Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Leadership Education - Professional Leadership - MS


33 S.H.

Description of Program


The goal of a Master’s in Leadership Education is to prepare professional leaders to serve organizations and schools in building community, improving organizational outcomes and generating new knowledge for the profession. The Department of Leadership Education is a leader in advancing knowledge about educational and organizational change in local, national, and international contexts. Our teaching reflects a commitment to being student-centered and developing practitioner/scholars. A core of leadership education courses is combined with course work and experiences in one of three different emphases to earn the degree. The emphases are:

Graduates are prepared to take leadership roles in non-profit, government, and public organizations.

Three requirements must be satisfactorily completed to earn the degree: 33 graduate credits, a capstone paper/thesis, and the Comprehensive Exam. A core of five Leadership Education courses (15 credits) is required of all degree candidates - each emphasis has an additional 18 credits specific to its mission.

Professional Leadership (33 S.H.)


This emphasis is for future leaders in non-profit organizations, higher education, and public agencies who prefer to create their own course-pathway to the Master’s of Science degree. Both the directed candidate and the undecided candidate have the opportunity to explore options and create specific experiences related to his/her needs and interests. Candidates will have a better understanding of how organizations work and the tools that leaders use to guide groups of people to accomplish their goals. This emphasis permits the student, in cooperation with his/her academic advisor, to select courses and experiences which they believe best prepare them for foreseeable leadership roles.

Leadership Education Core Courses (15 credits)


Professional Leadership Required Courses (6 S.H.)


Electives (12 S.H.)


These twelve credits are determined in collaboration with an academic advisor and are intended to enhance general leadership skills and/or provide career and job specific knowledge.

Capstone Writing Requirements


Candidates must write a significant research paper or master’s thesis to show proficiency in research and writing at the graduate level. The topic and proposal for this paper is initiated in LDRS 618 and brought to completion under the guidance of a capstone/thesis advisor.

Comprehensive Examination


Each candidate must pass an oral comprehensive examination on required course work.