Education Major, EdS, Educational Administration Concentration (ELPS Department)

The Educational Administration Specialist in Education (EdS) degree is a 36-credit hour program with licensure and non-licensure alternatives. This degree is designed for individuals with a master’s degree in education or a related field. This program is intended for K12 educators (which includes teachers, counselors, school psychologists, speech pathologists, etc.) who are interested in enriching their knowledge, skills, and values requisite to effective leadership in K12 educational practice settings.

The program offers both licensure and non-licensure pathways. The licensure pathway includes a requirement for a clinical fieldwork experience in an approved Tennessee school and leads to a Tennessee Instructional Leadership License (ILL) once all elements of the program are successfully completed. Students will be required to take the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) praxis exam and score above the state-established cut-off score to be recommended for licensure. For additional information, please visit the Educational Administration program webpage.

Concentration (Required) and Options Available

Educational Administration Concentration
- K12 Online Leadership Studies Specialization
  - Licensure Alternative — Coursework Only With Comprehensive Exam Option
  - Non-Licensure Alternative — Coursework Only With Comprehensive Exam Option
- Leadership Academy Specialization (Currently not accepting students).

Campus Code

Distance Education
- Online Leadership Studies Specialization (Licensure or Non-Licensure Alternative)

Admissions Standards/Procedures

● Students must meet all current graduate school admission requirements and departmental requirements in addition to submitting a graduate school application and any departmental supplemental application materials.

●For specific departmental application requirements, please visit the K-12 Instructional Leadership concentration webpage

Credit Hours Required

36 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Core Requirement Courses (12 credit hours):
EDAM 513 - Administrative and Organizational Theory
EDAM 514 - Leading Professional Learning Communities
EDAM 548 - Supervision and Personnel Administration
EDAM 554 - Education Policy and Law
Specialization Courses (12 credit hours):
EDAM 523 - Administration of Special Services
EDAM 583 - Educational Leadership-Principalship
EDAM 544 - School Finance and Business Management
EDAM 519 - Curriculum for School Leaders
Research Courses (9 credit hours):
EDAM 520 - Using Data for Educational Change & School Improvement
EDAM 592 - Field Problems in Educational Administration and Supervision
EDAM 521 - Introduction to Quantitative Educational Research Methods
Internship or Elective (3 credit hours):
EDAM 580 - Internship in Educational Administration
(for Licensure Students or Elective (3 credit hours) for Non-Licensure Students chosen in consultation with the faculty advisor)

Non-Course Requirements

Licensure Students
- Successful completion of a comprehensive exam with a grade of Pass and a field problem research paper on a topic relevant to educational leadership are required to complete the program. A professional field-based experience under a school-based mentor’s direction, a minimum competency score on the School Leader Licensure Assessment, and the submission of a professional learning portfolio are required for licensure application.
Non-Licensure Students
- Successful completion of a comprehensive exam with a grade of Pass and submission of a field problem research paper on a topic relevant to educational leadership are required.

Undergraduates