Educational Leadership
Post-Master's Advanced Graduate Certificate

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 Seton Hall's Ed.D. program.

SPD's Educational Leadership program articulates with Seton Hall University's Executive Ed.D. program in Educational Administration. The Ed.D. program requires only 54 credits to the doctorate after acceptance of 45 transfer credits, including credits earned in SPD's Educational Leadership program and other course work from your master’s degree.  For further program information and application procedures, please visit Seton Hall on the web at http://education.shu.edu/elmp/doced/k12.htm.

Course of Study

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

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

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

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 Coursework

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. 

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 Coursework

Scheduling Note: The preceding courses are offered regularly during the fall and spring semesters. Although summer session will offer some graduate courses that can be applied toward this program, students should plan on meeting course requirements, including internships, during the regular academic year. Related courses used to fulfill requirements for another certificate, master's, or other advanced degree may not be used to fulfill course requirements for this certificate. If courses were taken that duplicate courses within this certificate program, appropriate substitutions will be made upon advisement and consent of the program director. Under all circumstances, the student must complete the total number of credits prescribed for this program.

Timeline: All program requirements must be completed within five (5) years from the semester date of admission as a matriculated student. When a student is admitted or readmitted to an SPD degree or certificate program, students may petition SPD to have courses that are older than five (5) years, and no older than 10 years, individually evaluated by the appropriate 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.)

Examination Requirement: The School District Leader (SDL) examination is a graduation requirement for any students completing these programs of study after February 1, 2009. 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. While the School Building Leader (SBL) examination is not a graduation requirement, students seeking the SBL certification should plan to take this test during the same administration periods mentioned above.

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.

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 Student Handbook and SPD Academic Calendar.