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Specializations & Curriculum
Master of Education Specialization: School Leadership
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MEd SPECIALIZATION OVERVIEW: SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
The School Leadership specialization is designed for experienced K-12 educators who aspire to leadership roles within their schools and communities. The School Leadership concentration features a five-course specialization sequence that addresses essential areas of school leadership including data-driven decision-making, instructional leadership, professional learning communities, meaningful engagement with families and communities, and ethical and professional norms. All courses are grounded in a social justice foundation and are designed to prepare school leaders who advance equity and excellence in their schools and communities.
Students who graduate with an MEd specializing in School Leadership will be well prepared to complete the examinations and/or performance-based assessments required by their individual states for administrative credentials.
Course of Study
Earn this online Master of Education degree specializing in School Leadership by completing 10 courses (3-units each) for 30 units of coursework. The online Masters in Education program consists of five foundation courses including a capstone action research project as well as five specialization courses. You may begin your study in any semester with any of the courses offered. The Capstone Seminar is the final course in the program and builds on knowledge gained in the research and specialization courses. Course descriptions reference the ten standards of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL).
*Note: Courses are not approved for the Education Administrative credential required by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to be an administrator in a California public school.
What Makes USD’s Master of Education with School Leadership Specialization Different?
- Lessons range from foundational education practices to focused specialization areas
- 100% online format fits into your lifestyle
- All courses are grounded in a social justice foundation
- The program is designed for practicing educators with diverse backgrounds, from public districts, charter, private, independent and non-traditional schools
- A required action research project will provide a classroom-ready strategy to implement after graduation
Which Important School Leadership Skills Will You Gain?
If you wish to pursue a master’s in educational leadership, you will foster many of the skills necessary to boost your career. Among them:
- Critical thinking to discuss and debate the latest research on cognitive processes, learning, memory and reasoning
- Ethical leadership in an era of school reform
- Creativity in implementing coherent curriculum systems
- Organization skills crucial for success in an online program in which participants are learning on their own timeline
- Collaboration required to build meaningful relationships with families and community partners
School Leadership Career Outlook
Those with an educational leadership degree are well-positioned for the roughly 15,300 annual job openings projected for postsecondary education administrators through 2032. Employment of top school leaders is projected to grow 4% in the decade from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Median pay in 2022 was $99,940 annually, well over the median annual wage for all workers ($46,310). But specific salaries vary based on location, job requirements and other factors. Job titles that fall under the educational leadership purview include: administrative services and facilities manager, principal, human resources manager, teacher and training and development manager.
Accreditation
Accreditation is an important quality indicator for college and university degree programs, generally regarded as a stamp of approval that ensures you will be able to apply for financial aid and transfer your credits if you decide to switch schools. Most state universities and private non-profit universities will have a regional accreditation, which is the most widely accepted and trusted in terms of transfer credit and eligibility for employer tuition assistance programs. The University of San Diego has regional accreditation.
The WASC Senior College and University Commission – WASC is a regional accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as certifying institutional eligibility for federal funding in a number of programs, including student access to federal financial aid. Learn more about the importance of selecting a regionally accredited program.
PROGRAM COURSE CURRICULUM
The Master of Education with School Leadership specialization program spans five semesters and includes a mandatory orientation course. Each semester is fourteen weeks and covers two sequential courses. Each course is seven weeks long. Below is a sample outline of what the span of the MEd with Curriculum and Instruction specialization program may look like:
Core Courses
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
|
This course introduces you to the University of San Diego and provides important information about the program. Throughout the orientation, … |
0 |
|
Analysis of the American educational system with a particular focus on issues of diversity, inequity, conflict and social justice within a s… |
3 |
|
Explore key cognitive studies on human cognition and learning. You will critically discuss research and contemporary debates on cognitive pr… |
3 |
|
Introduction to the major educational research methods and paradigms with an emphasis on reflective, practitioner-directed inquiry. The cour… |
3 |
|
Applied exploration of qualitative research methodologies such as ethnography, grounded theory, case-study and cross-case comparisons, surve… |
3 |
|
The capstone seminar is the final course in the on-line M.Ed. program sequence. This course supports candidates as they engage in an action … |
3 |
School Leadership Specialization Courses
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
|
This course will address strategies used by effective school leaders to build and sustain reciprocal family and community partnerships and e… |
3 |
|
This course addresses the development, implementation and assessment of rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction and assessm… |
3 |
|
Rigorous exploration of how school leaders use data, including standardized and school-based assessments, to drive continuous improvement th… |
3 |
|
Contextualized within the evolving high stakes accountability context of public K-12 education, this course will consider the challenges and… |
3 |
|
Investigation of strategies used to build and sustain effective site-based professional learning communities. Targeted focus on how to struc… |
3 |
DEGREE PLAN
Degree candidates are admitted throughout the year to begin their program during one of three terms (spring, summer or fall). Students will take two courses during each 14-week term, focusing on one seven-week course at a time. This master’s degree program can be completed, on average, in five terms (20 months).
Download a PDF of your degree plan that corresponds with your start term.
Important dates for your starting term will be found in the degree plan. Important dates for subsequent terms can be found in your student success center after acceptance.
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