Leadership Studies, M.A. with Educational Leadership Area of Emphasis

The Master of Arts Degree in Leadership Studies offers an area of emphasis in Education al Leadership, equipping students with the coursework required for professional administrative licensure as K-12 school principals, district-level supervisors, and superintendents.

Program Structure: 

• This is a portfolio-based program requiring a minimum of 30 credit hours. 
• Courses older than 7 years at the time of graduation are not eligible for credit. 
• Field-based experiences are mandatory for courses transferred from other accredited institutions or programs. 

Licensure: 

• Successful completion of the program qualifies students for professional administrative licensure as PreK-Adult school principals, district-level supervisors, and superintendents in West Virginia. 
• Out-of-State students should consult their respective state licensing agencies for specific licensure requirements. 
• West Virginia applicants must pass the PRAXIS II (5411) and complete the Evaluation Leadership Institute provided by the West Virginia Center for Professional Development. 
• Students must apply for licensure through their state board of education. 

Leadership Studies, M.A. with Leadership Specialist Area of Emphasis

This program is ideally suited to the needs of working professional adult students who wish to gain leadership skills, but do not want to limit their knowledge to any particular area of study.

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements for Educational Leadership Area of Emphasis

Applicants should follow the admissions process described in this catalog or at the Graduate Admissions website at www.marshall.edu/graduate/admissions/how-to-apply-for-admission. In addition:

• Admission requires scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), or a previous master’s degree from an accepted, accredited institution must be on file at the time of admission.
• A minimum score of 392 on the MAT or a combined GRE score of 286 (combined verbal and quantitative) is necessary.
• Applicants must hold a Professional Teaching Certificate or a Student Support Certification and possess a minimum of two years of teaching or school counseling experience at the time of admission to the program.

Admission Requirements for Leadership Specialist Area of Emphasis

Applicants should follow the admissions process described in this catalog or at the Graduate Admissions website at www.marshall.edu/graduate/admissions/how-to-apply-for-admission. Applicants should select the Distance-Only application and under programs, select "Leadership Studies (M.A.): Leadership Specialist" on the application.

In addition to Marshall University's requirements for graduate admission, applicants must have:

• A bachelor's degree from an accepted, accredited institution; and 
• An undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale.

Applicants may be admitted provisionally when a GPA does not meet the minimum requirements at the discretion of the program director. The student will be directed to complete 12 hours of selected courses designated by the department. If a 3.25 Grade Point Average is maintained in those courses, then the applicant will be fully admitted to the degree program.