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Education Specialist in Educational Leadership

Available online

The purpose of the Education Specialist in Educational Leadership is to prepare leaders who will make a difference as moral agents and sensitive social advocates for the children and the communities they serve; who will focus on the central issues of learning and teaching and school improvement; who will make strong connections as they reflect Christian values with others as individuals and as members of the educational community.

Objectives of the Program

Students in the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership Program will:

  1. Demonstrate within their disciplines advanced knowledge and skills.
  2. Display competency in the critical evaluation of issues, trends and methodologies.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to apply research that extends the body of knowledge in the field.
  4. Enhance their ethical decision-making ability through an academic environment integrated with the Christian faith.
  5. Build intellectual and moral knowledge to cope with a pluralistic world in order to better serve communities and their schools. 

 

The objectives are met within the context of a set of standards developed by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council of the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Program Description

The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership is offered along three concentrations: (1) Instructional Leadership (IL), a licensure track designed to prepare school principals and supervisors of instruction; (2) Teacher Leadership, a non-licensure track designed for teacher leaders who desire knowledge of concepts and strategies for school and classroom leadership; and (3) Leadership in School Reform, a non-licensure track for educators with a degree, license, or experience in school leadership. The degree is based on Union’s conceptual framework of A Teacher-Student Dynamic of Sensitivity, Reflection and Faith. Union University desires to prepare school leaders who are grounded in and committed to excellence in teaching and learning with values based on our Judeo-Christian heritage.

The Cohort Approach. The program accepts students in groups to pursue each course together in a cohort. Lifelong friendships are developed through this format, and learning takes place in a spirit of unity, rigor, and cooperation.

Program Delivery and Calendar. Students will be accepted into cohorts who will complete the program utilizing an innovative delivery system designed to meet the needs of educators. 

In the final semester, IL students take the Praxis II School Leader’s Licensure Assessment (SLLA) for licensure. The program enables the candidates to advance through Tennessee’s licensure system. Passing this test is also a requirement for graduation.

The Leadership in School Reform cohort completes courses online in a predetermined sequence with most activities being asynchronous. Occasionally, School Reform students will be expected to participate in synchronous webinars, which are planned in advance.

Each cohort is presented its unique calendar for the complete program. Current Ed.S. calendars are available at www.uu.edu/eds.

Admission Information

All candidates for admission to the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership must submit a Graduate Studies in Education Application along with a non-refundable application fee ($25), and official transcript(s) showing all course work, completion of baccalaureate degree(s), and all graduate credit previously attempted. Even if withdrawal occurred prior to earning credits and even if those credits do not apply to the current degree being sought, official transcripts must be sent from each institution. Official transcripts should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies in Education. In addition, a completed Certificate of Immunization will be required of all students.

If not documented on an official transcript, the student must complete coursework in instructional technology, human growth and development, and assessment or educational measurement before graduating with the Ed.S.

Admission Criteria. Candidates for admission to the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership must have a minimum of a Master’s degree, three year’s teaching experience, and demonstrated leadership potential as more specifically stated in the following admission criteria.

  1. Copy of current teacher license.
  2. Grade Point Average—Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Prior Graduate GPA of 3.2 or higher.
  3. Teacher Licensure—Teacher licensure and three years teaching experience.
  4. Recommendation Forms. Rating forms from four persons. One must be completed by the applicant’s current principal or supervisor; two must be completed by fellow teachers/colleagues; and one character/ personal reference completed by one with insight into all components on the form.
  5. Writing Sample—All candidates, regardless of GPA, must successfully complete an Ed.S. writing sample demonstrating adequate advanced graduate level writing skills.
  6. An interview with the Director of the Ed.S./Ed.D. Program.
  7. Current professional resume.

In addition to the criteria above, candidates for admission to the Instructional Leadership track must submit the following:

  1. Copy of most recent performance appraisal (in TN, the Framework for Evaluation and Professional Growth).
  2. Verification of Experience form completed by applicant’s school system documenting at least 2 years of teaching experience.
  3. Recommendation form completed by the Director of the school system where the applicant is employed.
  4. Instructional Leadership Screening Committee Interview. 

Conditional Admission. Persons not meeting either of the GPA requirements (undergraduate or graduate) may be granted Conditional Admission following the successful completion of the Ed.S. writing sample. After successful completion of 9-10 hours of Ed.S. coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.0, the student will be removed from conditional admission status and granted admission to the Ed.S. program.

Academic Requirements for Progression, Probation, and Suspension

Students in the Education Specialist Program must maintain an overall Grade Point Average of at least 3.0 in the Ed.S. Program to remain in Good Academic Standing.

After completion of nine graduate hours in the program, an Ed.S. student whose cumulative program GPA is below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation.  A student placed on academic probation has one semester to increase his/her program GPA to 3.0 or higher.

If the student fails to attain the required minimum 3.0 GPA during the probationary semester, the student will be suspended from the Ed.S. Program. While suspended from the program, the student may repeat courses in which a grade of B, C, or F has been earned in an effort to improve the GPA. The student may apply for readmission to the Ed.S. Program after the cumulative program GPA has been raised to 3.0 or higher.

A student suspended from a graduate program is not eligible for Veterans Administration Benefits.

Graduation Requirements

All students completing the Education Specialist in Educational Leadership must meet the following criteria for graduation.

  1. Successful completion of the required 36 semester hours of coursework with a minimum 3.0 GPA in the program.
  2. Successful presentation of the Leadership Growth Paper (Teacher Leadership concentration).

In addition to the above criteria, students completing the Instructional Leadership licensure track must:

  1. Successfully complete the required Practicum or Internship.
  2. The candidate for the Ed.S. degree (Instructional Leadership track) MUST PASS the Praxis II SLLA test in order to complete the Ed.S./Instructional Leadership program. The test will be taken in the second year of the program; results should be received prior to graduation so that the candidate will know if he/she will complete the Instructional Leadership license. If the test is not passed, the candidate can receive the Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership (non-licensure).

Students who have completed the Union Education Specialist Degree (Ed.S.) and desire to return to complete the Ed.D., after having met doctoral admission standards and accepted, must complete a set of two “bridge” doctoral seminar courses before enrolling in the final 21 hours of doctoral research courses. The courses are EDR 707, Leadership Research Seminar, which includes the Qualifying Paper, and EDU 711, Seminar in Politics, Policy, and Instruction. To be eligible for the bridge option, students must have completed their Ed.S. from Union University within the last 10 years of application date. Those who have held the Union Ed.S. for longer than 10 years may still apply but qualify for only the maximum number of 15 transfer hours from the Union Ed.S. into the Ed.D. program. See the Ed.D. program section for admission criteria and course descriptions.

Financial Information

The following payment plans are available for students in the Ed.S. program.

  1. Full payment may be made for the program.
  2. The University accepts payment via Self-Service, in person, or by phone or mail. Debit or credit card payments are subject to a convenience fee of 2.5%. Payment plans are available if needed, and may be established through the Office of Business and Financial Services.
  3. Monthly payments may be made using the FACTS Plan, an automatic debit from your account.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition $723/semester hour
Application Fee $25
Practicum Fee (IL) $200
General Student Fee $27/hour

All financial information is subject to change without notice.

Financial Aid

Financial aid information for graduate students is available on our website at www.uu.edu/financialaid. Generally, graduate students may be eligible for Federal Direct student loans or private alternative student loans, depending on the program of study and the eligibility of the borrower.  Union University is also approved by the Department for Veterans Affairs to offer educational benefits to veterans, reservists, and dependents of veterans who qualify for Veterans Benefits. Any person who qualifies for VA Benefits should check with the Office of Student Financial Planning as soon as possible after acceptance into a graduate program.

Education Specialist with Instructional Leadership Concentration—39 hours

Education Specialist with Teacher Leadership Concentration—39 hours

Education Specialist with Leadership in School Reform Concentration—39 hours