior full time work experience in higher education settings may seek credit for prior learning in lieu of completing 1-2 internships (3-6 credit hours). Credit for prior learning can be earned through the completion of Portfolio One and/or Portfolio Two (each equating to 3 credit hours). Each completed portfolio will be reviewed by program faculty with a pass/no pass grade assigned by the Program Coordinator. A pass grade will be equal to or above a 70% for each portfolio.  A no pass grade will be 69% or below for each portfolio.

M.Ed. Educational Leadership PK-12

The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (PK-12 emphasis) is a 30 credit-hour non-thesis program that prepares individuals to serve in K-12 educational leadership in a variety of educational settings. The program accepts a new cohort beginning each fall term, and persons in the cohort move through coursework together.

Two pathways are available in the Educational Leadership, M.Ed. PK-12 emphasis: The first pathway serves students who are seeking certification as school administrators in the state of Texas (i.e., seeking the Principal-as-Instructional Leader certificate from the State Board of Educator Certification). The second focuses on developing leadership skills useful in the PK-12 context, but serves those who are not seeking certification; this might include persons wanting to serve in roles (e.g., teacher-leaders, instructional coaches) that do not require the Principal-as-Instructional Leader certificate.

Note:  Applicants seeking to enroll in the coursework leading to certification as a principal must hold a valid teaching certificate and must have completed at least two full years of teaching in an accredited school by the time they would begin M.Ed. coursework, and must have completed at least three full years of teaching in an accredited school by the time they complete their program at TCU to be eligible for TCU to make a recommendation to the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC).

PK 12 Emphasis (leading to Principal Certification)

In addition to completing the designated slate of courses, students seeking certification as a principal must submit evidence of successful completion of two workshops provided by one of the 20 Texas Education Service Centers [Advancing Educational Leadership (AEL) and Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS)] prior to beginning any work related to course.  Students seeking certification must also take and pass a practice exam administered by program faculty before being recommended to take the appropriate state-required examinations for principal certification.

Students enrolled in the M.Ed. EDLE (PK-12 emphasis) will continue to participate in a Midpoint Assessment after they complete their first 12 credit hours; at this point they will each receive written and verbal feedback on strengths and areas in need of improvement during the second half of their program.

PK-12 Emphasis (Non-certification Track)