Education Specialist in Leadership

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Department of Organizational Leadership
480D Pawley Hall (map)
(248) 370-3070 • Fax (248) 370-4605
www.oakland.edu/orgleadership

Coordinators:
Caryn M. Wells
480H Pawley Hall
(248) 370-3072
cmwells2@oakland.edu

Christine Abbott
480A Pawley Hall
(248) 370-2636
cabbott@oakland.edu

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Program description

The state approved Education Specialist (Ed.S.) program is based on the belief that effective leadership is learned by the content of the courses and the field experiences that are offered throughout the program. This program is practitioner oriented, offering opportunities to apply theoretical learning with practical and authentic assignments. The learning laboratory for the program is the school or school district where assignments are completed and internships are conducted. The Ed.S. program utilizes a cohort program that develops a sense of community like that which is developed in a school; in this sense, the same practices that build capacity in an organization are cultivated and modeled in the program.

The Ed.S. program includes a two-year Internship in which the students work with a mentor of their choice, building practice in leadership activities that serve students, faculty, and the larger educational community. The students complete the required 220 hours for State of Michigan and are eligible for building level certification after satisfactory completion of the 34 credits of the program, and this Internship.

Program delivery

The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in leadership degree program requires 34 credits, all of which are taken within the 22-month, cohort-structured program. Prescribed courses are generally scheduled one night per week for fall and winter semesters, with the two-credit research courses scheduled for selected Saturdays throughout the semester. Summer semester requires class meetings twice a week for the 4-credit courses. The action research courses begin during the third semester of the program, and they culminate with group presentations of the research findings by cohort teams during the Annual Graduate Research Symposium.

The Ed.S. program is offered as a hybrid design at on-ground locations in Oakland, Macomb and Genesee counties. The course delivery for the Ed.S. program is hybrid, with some class meetings on ground and others online. We also offer a fully online program that offers an asynchronistic schedule.

Admission terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Admissions by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

July 15 for fall semester
November 15 for winter semester
International applicants

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

Graduate Application Requirements
Additional department application requirements

Evidence of a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
Requirements for recommendations
The recommendation forms must be from supervisors familiar with the candidate’s current position
A statement indicating willingness to make a two-year commitment to the program and a statement of personal goals after completing the educational leadership program.
Curriculum Vitae or Resume
Candidates may be interviewed by the program coordinator, who will make admission recommendations to Graduate Admissions.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to graduate study at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.

The coordinators for the Ed.S. program will screen candidates after all application materials have been received by Graduate Admissions.

Degree requirements

The Education Specialist in leadership degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 34 credits in an approved program of study as follows. All program participants select a mentor who is a practicing administrator. The Internship begins during the initial semester and continues throughout the entire program. Goals and activities are mutually agreed upon and reflect the state approved ELCC Standards. The students complete the required 220 internship hours for State of Michigan and are eligible for building level certification after satisfactory completion of the 34 credits of the program, and this Internship.

Course requirements (34 credits)

EA 7950 - Internship Experience I (1 credit)
EA 8950 - Internship Experience II (1 credit)
EA 7720 - School as a Formal Organization (4 credits)
EA 8840 - School Business Management (4 credits)
EA 7780 - Educational Law (4 credits)
EA 8940 - Professional Seminar (2 credits)
EA 7740 - Curriculum and Staff Development (4 credits)
EA 7730 - Program Assessment (2 credits)
EA 7940 - Seminar on School/Community Development (2 credits)
EA 7750 - Testing, Measurement and Data Analysis Techniques (2 credits)
EA 7995 - Action Research I (2 credits)
EA 8995 - Action Research II (2 credits)
EA 8820 - Human Resource Management and Supervision (4 credits)

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship
Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
Going on a leave of absence
Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Department requirements: No grade below 2.8 may be applied to the degree, and an overall GPA of 3.0 must be maintained.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information

Internship and field experiences

All program participants are paired with a mentor, who is a practicing administrator. The internship begins during the initial course and continues throughout the entire program. Goals and activities are mutually agreed upon by the intern, mentor and cohort coordinator. Mentors will also provide support and assistance to Ed.S. students as they complete the field experience requirement of various courses during the program.

Academic portfolio

All program participants create an Ed.S. academic electronic portfolio during the initial course. Using this framework, students will organize artifacts collected throughout their courses, field work and internship. Portfolios will be presented during the final seminar of the program.

Ph.D. cognate option

Upon completion of the Education Specialist in leadership degree program, students who choose to apply and are accepted into the Ph.D. in Education with a major in educational leadership program can use 28 of the 34 credits from the Ed.S. and apply it to the cognate area of the Ph.D. program.