The Educational Leadership program at Bowling Green State University prepares educators to meet the most challenging issues facing school districts today. Our graduates lead in a variety of educational roles from classroom teachers and building principals to district consultants and administrators.
The goal of the Educational Leadership program is to develop educational leaders who can lead so that students learn, regardless of their role. So, whether you desire to lead as teacher or to lead as an administrator, our leadership program will give you the tools to “lead where you are” and to lead so that students learn.
The Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) Program is designed for practicing educators who already hold a master’s degree and are interested in pursuing a career in school administration and who seek to enhance their educational leadership capabilities across an array of educational leadership positions with emphasis on building and district level leadership positions.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Specialist degree, students in the Educational Leadership program are expected to be able to:
- Understand and can collaboratively develop, articulate, implement, and steward a shared district vision of learning for a school/district.
- Understand and can collect and use data to identify district goals, assess organizational effectiveness, and implement district plans to achieve school/district goals.
- Understand and can promote continual and sustainable school/district improvement.
- Understand and can evaluate district progress and revise school/district plans supported by school/district stakeholders.
- Understand and can advocate, nurture, and sustain a school/district culture and instructional program conducive to student learning through collaboration, trust, and a personalized learning environment with high expectations for students.
- Understand and can create and evaluate a comprehensive, rigorous, and coherent curricular and instructional school/district program.
- Understand and can develop and supervise the instructional and leadership capacity across the school/district.
- Understand and can promote the most effective and appropriate district technologies to support teaching and learning within the school/district.
- Understand and can monitor and evaluate school/district management and operational systems.
- Understand and can efficiently use human, fiscal, and technological resources within the school/district.
- Understand and can promote school/district-level policies and procedures that protect the welfare and safety of students and staff across the school/district.
- Understand and can develop school/district capacity for distributed leadership.
- Understand and can ensure that school/district time focuses on supporting high-quality school instruction and student learning.
- Understand and can collaborate with faculty and community members by collecting and analyzing information pertinent to the improvement of the school/district’s educational environment.
- Understand and can mobilize community resources by promoting understanding, appreciation, and use of the community’s diverse cultural, social, and intellectual resources throughout the school/district.
- Understand and can respond to community interests and needs by building and sustaining positive school/district relationships with families and caregivers.
- Understand and can respond to community interests and needs by building and sustaining productive school/district relationships with community partners.
- Understand and can act with integrity and fairness to ensure a school/district system of accountability for every student’s academic and social success.
- Understand and can model principles of self-awareness, reflective practice, transparency, and ethical behavior as related to their roles within the school/district.
- Understand and can safeguard the values of democracy, equity, and diversity within the school/district.
- Understand and can evaluate the potential moral and legal consequences of decision making in the school/district.
- Understand and can promote social justice within the school/district to ensure individual student needs inform all aspects of schooling.
- Understand and can advocate for school/district students, families, and caregivers.
- Understand and can act to influence local, district, state, and national decisions affecting student learning in a school/district environment.
- Understand and can anticipate and assess emerging trends and initiatives in order to adapt school/district-level leadership strategies.
- Synthesize and apply the content knowledge and develop professional skills identified in the other Educational Leadership School/District-Level Program Standards through authentic, school/district-based leadership experiences.
Admission Requirements
Documents required:
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- Professional Resume
- Statement of Purpose
Program Delivery Options
Our Educational Leadership Program courses are offered in two formats:
- On line: All class sessions presented online on the Canvas learning management system.
- Blended: Classes meet face-to-face 3 times per semester (first week, midterm week, finals week) with the remaining sessions (12) online on Canvas).
The Educational Leadership program will also work with individual school districts, educational service centers, and CTC programs to customize a program that meets the needs of faculty. Summer courses are compressed into two terms. Most students complete the program in two years, but the sequence can be accelerated.
International applicants are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA). Successful completion of ELS 112 will also be accepted for this requirement.
Additionally, Duolingo test scores will be accepted for applications through Summer 2025. Applicants of the Graduate College who have completed a previous degree (associate, bachelor’s master’s or doctorate) from a U.S. college/university or are from a country (click here for a complete list) in which instruction was delivered in English (and attended the university for at least two years) are exempt from providing these test scores.
Application Requirements
Admissions Categories and Grade Point Average Requirements
International Application Information
Degree Requirements
Return to: