College of Education

MS in Educational Leadership (30 credits)

SELF-PACED, competency-designed online program (BEGINNING Fall 2025)

This self-paced, online program allows learners to complete the program at their pace. Following the 2018 NELP Standards for Building Leaders, the program qualifies and prepares learners for K-12 building level licensure. The competency-based model allows learners to use their experience to expedite completion.

With self-paced, competency designed education, students can progress as fast as they are able to complete the material and pass the learning assessments. Learning resources are aligned with each competency.

Each unit (self-check, reflect, apply) models the teaching cycle (Learners/Learning, Content Knowledge, Professional Skills and Professional Responsibilities) and culminates with final assessments. Final assessments (Peak Assignments) may be in a variety of forms including videos, essays, environmental scans, and reflections/analysis of practice, focusing on application of skills and knowledge.

Curriculum:

  • EDLEA 801 Ethical Dimensions of Educational Leadership (3 credits)
  • EDLEA 810 Philosophical Analysis of Leadership in Education (3 credits)
  • EDLEA 819 Introduction to Education Finance (3 credits)
  • EDLEA 820 Data Literacy/Data Informed Decisions in Educational Leadership (3 credits)
  • EDLEA 831 Educational Law (3 credits)
  • EDLEA 835 The Principalship (2 credits)
  • EDLEA 836 School-Community Relations (3 credits)
  • EDLEA 855 Leadership in Teaching and Learning (3 credits)
  • EDLEA 860 Inclusive School Culture in Educational Leadership (3 credits)
  • EDLEA 870 Educational Professional Learning/Human Resource Administration (3 credits)
  • EDLEA 889 Practicum in Educational Leadership (1 credit)

Practicum and Portfolio Assessment:

Learners must participate in field-based experiences at their current school district to complete the practicum requirements. The practicum is outlined to engage students in a range of school settings and provide candidates with coherent, authentic, and sustained opportunities to synthesize and apply the knowledge and skills in NELP Standards 1-7 and approximate the full range of responsibilities required of building-level leaders and enable them to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult in the school. Students are required to document a minimum of 150 clock hours of guided field experience through the formal practicum and other coursework (i.e., additional practicum requirements are embedded in many courses in the licensure sequence to assist in reaching the 150-clock hour requirement). A written log of practicum activities must be included with the student’s final portfolio assessment. Evidence of experiences is provided by the student and evaluated by a district supervisor (current principal or district leader) and the faculty member in the program. Rubrics meeting KSDE and CAEP standards and requirements are used in the evaluation.

For more information, Contact Dr. Royce Ann Collins at edleadership@ksu.edu

Enrollment:

Enroll in 3, 6, 9 or 12 credit hours. You choose the pace. You can start the program at eight different times in the year: August, mid-October, December, January, mid-March, May, June or July. Set the pace yourself! Take a course when it works for your schedule.

Admission Requirements: same as the online with synchronous class sessions. Follow the directions on applying on this page. To choose, the self-paced option, please note that in your Statement of Objectives: I want to pursue the self-pace option.

For more information about Educational Leadership graduate programs, contact Dr. Royce Ann Collins at racollin@k-state.edu.