The M.Ed. Teacher Leadership program is designed for certified teachers who are seeking a master's degree. The program was created in collaboration with P-12 classroom teachers, school district specialists, university faculty, and school administrators to prepare teachers to be leaders in their classrooms, teams, schools and districts. The program will lead to an endorsement in Teacher Leadership.
Learn more about the CEHD's Tuition Reduction Initiative that can be applied to the M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership Program!
Our M.Ed. program:
The program places priority on your classroom and school as the focal points of course discussions, assignments, and assessments which allow you to directly and immediately apply what you are learning.
As a graduate student in the Teacher Leadership program, you will work with a faculty mentor/advisor to develop a concentration unique to your professional needs. Some of these concentrations can lead to an Endorsement on your Teaching Certification through Kentucky’s Educational Professional Standards Board.
Note: These options are limited to teachers who are already certified in Special Education
JCPS has partnered with the College of Arts and Sciences and CEHD to offer the Competency, Awareness, and Responsiveness to Diverse Students (C.A.R.D.S.) program. The C.A.R.D.S. curriculum can be completed through the M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership. Learn more and how to apply...
"Pass the Cap"
Tracy Mobley Smith, teacher ed graduate, created a Pass the Cap" video with her class.
"I am glad I chose the UofL MEd program because it afforded me the opportunity to broaden my depth and understanding of our current educational system. It prepared me to challenge my students as well as challenge myself, and become a competent leader in the field."Jeff Pyle, Full-time M.Ed. student who also works with Jefferson County Schools
"I chose UofL for my degree because it is important to learn current best strategies in literacy from professors that have extensive teaching and research experience. While my job offers daily challenges, I am confident in my abilities to meet the needs of all my students due to the excellent faculty at the CEHD and the mentoring relationships that were built there."Jen Beckman, M.Ed. in Reading '09, teacher with Clark County Schools in Indiana
Additional information about the M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership can be found in UofL's Graduate Catalog.
Candidates for the Master of Education in Teacher Leadership are required to submit credentials supporting their academic ability to succeed at the graduate level as well as positive dispositions for teaching. Positive dispositions include: effective communication and critical thinking skills, professionalism, and commitment to diversity as well as the teaching profession. Admission credentials will include official transcripts, professional writing requirements, and letters of recommendation.
This program is open to all eligible candidates regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age.
Candidates should review the following rubrics, used to assess admission credentials:
Questions about the application may be sent to gradadm@louisville.edu. Candidates should apply no later than three weeks prior to the beginning of the semester (August 1st for Fall, December 1st for Spring and April 1st for Summer). Candidates will be notified via e-mail regarding the admission decision.
Applicants to the M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership program must submit the following:
*Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended with a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the Bachelor's degree and a minimum 3.0 GPA or higher for graduate work.
Please have transcripts sent to:
University of Louisville
School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies
2211 South Brook Street
Houchens Bldg, Room 105
Louisville, KY 40292
Or gradadm@louisville.edu (for official electronic transcripts)
Professional Writing Requirements. Please complete the following and upload with your application. Each essay should be double-spaced (Times New Roman 12 point font) and no more than three pages.
Essay #1
Essay #2
*Note: Candidates who earned a baccalaureate (and/or advanced) degree outside the U.S. and whose native language is not English must submit official TOEFL scores that meet minimum criteria, and must submit an evaluated transcript from WES (World Education Services) or ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators).
You must be a certified teacher to apply for the M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership. For more information, please contact the person below whose program aligns with your initial certification.
Elementary, Interdisciplinary Early Childhood, or Special Education
Justin Cooper
College of Education and Human Development
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
Office phone: 502-852-2183
Middle and Secondary Education
Shelley Thomas
College of Education and Human Development
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
Office: room 273
Office phone: 502-852-8090
In accordance with 16 KAR 5:010, section 12, upon completion of the M.Ed in Teacher Leadership and a recommendation from the faculty advisor, a candidate may apply for graduation and apply to the EPSB for a Teacher Leadership Endorsement.
For more information about the Teacher Leadership Endorsement-Only Option, please see Endorsements.
In addition to the financial aid opportunities offered by the University, the College of Education & Human Development also has information about financial aid.
Other financial aid opportunities available include graduate assistantships and other employment opportunities.
In recognition of valuable service to the preparation of teachers and the need for all teachers to have continual professional growth, a Supervising Teacher or a Resource Teacher for a teacher intern may, with prior approval of the course-offering institution, take a maximum of six (6) credit hours per term at any public postsecondary institution and pay no tuition. The postsecondary institution shall waive the tuition up to a maximum of six (6) credit hours.
To apply, you must complete the Tuition Waiver Certification for Supervising and Resource Teachers Application . Please make certain that all Eligibility Criteria have been met. When completed by the Supervising Teacher and certified by the school principal, return the form to the Student Financial Aid Office at UofL. Students may exercise the tuition waiver option up to twelve months following the assignment.
For additional information, contact Lindsay Driskell at 502-852-8379 or lindsay.driskell@louisville.edu.
Once you are admitted to the program, you may request to transfer up to 6 credit hours if your UofL advisor approves the request. Transfer requests are then submitted to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
Successful candidates will graduate with a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Teacher Leadership and receive a Teacher Leadership Endorsement (with possibility of other endorsements within the Specialization). If you already have a Masters degree and seek only the Teacher Leadership Endorsement, you will complete Levels I and III of the Master program.
The program can be completed in as few as two years or as many as six years.
Courses are being offered at UofL, JCPS and OVEC district locations. Online courses are still being developed.
Most courses in the UofL Teacher Leadership program are designed to align with at least one of the NBPTS Core Propositions, as well as the Kentucky Teacher Standards (Advanced Level), Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) initiatives, and Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) themes. Each course in the program includes a description of its relationship to NBPTS Core Propositions.
The UofL Teacher Leadership Master's degree program is designed so that candidates practice types of entries required in the National Board Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) portfolio. The NBPTS portfolio is a Rank I option in Kentucky.
After you are admitted, you will meet with a faculty advisor who has been selected based on the specialization area you identified on your application. During your first session, you will use a modified version of the Kentucky Guide to Reflective Classroom Practice [PDF] to design a specialization that will reflect your professional growth plan.
No, but the CEHD does offer a principal certification program.