Educational Leadership (33 credits)
Students seeking an Ed.S. in this concentration area (Track 1), leading to licensure as a district-level superintendent, must have a valid South Carolina teaching certificate in School Administration (Professional Level, Elementary or Secondary). Students must also submit their Praxis II score report in Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision.
Admission Criteria
Students seeking admission to an Ed.S.-Educational Leadership (Track 1) program must have the following:
- A master’s degree in school leadership or educational administration and supervision from an accredited college or university
- A graduate minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher minimum; 2.75 for all other coursework
- A valid South Carolina professional-level certificate at the elementary, middle, or secondary level, including elementary administration and supervision or secondary administration and supervision
- Minimum qualifying score on the Praxis II content area exam for school administration, as required by the SC Board of Education
and, must submit the following:
- a graduate admissions application, accompanied by a one-time, non-refundable application fee
- two professional recommendations
- a copy of their current teaching certification
- Praxis II score report for all areas of certification {Ed.S. in Educational Leadership (Track 1) ONLY}
- official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
To be recommended for superintendent’s certification requires completion of all program requirements, including all courses and the internship, along with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the program.
International Degree Candidates Initial Admission
Graduate Studies in Education is not available to international applicants/students because we cannot guarantee full-time enrollment or face-to-face courses in those programs.
Program Continuation
Admitted graduate degree candidates must meet with an advisor in Graduate Studies to plan a preliminary program and will be assigned a faculty contact person.
Continuation in a program leading to the awarding of the Educational Specialist degree requires successful completion of 9 graduate credits with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater.
- Students earning a grade of C+, C, or C- in one of the first three courses in a program prior to admission to degree candidacy or a student with a cumulative GPA less than 3.00 must meet with the program coordinator and the Associate Director of Graduate Studies.
After admission to degree candidacy, all students in a program must:
- maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater and meet final grade requirements
- demonstrate satisfactory content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and dispositions related to national standards established by the Specialty Professional Association (SPA) and Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- resolve any event or concern where an instructor, program coordinator, and/or the Office of Graduate Studies has reason to believe a degree candidate has acted in violation of department mission
Program Completion/Degree Audit
The Office of Graduate Studies will audit the student’s record to ensure that required courses have been completed and that the candidate has maintained a 3.00 GPA for the sequence of courses.
Program Completion/Graduation
The Office of Graduate Studies will confirm all degree requirements have been successfully completed by each candidate.
Quick Step Guide to the Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)
- Preliminary conference with Graduate Studies advisor
- Application/fee/transcript(s)/recommendations/teaching certificate/Essay/Praxis score report
- Acceptance
- Complete EDSL 879D (Advanced Seminar: District Level)
- Passing score on appropriate Praxis II exam (if seeking superintendent’s certification)
- Graduation
Requirements