Educational Administration MS

Major: Educational Administration
Degree Awarded: Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 13.0401
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 11-9032

About the Program

The MS in Educational Administration online program (EDAM) is designed to prepare current and emerging leaders in using adaptive and transformational leadership in dealing with the complexity, change, and challenges, such as artificial intelligence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and conflicting cultural values, facing school leaders and educational communities. The EDAM program uses international, national, and state leadership standards as a framework for preparing school leaders to have the practical skills, knowledge, and internship experiences to effectively lead rural, urban, and suburban schools. The vision of the program is to create a collaborative community of school leaders who contribute to a “research of practice” that significantly improves learning for all students.

The MS in Educational Administration online program examines teaching and learning in online, hybrid, and traditional learning environments where educators and students, in partnership with families, communities, and experts in related fields, apply their knowledge and skills to real-life challenges. This experiential learning-based program is ideal for prospective students holding a teaching or counseling certificate who wish to advance into school administration with principal certification.

The program is designed as a part-time cohort model, and can be completed in two years. View the degree requirements for more detailed information about the courses.

Educational Administration Program Options

MS in Educational Administration Concentrations

  • School Principal Certificate*
  • Special Education Leadership & Principal (K-12) Certificate**
  • Special Education Leadership Certificate (without Principal Certificate)**

*Requires a state-issued teacher certificate. A School Principal Certificate can be earned without the Master's by completing the School Principal Certificate program.

**Requires a state-issued special education teacher certificate

Program Objectives

Graduates of the MS in Educational Administration program will be prepared to:

  • Meet Pennsylvania certification standards
  • Facilitate the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a school/district vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community
  • Advocate, nurture, and sustain a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth
  • Ensure management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment
  • Collaborate with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources
  • Act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner
  • Understand, respond to, and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context
  • Monitor and evaluate students’ achievements and programs on challenging standards for external and internal accountability goals
  • Build teacher leadership capacity and mentor principal interns
  • Conduct and share action research that documents sustainability in meeting school accountability goals and has practical, immediate, and useful application for other educators

Additional Information

For more information, visit the School of Education's MS in Educational Administration webpage or the Drexel University Online website.

Admission Requirements

Acceptance for graduate study in Drexel University's School of Education requires:

  • Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  • Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher (graduate degree GPAs will be considered along with the undergraduate GPA).
  • Complete graduate school application.
  • Official transcripts from all universities or colleges and other post-secondary educational institutions (including trade schools) attended. Instead of hard copy transcripts, you may supply official electronic transcripts issued by a post-secondary institution directly to Drexel University (use our email address, applyDUonline@drexel.edu. You must supply transcripts regardless of the number of credits earned or the type of school you attended. If you do not list all post-secondary institutions on your application and these are listed on transcripts received from other institutions, processing of your application will be delayed until you have submitted the remaining transcripts. Use the Transcript Lookup Tool to assist you in contacting your previous institutions. If a college or university that you attended offers the option to send transcripts in a secure, password-protected electronic format, you may have the transcript sent to applyDUonline@drexel.edu.
  • Two letters of recommendation, either professional or academic.
    • Drexel University accepts electronic letters of recommendation. Please use the online letter of recommendation service. If a recommender prefers to submit an original, hard copy letter of recommendation, please remind the recommender that it must be signed and submitted in a sealed envelope signed across the flap by the recommender.
    • One letter of recommendation must come from the principal of the school where the applicant has worked. (Recommendation must include applicant's presentation skills and experiences in a leadership role as well as the skills observed that would have a strong bearing on the applicant's success as a school leader and administrator.)
  • An essay describing why the applicant is interested in pursuing graduate study in this field.
    • Applicant must include two paragraphs briefly describing their educational philosophy and explaining how principals shape learning in K-12 schools.
  • State-issued instructional certification
  • International students: must submit a TOEFL score of 550 or higher. Students with transcripts from non-US institutions should have such transcripts evaluated by World Education Service (WES). The TOEFL examination is required for some non-citizens.

Degree Requirements

Core Courses
EDCR 510Leadership in Educational Contexts and Systems3.0
EDAM 700Leading in Urban, Rural and Suburban Settings3.0
EDAM 701Resource Management, Allocation and Entrepreneurship3.0
EDAM 705School Law and Politics3.0
EDAM 708Integration of Technology with School Instruction and Management3.0
EDAM 710School Finance and Facilities3.0
EDAM 712School and Community Partnerships and Relations3.0
EDAM 714Instructional and Curriculum Leadership3.0
EDAM 722Evaluation & Assessment Competencies3.0
EDAM 724Mentoring and Collaborative Leadership3.0
Principal Internship Courses
EDAM 715School Principal Internship: Technology1.5
EDAM 716School Principal Internship: Finance1.5
EDAM 717School Principal Internship: Leadership1.5
EDAM 718School Principal Internship: Relations1.5
Capstone Courses9.0-10.5
Capstone Research
Students have the option to select one of the following capstone tracks:
Practitioner
Practitioner Capstone Course I
Practitioner Capstone Course II
Thesis
Thesis Capstone Course I
Thesis Capstone Course II
Total Credits45.0-46.5

Performances

The performances for meeting Pennsylvania leadership standards and National Leadership Standards include a Leadership Portfolio. The Leadership Portfolio includes:

  • Four Log Reflections: Explaining growth in log reflection over each term
  • Evidence of 600 hours across four terms logged in the Internship
  • Logs over 48 weeks
  • Four term Goal Statements and Reflections on accomplishments
  • Two to three artifacts on each of the ELCC standards totaling 14 to 21 or more artifacts
  • An explanation of how each artifact shows applications of skill on each identified standard
  • Four evaluations on the ELCC Standards and Drexel Competencies completed by the school site supervising principal

In addition, students must meet the current state minimum score on the appropriate PRAXIS Exam.

Sample Plan of Study

MS degree with Principal Certification

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
EDAM 7003.0EDAM 7123.0EDAM 7143.0EDAM 7083.0
EDCR 5103.0EDAM 7181.5EDAM 7171.5EDAM 7151.5
 6 4.5 4.5 4.5
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
EDAM 7103.0EDAM 7013.0EDAM 7243.0EDAM 7053.0
EDAM 7161.5EDAM 7223.0EDU 7803.0EDUP 780 or EDUT 7803.0
 4.5 6 6 6
Third Year
FallCredits   
EDUP 781 or EDUT 7813.0-4.5   
 3-4.5   
Total Credits 45-46.5

Note: Third Year Spring may be less than the 4.5-credit minimum required (considered half-time status) of graduate programs to be considered financial aid eligible. As a result, aid would not be disbursed to students this term.

Special Education Leadership Concentration Program Requirements

The Special Education Leadership concentration within the MS in Educational Administration leads to the Supervisor of Special Education Certification. The concentration is designed to produce educators who are equipped with the advanced skills, knowledge and competencies they will need to collaboratively lead programs that meet the needs of students at risk and with disabilities in multiple settings. The 46.0 credit program fulfills the requirements for the Pennsylvania Department of Education approved certification and a master's degree in Educational Leadership.

Candidates are required to complete 300 internship hours for the Supervisor of Special Education Certification. Eligibility for PA Special Education Leadership certificate requires verification that the candidate has completed five years of satisfactory professional school experience on a state-issued certificate appropriate for the assignment. All courses must be completed with a B or better.

Core Courses
EDAM 700Leading in Urban, Rural and Suburban Settings3.0
EDAM 701Resource Management, Allocation and Entrepreneurship3.0
EDAM 722Evaluation & Assessment Competencies3.0
EDAM 724Mentoring and Collaborative Leadership3.0
Core Certification Courses
EDAM 708Integration of Technology with School Instruction and Management3.0
EDAM 710School Finance and Facilities3.0
EDEX 710School Law & Policy in Special Education3.0
EDEX 712Instructional & Curriculum Leadership in Special Education3.0
EDEX 714Development, Supervision, & Support: Special Education Leadership3.0
EDEX 716Organization & Administration of Special Education3.0
EDEX 721Supervisor of Special Education Internship: Special Education Leadership1.0
EDEX 722Supervisor of Special Education Internship: Instructional Leadership1.0
EDEX 723Supervisor of Special Education Internship: Collaboration & Personnel1.0
EDEX 724Supervisor of Special Education Internship: Finance & Management1.0
Elective Course3.0
Capstone Courses9.0
Capstone Research
Students have the option to select one of the following capstone tracks
Practitioner
Practitioner Capstone Course I
Practitioner Capstone Course II
Thesis
Thesis Capstone Course I
Thesis Capstone Course II
Total Credits46.0
*

To satisfy the elective portion of the MS in Educational Administration with Special Education Leadership option, it is suggested that the candidate enroll in a course from the School of Education’s Educational Policy or the Special Education Law and Process certificate programs. The following would be appropriate although any graduate course that the candidate has interest and is eligible to enroll may be considered with approval of the candidate’s academic advisor:

  • EDEX 600: Family, School and Community Engagement in Special Education
  • EDEX 601: Special Education Advocacy
  • EDEX 602: Special Education Dispute Resolution and Skills Training
  • EDPO 620: Education Policy: Concepts, Issues and Applications
  • EDPO 624: The Shaping of American Education Policy: Global Forces, Interest Groups and Politics

School Principal Certificate & Special Education Leadership Concentration

Program Requirements

The School Principal Certificate and Special Education Leadership concentration within the MS in Educational Administration leads to the Supervisor of Special Education Certification and Principal Certification. The concentration is designed to prepare future leaders with the tools and knowledge to collaboratively address special education programs and issues within a school setting. The 52.0 credit dual certification program fulfills the requirements for both Pennsylvania Department of Education approved certifications and a master’s degree.

Candidates are required to complete 300 internship hours for the Supervisor of Education Certification and 400 internship hours for Principal Certification.

Eligibility for PA Special Education Leadership certificate requires verification that the candidate has completed five years of satisfactory professional school experience on a state-issued certificate appropriate for the assignment.

Eligibility for the PA Principal certificate requires verification that the candidate has completed three years of satisfactory professional school experience on a state-issued certificate appropriate for the assignment and appropriate Praxis exam. All courses must be completed with a B or better.

Principal Certification Courses
EDAM 705School Law and Politics3.0
EDAM 708Integration of Technology with School Instruction and Management3.0
EDAM 710School Finance and Facilities3.0
EDAM 712School and Community Partnerships and Relations3.0
EDAM 714Instructional and Curriculum Leadership3.0
EDAM 715School Principal Internship: Technology1.5
EDAM 716School Principal Internship: Finance1.5
EDAM 717School Principal Internship: Leadership1.5
EDAM 718School Principal Internship: Relations1.5
EDCR 510Leadership in Educational Contexts and Systems3.0
Special Education Leadership Certification Courses
EDEX 710School Law & Policy in Special Education3.0
EDEX 712Instructional & Curriculum Leadership in Special Education3.0
EDEX 714Development, Supervision, & Support: Special Education Leadership3.0
EDEX 716Organization & Administration of Special Education3.0
EDEX 721Supervisor of Special Education Internship: Special Education Leadership1.0
EDEX 722Supervisor of Special Education Internship: Instructional Leadership1.0
EDEX 723Supervisor of Special Education Internship: Collaboration & Personnel1.0
EDEX 724Supervisor of Special Education Internship: Finance & Management1.0
Core Course
EDAM 722Evaluation & Assessment Competencies3.0
Capstone Courses9.0-10.5
Capstone Research
Students have the option to select one of the following capstone tracks:
Practitioner
Practitioner Capstone Course I
Practitioner Capstone Course II
Thesis
Thesis Capstone Course I
Thesis Capstone Course II
Total Credits52.0-53.5

School Principal Certificate & Special Education Leadership Concentration Sample Plan of Study

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
EDCR 5103.0EDAM 7123.0EDAM 7143.0EDAM 7083.0
EDEX 7123.0EDAM 7181.5EDAM 7171.5EDAM 7151.5
 EDEX 7231.0EDEX 7103.0EDEX 7163.0
 6 5.5 7.5 7.5
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
EDAM 7103.0EDAM 7223.0EDEX 7211.0EDAM 7053.0
EDAM 7161.5EDEX 7143.0EDU 7803.0EDEX 7241.0
EDEX 7221.0  EDUP 780 or EDUT 780*3.0
 5.5 6 4 7
Third Year
FallCredits   
EDUP 781 or EDUT 781*3.0-4.5   
 3-4.5   
Total Credits 52-53.5
*

Students have the option to select from the Practitioner or Thesis Capstone track.

Note: Third Year Fall may be less than the 4.5-credit minimum required (considered half-time status) of graduate programs to be considered financial aid eligible. As a result, aid would not be disbursed to students this term.

Education Faculty

Jennifer Adams, EdD (Harvard University). Associate Professor. Comparative and international education; Poverty and education; Child welfare; Educational policy.
Ayana Allen, PhD (Texas A&M University ). Associate Professor. Urban education; Identity construction in school contexts; Urban school transformation.
Kristen Betts, EdD (George Washington University). Clinical Professor. Higher education administration and governance, online blended education, instructional design and educational technology, program assessment and evaluation.
Eric Brewe, PhD (Arizona State University). Associate Professor. Physics Education Research, introductory course reform, network analysis in learning, neuromechanisms of learning.
Stephanie Smith Budhai, PhD (Drexel University). Associate Clinical Professor. Teacher and higher education, culturally responsive teaching, equity and social justice, online learning, community engagement and service-learning, family involvement and partnerships, and learning technologies.
José Luis Chávez, EdD (University of Southern California). Clinical Professor. Higher education leadership and administration.
Rebecca Clothey, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Department Head, Global Studies and Modern Languages. Professor. Comparative and international education, education of ethnic and linguistic minorities, refugees, China studies.
James Connell, PhD (Louisiana State University) Founding Clinical Core Director and Research Fellow, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Associate Professor. Identifying the variables that influence adult behavior change in community settings; autism intervention; widespread dissemination of evidence-based interventions in school and community settings.
Kareem Edouard, PhD (Stanford University). Assistant Professor. Educational technology; internet-based STEM learning; equity and inclusion in STEM education
Salvatore V. Falletta, EdD (North Carolina State University). Clinical Professor. Human Resource intelligence (i.e., HR research and analytics practices); HRD assessment, measurement, and evaluation models and taxonomies; organizational diagnostic models; web-based employee and organizational survey methods, and computational modeling.
Aroutis N. Foster, PhD (Michigan State University) Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies. Professor. Educational psychology and educational technology, especially the following: Motivation; Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK); Immersive Interactive Digital Environments (simulation, games, virtual realities.
Rajashi Ghosh, PhD (University of Louisville, Kentucky) Department Chair for Policy, Organization & Leadership. Associate Professor. Mentoring and leader development, workplace Incivility, workplace learning and development.
John M. Gould, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Harrisburg EdD Educational Leadership & Change Program. Clinical Professor. Change leadership, curriculum re-design, the impact of technology on learning.
Dominic F. Gullo, PhD (Indiana University). Professor. Studying the relative and long-range effects of early schooling experiences in prekindergarten and kindergarten on children's achievement and social adaptation to school routine.
H. Bernard Hall, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Professor. Hip-hop Pedagogy, English Education, Urban Teacher Education.
Paul Harrington, PhD (University of Massachusetts, Boston) Director, Center for Labor Markets and Policy. Professor. Teen and young adult job access; economic outlook, college labor market; workforce development, planning, and development; vocational rehabilitation and job market transition.
Michael J. Haslip, PhD (Old Dominion University). Assistant Professor. Early childhood education, social and emotional learning, child guidance strategies, effects of public pre-school attendance.
Deanna Hill, JD, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Associate Clinical Professor. Higher education, international education, education law, education policy
Erin Horvat, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles) Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Professor. Urban education, access and equity, high school dropout, parent involvement/family involvement, community engagement in research.
Jennifer Katz-Buonincontro, PhD (University of Oregon) Associate Dean of Research. Associate Professor. Educational administration, leadership development, survey & instrument design.
Larry Keiser, PhD (Drexel University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Education and corporate/business leaders’ creativity and entrepreneurial mindsets; creative school/work environments; neuroscience of creativity; everyday creativity for teachers and educators.
Kristy Kelly, PhD (University of Wisconsin, Madison). Associate Clinical Professor. Sociology of gender and development; anthropology of policy; comparative and international education; qualitative research methods; Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Cameron Kiosoglous, PhD (Virginia Tech University) Program Director. Assistant Clinical Professor. Coached on the USRowing National Team staff since 2002, including the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games; coaching development; measuring coaching quality; self-insight and reflective practices; coaching leadership; conference presenter; published author.
Valerie Klein, PhD (Amherst College). Associate Clinical Professor. Mathematics learning and teaching; teacher's use of formative assessment in mathematics; creating opportunities for rich problem solving in the classroom; examining teachers growth and change; qualitative research methods.
Peggy Kong, PhD (Harvard University). Associate Clinical Professor. Comparative and international education, equity in education, family and community, Chinese education and society, sociology of education
Michael G. Kozak, Ed.D. (Rowan University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Leadership, STEAM, online and blended learning environments, systems thinking, experiential learning, K-12 education, and facilitating change
Amanda Lannie, PhD (Syracuse University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Applied behavior analysis and special education; School-based consultation; system-wide interventions as a mechanism for delivery supports to all students; Designing effective and efficient interventions for students with emotional/behavioral disorders.
Vera Lee, EdD (University of Pennsylvania) Department Chair for Teaching, Learning & Curriculum. Associate Clinical Professor. Practitioner Research in online courses to explore inservice/preservice teachers’ emerging understandings about issues of diversity; the development of information/digital literacies of urban youth; English language learners.
Bruce Levine, JD (New York University). Associate Clinical Professor. Educational policy, school law, public-private partnerships, intersection of business and education.
Kristine Lewis-Grant, PhD (Temple University). Clinical Professor. Experiences of students of African descent at predominantly white colleges and universities, college access and college student development, youth civic engagement in urban school reform, qualitative research and evaluation.
William Lynch, PhD (University of Maryland). Professor. Curriculum and educational leadership, educational technology, distance learning policy development, higher and adult education.
Constance Lyttle, PhD, JD (University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University). Clinical Professor. Legal rights of gifted and talented children and children with disabilities; inclusive education of exceptional children; special education mediation; special education IEP/IFSP facilitation; resolution session facilitation
Joy Phillips, PhD (The University of Texas at Austin). Associate Clinical Professor. Visionary leadership in theory and practice, school reform as innovative problem-setting, thinking qualitatively about school reform. thinking about school reform by drawing, Educational Leadership Program Assessment.
Kathleen Provinzano, PhD (Marywood University). Assistant Professor. Educational administration.
Harriette Rasmussen, EdD (Fielding Graduate University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational leadership and change.
Lori Severino, EdD (Neumann University). Assistant Professor. Special education, differentiated instruction, reading, Wilson language, multi-sensory instruction, reading comprehension, assessment, adolescent literacy.
Jason Silverman, PhD (Vanderbilt University). Professor. Teaching and learning of advanced mathematical ideas (algebra and calculus); improving teachers' ability to orchestrate and sustain inquiry-based and discussion-based instruction; technology in mathematics education.
Janet Sloand, EdD (Duquesne University) Department Chair for Teaching, Learning & Curriculum. Associate Clinical Professor. Special Education Leadership, Trauma-informed care, Parent engagement in special education service delivery.
Toni A. Sondergeld, PhD (University of Toledo). Associate Professor. Cognitive and affective assessment development; program/grant evaluation; high stakes testing measurement; STEM education; urban education
Bridget Sweeney Blakely, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Consultation; Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS); Response to Intervention (Rtl); Systems-level change; performance feedback
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Clinical Professor. Early literacy development, learning differences, knowledge construction, urban education.
Sarah P. Ulrich, EdD (Saint Joseph’s University) Associate Dean of Teacher Education and Undergraduate Affairs. Clinical Professor. Cross-cultural, language and academic development, school reform, teacher preparation, teacher retention, teacher residencies in urban contexts.
Sheila Vaidya, PhD (Temple University). Professor. Educational psychology, school psychology, research design.
Christina Vorndran, PhD (Louisiana State University) Program Director, Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education. Clinical Professor. Designing effective and efficient community-based interventions, Severe behavior disorders, Functional behavior assessment
Christopher G. Wright, PhD (Tufts University). Assistant Professor. Engineering and science education, Urban education, elementary teacher education.

Emeritus Faculty

Mary Jo Grdina, PhD (Case Western Reserve University). Clinical Professor. Undergraduate studies, science education, curriculum design.
Joyce Pittman, PhD (Iowa State University of Science and Technology). Clinical Professor. Curriculum and instruction K-16; teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL); instructional design business education and administration; industrial and career technology; oral and written communication; research methodology; instructional and assistive technology assessment; online learning pedagogy
Fredricka K. Reisman, PhD (Syracuse University) School of Education, Founder, Drexel School of Education. Professor Emerita. Director, Freddie Reisman Center for Translational Research in Creativity and Motivation, Creator and Former Director-Creativity and Innovation Programs, Co-Director- Drexel/Torrance Center for Creativity and Innovation, Drexel University Named Recognition- Freddie Reisman Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards
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