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Educational Specialist in
Leadership

The Educational Specialist in Leadership degree is designed for leaders who wish to pursue advanced training at the post-master’s level without having to complete a dissertation. You will learn advanced leadership skills and competencies that will make you a more effective leader.

Total cost at ACE

$12,184

(tuition + fees)

Compare with other institutions*:

$38,400

Grand Canyon University

$44,840

Walden University

$44,160

Capella University

*Based on information provided on each institution's website as of August 2018

Applications due April 3 for April 6, 2020 Term

Estimated Time to Completion:
1.5 - 2 Years

View Tuition Details

Key Features of Our Educational Specialist Degree

  • Advanced Coursework: You will learn the fundamentals of how to write and perform research at the doctoral level.
  • Transferable: If you choose to continue your education, you can apply most of the credits earned in this specialist program toward our Ed.D. in Leadership and get your degree faster.
  • Flexible: Study on your schedule. Our online format allows you to plan your coursework around your life.
  • Comprehensive Approach: In order to advance your leadership skills and competencies, you will study leadership skills in diverse areas: strategic operations, human capital management, organizational behavior and culture, coaching, and leadership models.

For more information about this program, view the College Catalog. You can also ask questions anytime via chat.

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See Student Experience

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View Academic Calendar

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Understand Admission Requirements

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Department Chair

Kathleen Stroud, Ed.D.
Administrative Faculty and Chair,
Department of Leadership and Administration

A Degree You Can Count On

We are, and have always been, regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This accreditation guarantees our programs meet certain levels of quality standards.   

A Note About Licensure:

While this program provides a comprehensive understanding of the intended program outcomes, it does not lead to licensure, certification, or endorsement. ACE offers several programs that do provide a pathway to licensure, certification, or endorsement and they can be found here.

Disclaimer:

** The Ed.S. in Leadership is designed principally for educators and other leaders who already possess licensure or certification as a teacher or school administrator, and who wish to expand their understanding of evidence-based leadership. The degree does not lead to professional licensure, nor does it include an internship.

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Tuition

Ed.S. in Leadership

Total Tuition

34 semester credits x $306 per credit

$10,404

Fees

$100 Application Fee

$1,530 Technology & Library Fee ($45 per credit)

$150 Program Conferral Fee

$1,780

Total Program Cost*

$12,184

*This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program credit hours, receipt of scholarship and/or grant amounts, and adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section.

State of California Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF)

It is a state of California requirement that a student who pays his or her tuition is required to pay a state-imposed assessment for the Student Tuition Recovery Fund. For more information and to see if you must pay the state-imposed assessment for Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) click here.

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ACE General Admission Requirements

  • Complete and submit all application components including the admission application, including the enrollment agreement, and payment agreement.
  • Submit the nonrefundable application fee.*
  • Provide official transcripts from a regionally accredited institution indicating successful completion of the level of education required for entry to the program.**

*The application fee is valid for one year from date of submission.
**Additional evidence may be required to fulfill state requirements, including but not limited to verification of professional experience, test scores, or an interview.

Program Admission Requirements

Ed.S. in Leadership

  • ​Master's or doctoral level
  • Minimum grade point average 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for full admission
  • Submit a current curriculum vitae (preferred) or resume
  • Submit a goal statement, demonstrating a clear expression of purpose and anticipated personal and professional goals. The statement needs to be two pages in length excluding the title and reference pages
  • Complete an interview

International Transcript Requirements

All applicants must submit to the Admissions Office official, sealed college transcripts from each institution attended.

  • Transcripts that are international and/or not in English must be evaluated through an NACES-recommended agency.
  • Texas applicants may only submit evaluations from agencies approved by the Texas Education Agency.
  • International applicants must request the course-by-course evaluation. The evaluation report must show that the non-U.S. education is equivalent to the education/accreditation level required for the program.

English as a Second Language Applicants

All applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate competence in the English language as demonstrated in one of three ways:

  1. Submission of an official transcript showing a degree from a United States secondary school or regionally accredited college/university.

  2. Submission of an official minimum score on the paper or internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exams.
    • The minimum TOEFL score required for the internet-based version is 80, and the paper-based version requires a minimum TOEFL score of 20 for each of the three skills: Reading, Listening, and, Writing.

    • The minimum IELTS score required is 6.5. Note: IELTS is not acceptable for Texas programs leading to certification.

    • The testing agency must send test scores directly to American College of Education.
  3. Applicants to the Texas Educational Leadership program whose first language is not English must submit scores from the Internet-Based (IBT) TOEFL. An overall score of 80, and a score of 26 on the speaking section is required.

Admissions Appeal Process

Applicants have the right to appeal admissions decisions. Begin the process by filling out the admissions appeal here.

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Courses

Explore the classes you'll take to fulfill this program's 34 semester credit requirement. For more information, a complete list of requirements, and course options, see the College Catalog.

Research Courses

(9 semester credits)

This course provides students the opportunity to complete an approved concept paper as the first step toward the Ed.S. original research project. Students will apply advanced research skills to address a real-world application of scholarly expertise as it relates to solving an existing problem. A description of the project will provide the rationale for the goals and objectives and includes a literature review, methodology, and the anticipated results of the research project.
Students will examine foundations of research design, data collection, analysis, and presentation. Students will assess ethics of education research and reporting.
Students will examine basic principles in applied statistics. Topics include data types, organizing data, graphing techniques, probability concepts, measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, normal and skewed distributions, and understanding the area that covers normal distributions. Understanding, applying, and interpreting the principles to simple hypothesis testing methods through a seven-step process is also covered. The course is designed to provide an introduction to statistical applications that can be applied in real-world settings along with providing an excellent foundation for entering into the more advanced statistical applications and analyses using SPSS.
This course examines the importance of scholarly writing in your leadership practice, the foundation of how to write in a scholarly mode, and research strategies to support your doctoral writing. 

Leadership Courses

(25 semester credits)

Students will undertake an examination of the rigors of advanced graduate study and reflect on personal strengths and challenges at the start of their program. Topics include: identity as scholar-practitioner, models of inquiry, self-assessment, and professional goals.
Students will examine principles and concepts of finance at local, state, federal, and international levels; strategies for maximizing and obtaining financial resources and economic issues of the third sector.
Students will evaluate and compare different leadership and coaching models, analyze the relationship between leadership effectiveness and leadership coaching and determine appropriate-ness of each type of leadership and coaching for diverse settings.
Students will design, develop, and implement models of strategic planning that exhibit innovation.
The course emphasizes principles and practices of personnel administration, including recruitment, selection, evaluation, staff development, and employee relations. Students will evaluate best practices for working with volunteer boards, advisory councils, and external stakeholders.
The course focus is on theory, research, and practices related to ethical administration. Students will assess ethical decision making and implications for policy.
Students will model and promote responsible global citizenship. Culturally relevant pedagogy will be examined and critiqued.
This course examines how structure, values, and behavior impact an organization and its culture. Students analyze how leadership theories can be integrated and applied into advanced leadership roles.
The Capstone Experience is designed for candidates to demonstrate and document the impact their knowledge and competencies gained throughout and as a result of the Educational Specialist in Leadership program. Pre-requisite: Completion of 27 hours at the 6000 level.

Note

  • This program is neither designed nor approved (as of the publication date of this Catalog) to prepare students for licensure, certification, or endorsement in any state.
  • Check availability in your state on the Programs by State section of the ACE website [http://www.ace.edu/admissions/programs-by-state].
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