Program Overview

Introduction to Educational Leadership Programs

The Educational Leadership programs, including the Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.), are designed for experienced educators who aim to acquire the necessary skills to serve students and communities collaboratively. These programs combine educational excellence with flexibility, enabling students to earn an advanced degree in educational leadership.

Program Overview

The M.Ed. and Ed.S. programs are for experienced educators who want to learn how to serve students and communities collaboratively and to acquire the necessary skills to solve the complex problems facing schools today. The Ed.S. is a post-master's degree and is appropriate for people who already have a master's degree. Our graduates become principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, curriculum specialists, and serve in a wide variety of building-level and district-level leadership roles.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for the program, applicants must:

• Have completed a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or from a recognized international University with a bachelor's degree equivalent to a US bachelor's.
• Be working in or have access to an educational setting.
• Have a minimum of two years teaching experience.
• Submit an online Graduate School application which requires:
  • Unofficial transcript(s) (official transcripts will be required if you are accepted into the program.)
  • A current resume
  • Three recommendation forms
    • Recommendation forms should be submitted by references who can speak to your teaching and/or leadership experiences.
    • At least one recommendation must come from a building-level or district-level leader
    • All recommendations should be written by professional contacts
  • A personal statement
    • Prompts will be provided within the application
• Meet one of the following criteria:
  • Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores taken within the last five years
  • A GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on the last degree earned
  • At least five years of classroom teaching experience with at least two years in a leadership position (e.g., subject or team leader, department chair, after school program coordinator)
  • Alternative graduate level exam (e.g., LSAT, & MCAT)

Program Delivery

Courses are offered in eight-week terms (excluding summers, which are six-week terms). Taking one course at a time, students complete two courses each semester. With the support of CU Online, Clemson uses the most advanced online technology to provide a rich, supportive, seamless learning environment. Courses are asynchronous, thus allowing students to access courses when and where they need. While students have great flexibility in asynchronous learning, there are key deadlines in each course when learning modules must be completed.

Master of Education (M.Ed.) Options

Building Level

• Option 1: M.Ed. with South Carolina building-level certification
  • This option includes a 30-hour core and two internships and leads to PK-12 building-level certification.
• Option 2: M.Ed. with potential for out-of-state building-level certification
  • This option is for educators certified in a state other than South Carolina. In this option, students may be able to apply for certification in their own state by completing Clemson's 30-hour core and transferring in six internship credit hours from another accredited program.
• Option 3: M.Ed.
  • This option is for educators desiring an educational leadership degree without certification. In this option, students may take the 30-hour core and add two graduate-level electives.

Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) Options

Building Level

• Option 1: Ed.S. with South Carolina building-level certification
  • This option includes a 30-hour core and two internships and leads to PK-12 building-level certification.
• Option 2: Ed.S. with potential for out-of-state building-level certification
  • This option is for educators certified in a state other than South Carolina. In this option, students may be able to apply for certification in their own state by completing Clemson's 30-hour core and transferring in six internship credit hours from another accredited program.
• Option 3: Ed.S.
  • This option is for educators desiring an educational leadership degree without certification. In this option, students simply complete the 30-hour core.

District Level

• The district-level Ed.S. consists of a 10-course, 30-credit core, which includes two sequenced internship courses required for those seeking district-level certification.
• The five-semester program can be completed in 20 months with two courses offered each fall, spring, and summer.
• All courses are taken online and have field-based learning experiences embedded in them.

Program Requirements

M.Ed. - Building Level

• The M.Ed. consists of 12 courses, totaling 36 credit hours, with a ten-course, 30-credit core.
• The six-semester program can be completed in 24 months with two courses offered each fall, spring, and summer.
• All courses are taken online and have field-based learning experiences embedded in them.
• For those seeking certification, two internships are required.
• Non-certification students may choose from elective courses in programs across Clemson's College of Education or transfer in electives from other programs.

Ed.S. - Building Level

• The Ed.S. consists of a 10-course, 30-credit core, with two additional internship courses required for those seeking building-level certification.
• The six-semester program can be completed in 24 months with two courses offered each fall, spring, and summer.
• All courses are taken online and have field-based learning experiences embedded in them.
• For those seeking certification, two internships are required.

Ed.S. - District Level

• The district-level Ed.S. consists of a 10-course, 30-credit core, which includes two sequenced internship courses required for those seeking district-level certification.
• The five-semester program can be completed in 20 months with two courses offered each fall, spring, and summer.
• All courses are taken online and have field-based learning experiences embedded in them.
• For those seeking certification, two internships are required.
• For those interested in the degree-only, two elective courses approved by the student's advisor and two advising committee members, may be substituted for the two, sequenced internships.

Course Sequence

First Year

• Fall:
  • EDLL 8000 Introduction to School Leadership
  • EDLL 8050 Contemporary Issues in School Leadership
• Spring:
  • EDLL 8200 School Personnel Development
  • EDLL 8250 Law and Ethics for School Leaders
• Summer:
  • EDLL 8100 Organizational Improvement in School Leadership
  • EDLL 8300 Instructional Leadership I

Second Year

• Fall:
  • EDLL 8400 Instructional Leadership II
  • EDLL 8500/8550 School Internship I or Elective
• Spring:
  • EDLL 8150 Community Relations for School Leaders
  • EDLL 8450 Resource Management for School Leaders
• Summer:
  • EDLL 8350 Program Evaluation for School Leaders
  • EDLL 8510/8560 School Internship II or Elective

Financial Information

• Tuition and Fees: Explore information on tuition and fees.
• South Carolina Teacher Incentive: The Educational Leadership M.Ed. and Ed.S. offers a South Carolina Teacher Incentive reducing tuition by 10% for all SC K-12 teachers and leaders.
• Financial Aid: For information regarding Financial Aid, please review the available resources.