Educational Administration (EdS)
The EdS program is designed to prepare school leaders to engage staff, improve the instructional capacity of schools, and deal effectively with the educational challenges of the 21st century. The goal of the EdS program is to provide field experience, clinical practice, and conceptual and theoretical knowledge necessary for roles in instructional leadership. The Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development maintains a strong collaboration with school districts in preparing exemplary P-12 school administrators.
Specialist in Education in Educational Administration
Unit: College of Education and Human Development (GE)
Department: Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development
Program Webpage
Academic Plan Code(s): EDADEDSPRN, EDADEDSSPV
Program Information
The EdS (Education Specialist) degree in Educational Administration is a 30 credit hour, post-master's degree program. It can lead to certification in principalship and supervisor of instruction.
The EdS program is designed to prepare school leaders to engage staff, improve the instructional capacity of schools, and deal effectively with the educational challenges of the 21st century. The goal of the EdS program is to provide field experience, clinical practice, and conceptual and theoretical knowledge necessary for roles in instructional leadership. The Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development maintains a strong collaboration with school districts in preparing exemplary P-12 school administrators.
The candidate's admission packet must demonstrate his/her skills and understanding of the following: ability to improve student achievement, leadership, and advanced knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Candidates applying for admission are jointly screened by both the University of Louisville faculty and local school district personnel.
Admission Requirements
- Evidence of bachelor’s and master's degrees
- Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
Admission to this Program
- A 3.3 grade point average from the master's degree program
- Signed copies of the following forms: Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement and Professional Code of Ethics for Kentucky School Personnel
Degree Program Admission Requirements
- Joint screening by ELEOD Department and local school district personnel
- A candidate admissions essay prompt response
- A current resume
- Two written letters of recommendation attesting to the candidate's skills and understanding of (a) ability to improve student achievement, (b) leadership, (c) advanced knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. One must be from the current site supervisor.
- Three years of successful K-12 teaching experience in Kentucky or three years (one year = 140 contract days) of successful K-12 teaching outside the state of Kentucky.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | ||
| LEAD 633 | Systems and Structures for School Improvement | 3 |
| LEAD 634 | Fundamentals of School Leadership | 3 |
| LEAD 635 | Instructional Leadership 1 | 3 |
| LEAD 636 | Instructional Leadership 2 | 3 |
| Mid-point Assessment 1 | ||
| LEAD 637 | Ensuring High Performance School and Community Engagement | 3 |
| LEAD 620 | Education Law and Policy Review in P-12 Education | 3 |
| LEAD 622 | Fiscal and Human Resources in P-12 Education | 3 |
| LEAD 609 | Internship in Educational Leadership | 3 |
| Total Hours for Level 1 2 | 24 | |
| Level 2 | ||
| LEAD 782 | Reflective Practice for School Leaders | 3 |
| LEAD 720 | Instructional Leadership 3 | 3 |
| Exit Assessment 4 | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours for EdS | 30 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours for Rank I 5 | 60 | |
Degree Program Completion Requirements
A grade point average of 3.3 in all courses counting on this program
Successful completion of a capstone in LEAD 782 and LEAD 720 and at the completion of Level 2
Successful completion of a program portfolio at the end of Level 2. Information about the portfolio is found in "Guidelines for Portfolio Completion Requirement," available from your advisor
Certification requirements
The Education Professional Standards Board is responsible for issuing and renewing certificates for all Kentucky teachers and administrators. Candidates for principal certification must pass the SLLA 6990. This test may be taken during the last semester of coursework for Level 1 Principal Certification. Current information about the Kentucky assessment program may be retrieved from epsb.ky.gov.
Completion of three years of full-time teaching experience
- 1
Mid-point Assessment: Satisfactory dispositions assessment; Satisfactory completion of hallmark/dispositions assessments in LEAD 633, LEAD 634, LEAD 635, and LEAD 636. Must maintain a GPA of 3.3.
- 2
Refer to program completion requirements for Level 1 prior to Level 2
- 3
TBD by student and advisor - may be a course leading to additional certification
- 4
Exit Assessment: Students in the EdS program will be required to complete an exit portfolio in their last semester of the program.
- 5
Completion of a Rank 1 program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours in approved program. For Rank 1 purposes, approved graduate hours at the master's level may be counted to reach 60 credit hours, though some of those hours may not count toward certification. Students seeking Rank 1 simultaneously with this certification program must complete the appropriate form with the advisor. The advisor must approve electives/unnamed courses.
The Specialist in Education In Educational Administration (EdS) program prepares students to meet the requirements for certification and/or licensure. If you plan to pursue professional licensure or certification you should first determine your state’s criteria for examination and licensure to see how/if our program meets those requirements prior to enrollment. We recommend that you also contact your state’s licensing board directly to verify that the requirements have not changed recently and to answer any questions especially those regarding additional requirements beyond the degree.
More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website: louisville.edu/oapa/licensure-information (you may search by school or by the name of the program then click on 'View Details' to display the information).
For programs with an online option, more information about certification or licensure is available here: https://louisville.edu/online/About-Us?tab=disclosures.