Master of EducationEducational Leadership
Application due date for April 12, 2021 term: April 9
Estimated time to completion: 17 - 19 Months
Take your career further.
Designed to help you become a school principal, the Master of Education in Educational Leadership program will teach you to effectively lead, run, and manage a PreK-12 school.
Nationally for most Master’s of Education graduates.*
What you can expect.
- Tailored Internship Approach All courses are designed to prepare you for a meaningful internship experience.
- Flexible Study on your schedule. Our online format allows you to plan your coursework around your life.
- Accelerated Completion Florida students that have already completed a master’s degree can qualify for the Florida Modified EL option.
- Accreditation For information about American College of Education's program accreditation, please visit the accreditation page.
- Principal Licensure Approval This program is approved for principal licensure in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas.
Florida residents interested in principal certification within the state of Florida should review courses and information about our Florida licensure track for the Florida approved Master of Education in Educational Leadership program in our College Catalog
Texas residents interested in our Texas approved Master of Education in Educational Leadership program should review courses and information about our Texas program in our College Catalog.
Graduates of licensure programs who seek licensure in states other than the above may still need to satisfy those state licensure requirements such as years of experience in a prior or current position, additional coursework, internship hours, content test passage, or additional training.
Educational Leadership Internship
Your internship will be one of the most important components of your Educational Leadership experience. It’s an extended period of guided, professional practice during which you will take increasing responsibility for the learning of PreK-12 students while under the guidance of a self-selected, approved mentor and an ACE faculty member. You will provide administrative support to your mentor and school community in addition to instructional support for the campus in order to help increase student learning and achievement. See Internships for more details.
A few of the classes you'll take.
- RES5173 Research Methods for Educational Leaders 3 semester credits
- EL5033 Creating Safe and Supportive Learning Environments 3 semester credits
- EL5123 Diverse Learners 3 semester credits
- EL5091 Capstone Experience for Educational Leadership 1 semester credit
Keep exploring.
Dual Degree Programs
After you complete your M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, you can earn a second M.Ed. degree in less time due to the overlap in required courses. If you’re interested in an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, visit our Dual Degree page.
Department Chair
Administrative Faculty and Chair,
Department of Leadership and Administration
A Note About Licensure:
Graduates of programs which are approved to lead to licensure, endorsement, or certification may be subject to additional requirements for the receipt of initial licensure, endorsement, or certification in the state in which they intend to teach or administrate.
Students are strongly encouraged to check licensure requirements in the state in which they intend to teach or administrate to determine whether they are eligible for licensure, endorsement, or certification.
It is vitally important that students know and be continually aware of the requirements for licensure in their state. State licensing requirements and licensing agency information may be found here.
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Tuition
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
Total Tuition
34 semester credits
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$235 per credit
$7,990
Fees
$50 Application Fee
$1,360 Technology & Library Fee
($40 per credit)
$100 Program Conferral Fee
$1,510
Total Program Cost*
$9,500
On average, see how ACE compares to other online universities.
Even without federal loans, there are plenty of ways to finance your education at ACE. When you’re ready to invest in yourself, explore our flexible payment and financing options. Our Student Services reps are available to help you create a workable plan whatever your financial circumstances.
View Payment Options Talk to an Enrollment Counselor*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 or program pathway credit hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program or program pathway credit hours, receipt of, or eligibility for, institutional or non-institutional 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.
Admission Requirements
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
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
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
- Bachelor's or Highest Post-Baccalaureate degree earned
- Minimum Grade Point Average 2.75 on a 4.0 Scale for full admission
- Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.50 on a 4.0 Scale for Provisional Admission*
- Documentation of at least an initial teaching license (in the state the applicant resides), school service personnel license, or a school services certificate
- If applicants do not have a teaching certificate, they may document their teaching status by providing evidence of full-time teaching assignment from an individual in a supervisory capacity or from a human resources official of the school at their current employment
*Applicants whose overall GPA, or GPA in the last 60 hours is below 2.50 will not be admitted to the degree program
State Specific Admission Requirements
- Must hold a valid Illinois Professional Educator License
- Must have two years of teaching experience in a public or non-public school recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education or
- Four years of Support Personnel experience in the following area in a public or non-public school recognized by the Illinois Board of Education in the following capacity:
- School Counselor
- School Psychologist
- Speech Language Pathologist
- School Nurse
- School Social Worker
- School Marriage and Family Counselor
Submit an essay that describes desire to lead and leadership potential.
Submit two (2) letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the applicant’s principal or direct supervisor. Both recommenders must include an evaluation of the applicant’s leadership potential. The supervisor’s recommendation must include an evaluation of the applicant’s instructional practice and performance of students at an “effective” or “highly effective” rating as evaluated by their two most recent performance evaluations through official district documentation or verification.
*If unable to receive supervisor verification of instructional experience and performance of students, applicants can submit their the last two years of performance evaluations showing a rating of “effective” or higher in instructional practice and performance of student sections.
- Submit an Educational Leadership essay
- Submit two (2) letters of recommendation with a written signature (or sent directly from the person's email address) and a date
- Submit an essay that describes desire to lead and leadership potential.
- Submit two (2) letters of professional recommendation
- Acknowledge the requirement of having three years
successful teaching experience to be eligible for Arizona principal licensure.
Texas Applicants: In addition to the applicable general requirements for the M.Ed. In Educational Leadership, the following are required:
- Valid classroom teaching certificate.
- Complete an interview.
- Submit an Education Leadership essay.
- Have their school district submit a sealed and signed Teacher Service Record.
- Acknowledge the requirement of having two years of creditable teaching experience, as a classroom teacher, under a valid classroom teaching certificate to be eligible for Texas principal licensure.
The minimum Grade Point Average on a 4.0 scale for full admission is 2.50. To comply with the Texas Education Agency requirements provisional admission is not permitted.
Applicants to the Texas Educational Leadership program whose first language is not English must submit scores from the Internet-Based (IBT) TOEFL. A minimum scaled score of 24 for speaking, 22 for listening, 22 for reading, and 21 for writing from the Internet-Based (IBT) TOEFL. Or evidence of an undergraduate or graduate degree earned at an institution of higher education in a country outside of the United States listed in Figure: 19 TAC §230.11(b)(5)(C)
Additional evidence may be required to fulfill state requirements, including but not limited to verification of professional experience, test scores, or an interview.
To comply with the Texas Education Agency requirements, applicants who have been admitted, must confirm, in writing, acceptance of the admission offer.
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:
- Submission of an official transcript showing a degree from a United States secondary school or regionally accredited college/university.
- 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.
- Applicants to the Texas Educational Leadership program whose first language is not English must submit a minimum scaled score of 24 for speaking, 22 for listening, 22 for reading, and 21 for writing from the Internet-Based TOEFL (IBT) or evidence of an undergraduate or graduate degree earned at an institution of higher education in a country outside of the United States listed in Figure: 19 TAC §230.11(b)(5)(C).
Courses
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
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.