Educational Leadership, M.A.

Designed for Working Educators Who Want to Lead

Prepare to earn your Missouri principal certification in as few as two years with an online M.A. in educational leadership from Saint Louis University's School of Education. Learn from highly experienced SLU faculty with backgrounds combining theory with their experience as previous superintendents and assistant superintendents in public, Catholic, and private school settings. By using solution-oriented leadership strategies you'll study a curriculum grounded in the literature on effective practice, engage in professionally guided practice in schools and complete in-depth internships in schools under the guidance of on-site supervisors.

Our educational leadership degree program courses are 100% online. You'll attend synchronous online course sessions delivered through Zoom, and complete coursework asynchronously through the Canvas learning management system.

In addition to the standard educational leadership graduate program, we offer a concentration in Catholic education to prepare you for school-level leadership positions — most commonly principalship in Catholic elementary, middle and high schools — as well as teacher leadership. Within the Catholic education track, coursework focuses on the unique aspects of Catholic educational leadership, including spiritual leadership, the vocation of a Catholic school leader and non-public school administration such as funding mechanisms and applicable laws, while preparing students to take the Missouri assessments for principal certification.

Curriculum Overview

The master's in educational leadership standard track requires the completion of 32 credits of coursework, while the Catholic education track requires the completion of 33 credits of coursework. (An additional three-credit internship is required for Catholic education students wishing to pursue Missouri principal certification.)

Regardless of track, your educational leadership degree curriculum is embedded with the Jesuit values of educational equity and social justice. Learn through case studies to gain actionable insight into how to respond in real-world situations to make decisions that are in the best interest of the learner.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

All courses include school-based application of concepts and processes. Students in the standard master's in educational leadership track complete a site-based internship. In the Catholic education track, students complete a practicum requiring involvement in school-site leadership activities at multiple schools. Catholic education students seeking Missouri certification as a principal must complete an additional site-based internship.

All classwork is 100% online for the standard track, however, students are required to attend the annual three-day Gateway Leadership Institute course in June, an exciting on-site event in which you will participate and learn from nationally recognized speakers and researchers. 

Careers

The master's in educational leadership prepares students to fill a variety of leadership roles, including principal, assistant principal, program director, administrator, instructional coach, curriculum, or department- or grade-level chair or director.

The Catholic education track prepares students to fill a variety of leadership roles, most often Catholic school principal, assistant principal positions, or teacher leader positions, including formal positions such as department chair or program director or to take on informal roles such as mentoring, coaching, and modeling effective Catholic school teaching and faith formation.

Admission Requirements

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.

Application Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Transcript(s) from all schools attended
• One letter of recommendation
• Résumé
• Professional goal statement

Requirements for International Students

Along with the general admission requirements above, the following must be provided by prospective international students:

• Demonstration of English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support that must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University.
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University.
• Academic records, in English translation, for postsecondary studies outside the United States. These must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted. 

Application Deadlines

Domestic students should apply for the fall semester by June 15, for the spring semester by November 1 and for the summer semester by April 1. International students should apply by May 1 for the fall semester, October 1 for the spring semester, and by February 1 for the summer semester. 

Review Process

Applications are reviewed by committee.

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Tuition

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

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Information on Tuition and Fees

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Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

For more information about Saint Louis University scholarships and financial aid, please visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

The master's in educational leadership program aligns with the Missouri Leadership Development System Standards (MLDS) and with the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL).
The areas included in the MLDS include visionary leader, instructional leader, managerial leader, relational leader, and innovative leader. The outcomes are aligned with the SLU graduate student outcomes.

The Catholic school leadership program additionally aligns with the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS) and the Catholic Bishop Council in the Vatican.

Master of Arts in Educational Leadership Outcomes

1. Graduates will assess data, relevant literature, administration practices, and educational theories to analyze issues related to building-level administration practices.
2. Graduates will apply knowledge about evidence-based leadership, communication, financial, legal, curriculum/instruction/assessment, and management practices to work in building-level educational administration areas.
3. Graduates will articulate explanations about leadership, communication, legal, financial, curriculum/instruction/assessment, and management in educational administration.
4. Graduates will evidence educational leadership practices demonstrating professional ethics. 

Non-Course Requirements

Students seeking Missouri certification as a principal must pass both the practicum (for the Catholic Education track) and internship course and pass the Missouri Leaders Performance assessment.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

All courses are offered online via Zoom and Canvas, SLU’s learning management system, with the exception of Gateway Leadership Institute, which is held on campus for three days in June.

Standard Track 

Catholic Education Concentration

Program Notes

The master's in educational leadership cohort program in Catholic school leadership includes outcomes aligned with national and state standards as well as those articulated by the Catholic Church. All courses are taught in a four-Saturday format (fall and spring), and in an eight-week period spanning mid-May to mid-July in the summer.

The program is designed to prepare students for school-level leadership positions, most commonly the principalship in Catholic elementary, middle and high schools, as well as teacher leadership. Coursework engages students with the unique aspects of Catholic educational leadership including spiritual leadership, the vocation of the Catholic school educator, the evangelizing Catholic school, and non-public school administration such as recruitment, funding mechanisms and laws applicable in religious schools, while preparing students to take the assessments for principal certification. Students seeking Missouri state certification as a building principal are required to take EDL 5913 Internship: Building Principal.

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions, please contact:
Saint Louis University School of Education
314-977-3292
slued@slu.edu