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Educational Administration and Leadership - St. Cloud State University

Specialist Degree Course Offerings

Twin Cities Cohort
Join our Twin Cities cohort to obtain licensure as a K-12 Principal, Director of Special Education, Director of Community Education, or Superintendent of Schools. Choose to learn on our St. Cloud campus or in Maple Grove, Minnesota at SCSU's Twin Cities graduate center. The Maple Grove cohort will meet on Friday evenings and Saturdays during the academic year and for eight days in the summer. Find us at the intersection of 494 and Bass Lake Road in the Dex Building.

Specialist Degree Program of Study

The educational administration and leadership specialist degree program develops leaders for Minnesota's schools. The specialist degree will lead a student to K-12 principal, superintendent, or director of special education licensure. The program includes a core of pre-professional leadership courses and academic experiences appropriate to the program. A minimum of 36 credits, including field study is required. The field study is primarily focused on problems and inquiries related to educational administration and leadership.

Upon completion of the program, a graduate will be eligible to qualify as a K-12 principal, special education director, or superintendent.

Research Courses
9 credits

EDAD 686. Field Study Design in EDAD, 3 credits
EDAD 694. Field Study, 3 credits
CEEP 678. Introduction to Grad. Statistics, 3 credits

Administrative Courses
15 credits suggested

EDAD 603. Organizational Theory, 3 credits
EDAD 609. Supervision of Special Education, 3 credits
EDAD 612. Program and Assessment/Evaluation Techniques, 3 credits
EDAD 619. Legal Financial Aspects of Special Education, 3 credits
EDAD 622. Legal Aspects in EDAD, 3 credits
EDAD 631. Advanced Supervision Techniques, 3 credits
EDAD 633. Curriculum Development for School Leaders, 3 credits
EDAD 652. Community Relations, 3 credits
EDAD 657. Educational Policy, 3, credits

Administrative Specialty Courses
8 credits

EDAD 601. Introduction to EDAD, 1 credit
EDAD 605. Principal: K-12, 3 credits
EDAD 608. Superintendency, 3 credits
EDAD 611. Portfolio Review, 1 credit
EDAD 613. Administration of Special Education, 3 credits
EDAD 616. SPED Program Development for Administrators, 3 credits
EDAD 632. Assessment for School Leaders, 3 credits
EDAD 646. Auxiliary Functions for School Administrators, 3 credits

Field Experience Course
4 credits (320 hours)

EDAD 507. Field Experience: Director of Community Education, 4 credits
EDAD 674. Field Experience: Principal: K-12, 4 credits
EDAD 676. Field Experience: Special Education Director (200 hours), 4 credits
EDAD 678. Field Experience: Superintendency, 4 credits

NOTE: It is recommended that specialist students with a master's outside of educational administration take EDAD 620, 630, 640 and 650.

For information about courses, please visit the Graduate Bulletin or the Course Descriptions.

Minnesota Administrative Licensure Requirements
Currently the state of Minnesota requires that applicants for administrative licensure have at least three years teaching experience or be eligible to apply for alternative licensure. Licensure requires a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership/Administration plus 30 semester credits, obtainable through the sixth-year graduate certificate licensure tracks or the specialist degree program. A final portfolio assessment is also required of licensure candidates.

Gainful Employment
Certain graduate certificates at St. Cloud State University prepare students for employment in specific fields and do not result in a degree. Federal law requires publication of data associated with those programs of study, including approximate program costs, program length, and employment statistics. The Minnesota State Colleges and University's (MnSCU) Chancellor's office has provided this report containing the aforementioned information for all required programs.

Educational Administration and Leadership Certificate and Specialist Program (pdf).