Educational Specialist, Educational Leadership Track, Ed.S.

The Education Specialist degree is a post-master’s degree designed for scholars and leaders in the education field.

The Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Educational Leadership, is designed to provide leadership candidates with further specialization in the field of educational administration. This degree is for experienced teachers, school and district administrators, and other educators who seek to develop their potential and competencies; who are committed to the improvement of PK-12 education, especially at the school and district level; and who aspire to be lifelong researchers and leaders in their organizations. Admission into this advanced degree program requires a master’s degree in leadership or school administration and prior school administration licensure at the building level. This program is fully online with two 8-week courses being offered each term. Program can be completed in 20 months.

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

8 courses in the concentration area (24 credits)

A year-long internship (6 credits)

and, a capstone experience (3 credits)

EDSL 879D Advanced Seminar in Educational Leadership and Research: Topics in Finance, Law, and Policy *
*Must be the final course completed in the degree program; may be taken concurrently with EDSL-976.
Note: The South Carolina State Department of Education also requires verification of a total of three years experience as a PK-12 or post-secondary teacher and two years as a school or school district administrator, post-secondary administrator, or school business administrator in order to add on superintendent’s certification.

In order to be recommended for SC licensure in school administration, candidates must have a valid SC teacher’s professional level license; show evidence of a passing score on the PRAXIS Education Leadership: Administration and Supervision subtest; and have a minimum of three years teaching experience, including at least one year at the level of the certificate for which the individual is applying.