The Programs

Master of Arts
Admission Requirements for Master of Arts
General Educational Administration
Community Leadership
School Principalship

Specialist in Education
Admission Requirements for Specialist in Education
Residency
Degree Requirements

Doctor of Education
Admission Requirements for Doctor of Education
Degree Requirements

Unspecified Content or Variable Credit Courses

Dept. of Educational Admin. & Community Leadership web site

Stephen B. Lawton, Chairperson
320 Ronan Hall, (989) 774-1534

Mary Ellen Brandell, Ed.D., Higher Education Administration, Community Leadership
Harvey Dorrah, Ph.D., School Finance, Policy, Research
Pamela L. Eddy, Ph.D., Higher Education Administration, Community Colleges
Robert S. Estabrook, Ed.D., Administrative Theory, School District Administration
Michael B. Gilbert, Ed.D., School Administration Practice, Organizational Behavior
Roger N. Grabinski, Ed.D., Community Leadership, Research, Theory
Brenda R. Kallio, Ed.D., Educational Law, Supervision of Instruction
Stephen B. Lawton, Ph.D., School Finance, Policy, Research
Michael Rao, Ph.D., Higher Education, Finance, Organizational Behavior
Rena E. Richtig, Ph.D., Elementary Administration
David E. Whale, Ed.D., Secondary Administration and Curriculum, Technology

The department provides courses and programs for graduate students preparing for leadership positions in schools, institutions of higher learning, and other community-based human service organizations. Opportunities for advanced specialized study are available in addition to preservice preparation programs. The programs and courses in educational administration and community leadership are:

Master of Arts Degree Programs:
1. General Educational Administration
2. Community Leadership
3. School Principalship

Specialist in Education Degree:
General Educational Administration

Doctor of Education Degree:
Educational Leadership
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The Programs

Master of Arts

Three distinctive M.A. programs accommodate different student needs and objectives.

The General Education Administration program is most flexible in terms of allowing students to design their own programs in consultation with their advisor. The program is designed for those seeking leadership positions in schools, higher education and other organizations dealing with the transfer of knowledge and learning. Students preparing for a position in a K-12 work environment should be aware that this degree concentration is not an administrative certification program.

The Community Leadership program is designed to prepare administrators of community-based human service agencies, community school directors, administrators of adult education programs, and others who administer education programs in non-school settings.

The School Principalship program prepares students to lead traditional public schools and public school academies. The program is NCATE accredited according to standards developed under the auspices of the National Policy Board for Educational Administration and implemented by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council. Generally, students selecting this program have had classroom teaching experience and plan to move to administrative positions. However, others remain in the classroom with a new perspective on how schools operate and choose to lead in other ways.

Students intending to teach in a public school system or academy should realize that s/he must have a Michigan teaching certificate. A Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Community Leadership does not substitute for teacher certification.
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Admission Requirements for Master of Arts Candidates

1. Applicants must meet the requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies.

2. Applicants must provide evidence of promise as an administrator by preparing and submitting an admission portfolio directly to the Department of Educational Administration and Community Leadership. The following items must be included in the contents of the portfolio:

1. A current resume identifying training, experience, and professional accomplishments;

2. Two letters of reference from individuals who can appropriately address the applicant's potential as an administrator;

3. A one-page statement addressing the applicant's beliefs about administration;

4. A one-page statement of professional goals and actions the applicant intends to take to achieve them;

5. Identification of three to five significant activities which indicate experiences, abilities, and potential for administration. For each activity identified, the applicant should indicate the nature of the activity, type and number of persons involved, roles and responsibilities of the applicant, budget (if applicable), and a reflective statement addressing what learning occurred for the applicant.

3. Regular admission will be granted only after the admission portfolio has been reviewed and deemed acceptable by a committee of EACL faculty. Acceptability will be judged on the appropriateness of the contents of the admission portfolio relative to the degree program to which application is being made. The applicant's statements about beliefs, professional goals, and activities must show evidence of thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and congruence with the degree program to which the application is directed.

Any applicant whose portfolio has not been received at the time the Department of Educational Administration and Community Leadership acts upon the admission application may receive conditional admission. However, no more that twelve credits taken during conditional admission status will be counted towards a degree. It is advantageous for the applicant to submit the admission portfolio as early as possible.
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General Educational Administration
Degree Requirements

1. Courses in Educational Administration (20 hours)
   Required: EAD 600, 660, 663, 664, 666, or equivalents.

2. Additional Courses (10 hours minimum)
   Selected in consultation with advisor.

3. Professional Portfolio
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Community Leadership
Additional Admission Requirements

• Must have a valid Michigan teaching certificate or equivalent (if appropriate).

Degree Requirements

1. Courses in Educational Administration (12 hours)
   Required: EAD 600, 609 or 667, 610, 660, or equivalents.

2. Additional Courses (10 hours minimum)
   Selected in consultation with advisor.

3. Internship (3-6 hours)
   Required: EAD 699

4. Professional Portfolio
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School Principalship
Additional Admission Requirements

• Must have a valid Michigan elementary, middle-level or secondary teaching certificate or equivalent.

Degree Requirements

1. Courses in Educational Administration (21 hours)
   EAD 600, 615, 660, 662, 663, 666, 773 or equivalents.

2. Concentration Courses (6 hours)
   Elementary School Administration Concentration
   EAD 670 and 690, or equivalents
   OR
   Middle School Administration Concentration
   EAD 671 and 691, or equivalents,
   OR
   Secondary School Administration Concentration
   EAD 672 and 692, or equivalents.

3. Internship (3-6 hours)
   Required: EAD 699

4. Professional Portfolio

Plan B requirements are met with a Professional Portfolio that consists of additional evidence of significant scholarship and ability relating to competence in administration and leadership. Portfolios are reviewed and assessed during an exit interview.
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Specialist in Education

General Educational Administration
The Ed.S. degree is based upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate work beyond the bachelor’s degree. During the course of this program, a student may apply for a master’s degree when requirements for that degree are satisfied. A student who has already earned a master’s degree before enrolling in a specialist program may in consultation with the advisor work out a program which includes previous graduate coursework that is pertinent to his or her program. Since a specialist degree implies an understanding of a field in greater depth than that provided by a similar master’s degree program, a student whose master’s degree is not in the same precise area as the chosen specialist program should expect to do more than 30 semester hours of work beyond the master’s degree.

Graduate students, under the specialist degree in general educational administration, may select courses that will develop skills in school superintendency, agency administration, higher education, or other leadership positions. The student should consult an advisor to develop such a program.
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Admission Requirements for Specialist in Education Candidates

In addition to the requirements for admission to the Master of Arts program, applicants for the Educational Specialist degree must have:

• three years experience in educational or other human service organization. (Applicants who cannot satisfy the experience requirement or for whom the department faculty believe additional documentation of promise is necessary may choose to participate in an administrative assessment center program or submit evidence of professional leadership. Other evidence might include one or more of the following: publications in professional journals, presentations at professional meetings, leadership positions in professional organizations, awards and honors, and other similar evidence).

• a valid Michigan teaching certificate or equivalent (if appropriate).
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Residency
Purpose: To provide the student with an appreciation of an identification with the university and the department and to further the opportunities to have direct contact with university support devices, faculty, and other students. Procedure: A student can satisfy the residency requirement by completing nine (9) semester hours in EAD prefixed courses on campus. Courses identified by the College of Graduate Studies as being included in the category of "courses of unspecified or variable credit" cannot be used to satisfy the residency requirement.
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Degree Requirements

1. Courses in Educational Administration (34-37 hours)
   Required: EAD 600, 660, 663, 664, 666, 700, 760, 766, 773, 770 or 772, or equivalents

2. Additional Courses (20 hours minimum)
   Selected in consultation with advisor.

3. Thesis (3-6 hours)

Required: EAD 798
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Doctor of Education
The Ed.D. degree in Educational Leadership is designed to provide in-depth knowledge and skills to educational leaders who seek to develop and refine their knowledge and skills to help transform through practice the educational institution. The program emphasizes the application of scholarship (theory) to the improvement of educational practice. It is intended for individuals in educational leadership careers. Students accepted into the program will be part of a cohort.

Admission Requirements
In order to be considered for admission to the program, an applicant must have completed a master's degree in education with a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.5 and must have completed three years of professional education experience in the schools. (Preference will be given to those with administrative experience.)

Review of complete application begins March 1 and continues until the cohort is filled. A completed application packet will include the following materials:

• a completed graduate application;

• transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work;

• resume of professional education experience;

• Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal score;

• short essay describing the relationship between the applicant's professional goals and the Ed.D. program;

• description of a professional problem the applicant has encountered and an analysis of the resolution of that problem;

• three letters of recommendation that attest to the applicant's potential to succeed in the program.

After reviewing the credentials of the applicants, the Doctoral Program Committee will select those to be interviewed.

The Doctoral Program Committee will make all decisions regarding admissions, selecting the cohort from those interviewed. Preference will be given to those applicants who have a demonstrated history of educational leadership and who have career goals consistent with the expectations of this program. The total application package will be evaluated holistically.
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Degree Requirements

Progress through the program is based upon obtaining satisfactory grades (a 3.25 GPA average overall and a B or better in each class), passing written and oral comprehensive exams, and completing a doctoral dissertation.

Research: 9 credits
The research component encompasses both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The competencies to be developed are essential to interpreting and evaluating research studies to be encountered in all course work as well as to completing the dissertation requirement.

EAD 700 (3) Advanced Administrative Research
EAD 800 (3) Qualitative Analysis in Educational Leadership
EAD 801 (3) Quantitative Analysis in Educational Leadership

Academic Core: 22 credits
The academic core component includes all of the critical areas of study for future educational leaders: foundations, organizational and leadership analyses, and the issues which change and dominate over time. The courses are designed to provide students with the underpinnings to understand and to act effectively upon the challenges confronting the educational organization.

EAD 810 (3) Ethics in Educational Leadership
EAD 825 (3) Culture of Educational Organizations
EAD 860 (3) Organizational Theory in Educational Institutions
EAD 865 (3) Organizational Change in Educational Institutions
EAD 870 (3) Issues in Educational Leadership
EAD 875 (3) Educational Policy Analysis
EAD 885 (3) Problem Solving in Educational Leadership
EAD 899 (1) Doctoral Seminar

Concentration: 12 credits
There are two choices from which students may select a concentration, based upon their needs assessment. The specific courses will be determined in consultation between the student and the academic advisor.

• Educational Leadership: courses for those individuals seeking educational leadership positions in schools and institutions of higher learning.

• Curriculum & Instruction: courses in design, evaluation, supervision, and instructional delivery systems for those educational leaders who seek the depth needed in exhibiting program leadership.

Cognate: 12 credits
The cognate, to be determined jointly by the student and advisor, can be completed in one academic discipline or by taking a combination of courses from more than one academic discipline.

Field-based Experience: 3-6 credits
This internship experience will assist students in strengthening their leadership competencies. The number of credit hours required will be determined with the student's advisor based upon the student's past professional experience and personal career objectives. Sixty contact hours will be required for each credit earned. A letter of understanding will be developed between the student, district, and university supervisor as to the responsibilities and expectations for the experience.

Comprehensive Examinations
Students will be expected to take written comprehensive examinations in three areas: Foundations, Organizational Leadership, and their area of concentration. The doctoral advisor with selected faculty has responsibility for oversight and administration of all comprehensive examinations. Comprehensive examinations will ordinarily be scheduled during a one-month period (maximum) of the third year of graduate study.

Dissertation: 15 credits
The student will complete three steps in the dissertation process: (1) the proposal review stage in which there is a formal defense of the dissertation proposal; (2) the completion of the written dissertations, including conducting the research, analyzing the results, and writing the final document; and (3) an oral defense of the dissertation.

Total credits: 73-76
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Unspecified content or variable credit courses. Click here for additional information regarding these types of courses. The following courses offered through the department are of unspecified content or variable credit: EAD 592, 650, 680, 687, 688, 689, 695, 699, 750 and 797.
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