The University of Tennessee’s educational administration program offers a Master of Science with a major in educational administration with licensure and non-licensure alternatives. The coursework is delivered in an online format through distance education.
Licensure Alternative
The M.S. program requires 36 hours of course work. Evening and summer classes are combined with on-the-job internship activities organized around real school problems. The school principal and a faculty representative of the Educational Administration and Supervision program together supervise the internship.
The desired outcome of the program leading to licensure as a school administrator is to produce thoughtful principal and supervisory practitioners with the skills and scholarship to provide quality leadership to the organizations they serve. Graduates are expected to have a vision of quality education combined with good leadership skills to lead our schools in the twenty-first century.
The program leading to licensure as a school administrator is designed around the standards developed by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) for the knowledge and skills required today for a school principal. It meets the certification requirements of the Tennessee State Board of Education. The program is also accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and recognized by the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) indicating national recognition as a quality program.
Courses for this degree are offered online through Distance Education.
Non-licensure Alternative
The non-licensure alternative program is designed to prepare leaders for a variety of settings in schools and in other social service agencies. It requires a common set of four courses with the remainder of the program tailored to the students’ special needs. The degree requires 36 hours of course work and may require an internship, which is decided in consultation with the faculty advisor.
Admission
A completed online application must be received by both the Office of Graduate Admissions and the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, educational administration program. A grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 or higher for undergraduate work or GPA 3.2 or higher for prior graduate work is required. Applicants to the Master of Science program must possess teacher or school-related licensure; have, or will have, by program completion three years teaching experience or experience working in schools; and must interview with an admission committee. Candidates for the educational administration major must possess leadership potential preferably demonstrated by previous leadership experience. Three rating forms must be provided with recommendations from three present or former employers that identify a candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, and leadership potential. Interviews with applicants are held each year starting in April. Courses officially start in June.
Requirements
