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.
Application requirements
To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:
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- Additional department application requirements
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- 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.
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Admission review and assessment
Admission to graduate school at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to the Oakland University Graduate School, 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.