Educational Leadership, M.A.

Program Description

Meaningful and sustainable change is dependent upon strong leadership. The Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is designed to prepare educational professionals to become effective leaders and administrators in organizational training and development, higher education, and/or K-12 education. This degree provides a strong foundation in leadership, management, and supervisory practice; educational strategies for learners of all ages; communication, creativity, and personal coaching skills; today’s diversity issues; and current trends in ethics and law. Students develop strategies for becoming effective change agents within an organization.

This degree opens career opportunities in

1. higher education administration;
2. administration in private, parochial, and charter schools;
3. dean of students, administrative intern, team leader, or athletic director; and
4. organizational trainers and developers or chief learning officers.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Innovative Leadership: Provide educational leadership through the use of leadership principles and technology applicable to educational organizations.
2. Communication and Collaboration: Communicate effectively to facilitate professional learning communities.
3. Curriculum and Instruction: Evaluate and design curriculum and instruction to ensure and enhance the growth of all learners, especially adults.
4. Today’s Diversity: Foster cultural competency by leveraging diversity to ensure growth of the educational organization.
5. Management: Manage a safe and effective learning environment utilizing creative supervisory principles and research-based management styles.
6. The Ethical Leader and the Law: Embrace ethical values to act with responsibility and accountability.
7. Assessment: Assess educational effectiveness by utilizing data-driven practices and technological strategies.
8. Educational Research: Examine ways to improve education through quality data collection and analysis.
9. Developing Self and Others: Empower and nurture employees through effective staff development principles and adult learning theories.

Program Structure and Delivery

The Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program consists of 33 semester credits. Students may transfer up to six graduate semester credits from regionally accredited institutions of higher education if the credits were earned during the 5 years before admission, are administrative in nature, have been approved by the program director and the dean, and have not been used as part of another degree program. After acceptance into the program, all subsequent courses must be taken from Saint Mary’s University.

Prior to graduation, each student is required to complete an action research study, write a summary paper of the research, and provide a presentation of the study. The action research project provides students an opportunity to substantiate their academic work and demonstrate how they have integrated their coursework into their professional life.

Courses in the program are delivered fully online.