Education (Educational Administration Building Level) Specialist in Education

Specialist in Education: Educational Administration (P-12) Emphasis

Admission

Admission to The University of Southern Mississippi’s graduate programs in educational leadership and school counseling is selective. Regular admission is contingent on having graduated with a master’s degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accrediting agency. In addition, the Department’s Admissions Committees recommend admittance only for those applicants whose academic background, work experience, demonstrated leadership, and communication skills meet the challenging demands of graduate programs in educational leadership. In evaluating applications, the admission committees utilize separate criteria in each degree program offered.

Supplementary Criteria*

*Supplementary material may be submitted at the student’s discretion or may be requested by the admissions committee.

Members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application for Graduation

Graduation is based upon

1. completion of an approved program of studies as determined by the student’s committee which will consist of 36-39 semester hours of credit, including an internship;
2. satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examination;
3. successful defense of the research project or completion of the field problem; and
4. a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA.

Continuous Enrollment Requirement: Students must meet the requirements specified in the front section of this Bulletin for continuous enrollment.

Plan of Study. Students must submit their signed, official Plan of Study form to the Graduate School by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. The Plan of Study forms are available at www.usm.edu/graduateschool/planofstudy.php - click on the “Plans of Study” link.

Research and Scholarly Integrity Education

All faculty holding Regular or Associate graduate faculty status, must complete CITI training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments. All graduate students must complete the CITI training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments the first semester they are enrolled in graduate school. The RSIE policy and training information are found on the Graduate School web page –www.usm.edu/graduate-school. Contact the Dean of the Graduate School if you have any questions regarding the policy of training information.

Programs

Students accepted into the program pursue either a building level or district level plan of study depending on their educational certification. The building level program is for students who are currently not certified/licensed as educational administrators. The district level program is for students who are certified/licensed as educational administrators.

Curriculum

Building Level - (for students without educational administrative certification/license)

• EDA 600 - Introduction to Educational Leadership 3 hrs.
• EDA 620 - Instructional Leadership - Supervision and Professional Development 3 hrs.
• EDA 628 - Contextual Dimensions of the Principalship 3 hrs.
• EDA 700 - Public School Finance 3 hrs.
• EDA 704 - School Community Relations 3 hrs.
• EDA 706 - Education Facilities Development and Management 3 hrs.
• EDA 708 - Developing and Managing Human Resources 3 hrs.
• EDA 710 - School Law 3 hrs.
• EDA 736 - Practicum in Educational Administration 3 hrs.
• REF 602 - Introduction to Educational Statistics 3 hrs. *
• REF 791 - Field Problems in Educational Research 1-12 hrs.

• * REF 601  is a prerequisite for REF 602 .