Post-master's Advanced Graduate Certificate
Educational Leadership

This post-master’s, advanced graduate certificate (AGC) prepares educators for advancement to positions at both the district (SDL) and building (SBL) levels. Such positions include superintendent of schools, district superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal, department chairperson, or athletic director. As of Fall 2007, this is the first program of its kind in New York State that serves as a pathway for certification at both the district and building levels. The Educational Leadership program is offered in collaboration with the University’s Professional Education Program and articulates with Ed.D. programs from other universities in the region.

Flexible Scheduling: On-campus and Online
To meet the demands of working professionals, courses are scheduled on-campus during the evening or online. Students may choose to combine face-to-face and online courses in our traditional Educational Leadership (EDL) program, or they may apply to the EDL Online program and take all of their courses via the Internet. Learn more about online learning at the School of Professional Development.
» Learn more about online learning at the School of Professional Development.

Stony Brook University Excellence
Stony Brook University is an NCATE-accredited institution. It is ranked as one of the top 100 universities in the nation and one of the top 40 public universities by U.S.News & World Report. The University is fully accredited by the Middle States Association and its Educational Leadership Online program is approved by the New York State Education Department for both in-person and online delivery.

Course of Study

The Educational Leadership AGC consists of 36 credits, distributed among the four areas listed below. Please note that the courses are only available to students who are matriculated in this program.

1. Foundation Courses—9 credits
CEQ 501 – Educational Leadership Theory I
CEQ 502 – Educational Leadership Theory II (prerequisite: CEQ 501)
CEQ 503 – Educational Leadership Practice (prerequisites: CEQ 501 and CEQ 502)

2. Required Courses—18 credits
CEQ 515 – School District Leadership
CEQ 528 – School Law
CEQ 541 – School Building Leadership
CEQ 555 – Supervision of Instruction
CEQ 571 – School Business Administration
CEQ 572 – School Personnel Management

3. Internship and Seminar—6 credits
CEQ 585 – Internship in School District/School Building Leadership* (co-requisite: CEQ 586)
CEQ 586 – Seminar in School District/School Building Leadership* (co-requisite: CEQ 585)
*Prerequisite: Completion of all foundation and required course work. Students may not enroll themselves in CEQ 585 and CEQ 586. Students who have completed the prerequisite course work should contact the Internship Coordinator, Dr. Robert Scheidet, for enrollment.

Please Note: In addition to the full semester and summer portion of the internship, there are field hours embedded in each course through authentic activities. These field hours and CEQ 585 are typically completed through the school district in which the student works. 
» Read Educational Internship FAQs

4. Research Project —3 credits
CEQ 595 – Educational Leadership Research Project Seminar*
The goal of the SPD Project Seminar is to teach students to understand and conduct graduate level research. The research paper may or may not result in a project, e.g., a model curriculum for a school-based substance abuse program. Students will be guided in selecting a topic for their research paper. Methodology and resources will be reviewed as the student’s work is developed. S/U grading applies. No incompletes will be given. If an unsatisfactory grade is earned, the course may be repeated.
*Prerequisite: Completion of all foundation and required course work.

Scheduling Notes:

• A schedule of on-campus classes has been created for students who prefer to take all of their courses in a traditional classroom setting and who wish to know when the classes will be offered. Please note that only 2-3 courses will be offered each term. Students who follow the schedule of classes can complete their program on-campus within 2-3 years.
• Please use the Schedule of On-Campus Courses and Student Advisement Sheet (PDF) to plan your degree progress.
• If you do not register for these courses when they are offered on-campus, you may need to take them online to fulfill the prerequisite requirements and maintain your certificate progress.

Timeline: All program requirements must be completed within five (5) years from the semester date of admission as a matriculated student. NOTE: When a student is admitted or readmitted to an SPD degree or certificate program, students may petition SPD to have Stony Brook University graduate level courses that are older than five (5) years, and no older than 10 years, individually evaluated by the appropriate academic department/faculty to determine if the credits may be applied toward current SPD degree/certificate requirements. Grades in such courses must be "B" or better. (B- grades are ineligible for review.) For transfer credits from external institutions, please see guidelines at: www.stonybrook.edu/spd/assets/pdf/transferform.pdf (PDF).

Requirements for Certification and Graduation

All students graduating after April 30, 2014 are required to complete the new NYSED required examinations for certfication once the examinations are activated.  It is the student’s responsibility to monitor the TEACH website to ensure that they are taking the appropriate examinations.  

School Building Leader (SBL) Examination
The SBL examination is required for certification purposes only; not for graduation. Students seeking the SBL certification should plan to take this test during the same administration periods mentioned below. The School Building Leader Examination will include Performance Assessment - Portfolio.

School District Leader (SDL) Examination
The SDL examination is required for graduation as well as certification. Students seeking the SDL certification should plan to take this test during the same administration periods mentioned below.

Educating All Students Test
Effective April 30, 2014, students seeking either SBL or SDL certification must also complete the Educating All Students Test for certfication. For future reference, the TEACH website may be accessed at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/. 

Recommended Examination Scheduling
While the examinations are given several times per year, it is highly recommended that students delay taking the New York State Educational Leader Certification Examinations until they are fully engaged in the internship experience. The Internship (CEQ 585) and accompanying Seminar (CEQ 586) will provide both practical experience and in-depth test preparation. This experience and preparation is invaluable for the successful completion of the tests. Spring/Summer interns should plan on registering for the June test and those students in the Summer/Fall internship should register for the October test.

Required Workshops
Students are also required to complete the following workshops:  Child Abuse and Project Save (School Violence).  In addition, effective July 1, 2013, all students will have to complete six (6) hour Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshop which involves prevention and intervention of bullying, cyber-bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools. » Workshop and Registration Information

Application/Tuition and Fee Information

Complete details can be found on our Educational Leadership Programs Application page.

Tuition and fee information can be found on the Bursar's website. This program is eligible for financial aid. (View mandated Gainful Employment Disclosure Information - PDF.)

Statement of Student Responsibility
Students themselves—whether new, returning, or continuing—are responsible for reviewing, understanding, and adhering to their degree and/or certificate program requirements. (SPD’s Non-matriculating (non-degree) Graduate Students [GSP] are responsible for adhering to the guidelines related to non-matriculated status.) All SPD students are responsible for reviewing, understanding, and complying with University and SPD regulations, policies, and procedures, as described in all official publications, the University website, and the SPD website, including, but not limited to, SPD’s online references, the SPD Bulletin and SPD Academic Calendar.

Contact Information

For program information contact: 
Dr. Robert Moraghan
205 Harriman Hall
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-3779
Email: moraghan@math.sunysb.edu
Telephone: 631.632.7702
Fax: 631.632.9487

For application procedure questions contact:
EDL Admissions
N-241 Social & Behavioral Sciences
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4310
Telephone: 631.632.7078
Fax: 631.632.2590

Certification and Licensing Workshops

Chapter 544 of New York State Law (1988) requires many licensed professionals, teachers and school administrators applying for the renewal of a license, registration, certificate or limited permit to complete coursework regarding child abuse, substance abuse and school violence. Effective July 1, 2001, fingerprinting is also required. To satisfy these requirements, SPD offers three workshops and one fingerprinting session.

» Workshop and Registration Information