Program Overview

School Administration Program

The Master of School Administration program, also known as NC State University’s Educational Leadership Academy (NELA), seeks to increase student achievement by preparing and retaining principals in high-poverty, hard-to-staff, and historically low-performing schools. NELA creates a comprehensive leadership development and succession plan for NC high-need school districts. Each component is anchored in research-based best practices in leadership preparation and is designed to meet the specific contextualized needs of schools in NC.

Program Details

• Delivery Format: Online
• Entrance Exam: Not Required
• College: College of Education

The program is delivered online, with courses including lecture videos, activities, and other media accessed from NC State’s WolfWare website. Students interact extensively with both the instructor and their peers using online communication tools.

Program Structure

• Students complete eight courses plus a paid year-long, full-time internship.
• NELA is an online program, but cohorts do meet in person for certain classes/specialized trainings.
• Fellows also visit high-performing schools and travel to state
  ational conferences.
• Students earn a NC school administrator/principal license.

Eligibility

Applicants must submit:

• Four years of successful teaching experience (fourth year can be during the first year in MSA program)
• Continuing NC Teaching License
• Current employment in a K-12 environment
• Undergraduate degree
• Three letters of reference
• Resume
• Purpose or Biographical Statement
• Teaching Philosophical Statement or Educational Platform
• For non-native English speakers, Test of English as a Second Language

Plan of Study

• Students complete a total of eight 3-credit courses (24 credit hours) plus a year-long, full-time building-level internship (18 credit hours).
• Students employed full-time may not enroll for more than 12 credit hours in any one semester.

Career Prospects

Strong school leadership translates into successful student populations and happy teachers. Facilitate a positive, supportive educational environment that honors the needs of students, parents, educators, and staff. Use your strengths to impact more than one classroom as you advance your career as an assistant principal or a principal.

The Master of School Administration leads to principalship licensure in North Carolina. Applicants should be aware that licensure is controlled by the state. It is the student’s responsibility to understand and comply with the state’s requirements.

Accreditation

North Carolina State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees.