Master of Education in Educational Leadership - Higher Education
Transforming Education through Expert Leadership

Application deadline for the Fall 2012 Cohort is May 1, 2012.

The Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership (Higher Education Specialization) is designed to prepare candidates for leadership positions in private PK-12 residential schools and in public and private colleges and universities, in areas such as development, Student Affairs, admissions, human resources, and residential life. It is also designed for leaders of non-profit agencies whose mission is related to education. The curriculum is designed in accordance with national professional standards and empirical evidence on effective educational leadership. Extensive field experience in which students immediately apply their learning is a key component of the program.

The Southern Methodist University M. Ed. in Educational Leadership is based on a Conceptual Framework developed on research-based principles of effective leadership. The foundational principles are to prepare educational leaders for positions in they will provide support in one or more of the following areas:

1. Organizational Leadership: Identifying, implementing, and sustaining effective organizational practices
2. Academic Leadership: Supporting the selection and development of appropriate curriculum
3. Information Leadership: Interpreting and evaluating research evidence when making decisions
4. Faculty and Staff Effectiveness: Recruiting, developing and supporting effective educators

To this end, the program offers the following unique features:

• Multidisciplinary field-based projects (internship experiences) integrated throughout the program, with projects that mirror the responsibilities of leaders in higher education;
• Input from other programs that provide related essential content (e.g., Cox School of Business, Dedman School of Law);
• Quarter system enabling students to complete the M.Ed. program in 2 1/2 calendar years while continuing full-time employment or pursuing a graduate assistantship; and
• Courses based on the competencies established by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), and the Council for Advancement Standards (CAS), the leading comprehensive student affairs associations.

Through academic courses of study in leadership, instructional programming, resource management, legal and ethical issues, and student life, as well as field-based learning opportunities and internships, students prepare to serve in leadership roles in private PK-12 residential schools, public and private colleges and universities or non-profit agencies. Courses are based on the competencies established by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and the CAS (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education).

Program Structure

This 45-hour degree program is designed to be completed in 2.5 years. Program delivery is organized into two 7-week modules per semester during the regular academic year. Each module consists of two 2-hour courses. One course within each semester is a field studies course. Each of the academic courses will assign field-based projects to be completed in the field studies course. Clinical faculty will supervise and evaluate the field-based projects based on predesigned rubrics. Students should anticipate the possible need to take one or two personal days each semester to visit other field sites. Students in the 2012 cohort will begin the program in the fall of the 2012 academic year as a cohort. In the fall of 2014, students will complete final coursework and portfolio development. Final transition point reviews will take place in the fall of 2014 prior to graduation.

Classes meet for approximately 4.5 hours on Wednesday evenings and some Saturdays during the regular academic terms. There is also a 1-credit course (Mentoring and Planning) during the summer at the conclusion of Year 1 of the program. Portfolio Seminar in the final semester will meet on an as-needed basis.