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

The Master of Arts Degree in Leadership Studies offers an area of emphasis in Educational Leadership which includes the coursework for professional administrative licensure as a school principal. It is a portfolio-based program which requires a minimum of 36 semester hours. Courses may not be used if they are more than seven years old at the time of graduation. Students must complete all field-based experiences for courses that are transferred from other accredited institutions or programs. Students completing the program qualify for professional administrative licensure as a PreK-Adul school principal in West Virginia and Ohio. Students from other states should check with their state licensing agencies concerning licensure requirements. Those seeking professional licensure as a school principal in West Virginia must pass the PRAXIS II (5411) and also complete the Evaluation Leadership Institute offered by the West Virginia Center for Professional Development.

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:

Each candidate for the Educational Leadership Area of Emphasis must meet all admission requirements as a degree student. Scores from the Graduate Record Examination, the Miller Analogies Test, or a previous master’s degree from an accepted, accredited institution must be on file at the time of admission. Students must score at least a 392 on the Miller Analogies Test. Students who take the Graduate Record Examination must have a combined score of 286 (combined verbal and quantitative). Students must hold a Professional Teaching Certificate and have a minimum of two years of teaching 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.