The graduate program in Educational Leadership at Georgia Regents University (GRU) is a performance-based program that is aligned with both NCATE standards and Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) standards. Graduates from the Master’s (M.Ed.) and Specialist (Ed.S.) programs may obtain a Georgia leadership certificate upon successful completion of the required courses and the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators in Educational Leadership. Information on educational leadership certification rules, as stipulated by the Georgia PSC, is available on the PSC’s web site (www.gapsc.com).
A performance-based educational leadership program offers candidates significant opportunities to apply knowledge and skills in real educational settings. In courses, field-specific experiences require candidates to demonstrate to faculty and personal leadership coaches the ability to transfer classwork to the demands placed upon today’s educational leaders.
The Master’s program in Educational Leadership has an emphasis on foundational knowledge, skills, and dispositions essential for school leaders, and the Education Specialist in Educational Leadership is focused on building and district level administration. Both degrees require candidates to complete at the school and district levels a variety of administrative, organizational, managerial, supervisory, and instructional experiences. A Beginning Leader Candidate Support Team (BLCST) develops specific field residency requirements for each candidate. The BLCST consists of the candidate, a faculty member, and a personal leadership coach. The BLCST collaborates to support and guide a candidate and to provide the candidate with authentic responsibilities that increase over time and in complexity. The residency experiences include direct interaction with appropriate staff, students, and the school/district community.
The Master’s in Educational Leadership is a 36-hour program leading to a Georgia NL-5 certificate which is required prior to accepting building level positions. Candidates holding a Master’s degree in educational leadership from an accredited college or university program are eligible to apply for the Education Specialist degree 30-hour program which leads to a clear, renewable Georgia PL-6 certificate. A PL-6 certificate holder may apply for building and district educational leadership positions. Candidates who have earned a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a field other than educational leadership, may apply for the extended 48-hour Education Specialist degree in educational leadership.
