School Executive Leadership

VIEW DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

• Executive Leadership with Program Administrator Cert
• Executive Leadership with Specialization

About the program

The School Executive Leadership program is intended for those who wish to prepare to become educational leaders outside the superintendency. As distinct from the Superintendent Certification program, this program is designed for both certificated and non-certificated educational leaders.

The first option provides professional development opportunities within a specialized area for certificated candidates. The second option provides non-certificated students, or those who hold either current teacher or ESA certification who currently serve in a district level position, with an opportunity to receive a program administrator certificate by completing this program.

Option 1: Executive Leadership With Specialization

You complete the same core coursework as for the superintendent certificate, but replace the field experience with electives in a chosen specialization and/or an applied field study in that area of specialization. All coursework is completed over a two-year period.

Areas of Specialization

• Teaching and Learning (Curriculum and Instruction)
• Finance and Business
• Human Relations Administration
• Special Education
• Support Programs (Remediation, ELL, etc.)

Option 2: Executive Leadership With Program Administrator Certification

If you are a non-certified candidate currently serving in a district-level position, or are currently certified as a teacher or as an educational staff associate, you will complete the same core coursework as for the superintendent certification, but receive program administrator certification. All coursework is completed over a two-year period.

The Executive Leadership program with Program Administrator Certification requires at least 360 hours of field experience. The number of required credits (minimum of 6) is dependent on your experience and desired position.

Admission requirements

Applicants must submit the following items to the Graduate Admissions:

• Online application and $50 application processing fee.
• Copy of current teaching certificate, front and back.
• Copy of current administrator's certificate, front and back.
• Official transcript(s) from each college/university attended.
• If your degree is not from a U.S. college or university, please arrange for your transcript to be evaluated by a NACES member-recognized credential service. Acceptable credential services include, but are not limited to, World Education Services (WES) and Foundation for International Services (FIS).
• Personal statement (1–2 pages).
• Résumé.
• Two letters of recommendation (one supervisory, one professional).
• Site Agreement form, available in the online application.

Enrollment policy

• Students must be continuously enrolled in required SPU courses to earn this certificate, or until officially withdrawing from the program. Exceptions to continuous enrollment must be approved by the program director.
• Students may be granted a leave of absence for up to four quarters by the program director. Once the leave of absence has expired, the student will either enroll in graduate coursework or be dropped from the program.
• University academic policy requires continuous enrollment to remain admitted in a graduate program. After four quarters of non-enrollment, students will be placed in “inactive status” and will need to reapply for admission.
• If a student decides to no longer pursue a certificate, the student may officially withdraw from the program and SPU by notifying the program director and the associate director of graduate programs.