Education Leadership Degree Programs in Colorado

What is an Education Leadership & Administration Program?

An Education Leadership and Administration Programs in Colorado (MEdL), studies the management side of education. It then applies key points to empower teachers. These programs aim to arm teachers with skills to lead schools and student outcomes.

Some programs focus on business and day to day work. These programs may ready teachers to take on school or district leadership jobs. Others discuss what students learn and how to teach them. These skills may help teachers lead change in school policy.

What Can You Do With a Masters Degree in Education Leadership?

A Master in education leadership & administration program may prepare you to join a work force of over 5.05 million. Most are women between the ages of 36 and 45. Of these workers, over half (56.9%) are teachers. Others are:

• 4.5% are Education Admins (Principals, Deans, Student Affairs Leaders)
• 0.2% are Education Specialists

These leaders are expected to have a certain set of skills. They need to promote how well students do on tests and help them each other goals. They are also held to both school and teacher success. To pursue the following admin roles in Colorado, you’ll typically need a master’s or PhD in educational leadership.

• Principal, Dean (PhD)
• School Administrator (Masters)
• School Superintendent (Masters)
• Guidance Counselor (Masters)
• Admissions Director (Masters)
• Financial Aid Director (Masters)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tells us the job outlook for educational leaders is expected to grow as fast as average through 2032. The growth will go up and down according to state budgets and student enrollments. Most Education Admin work in:

• Colleges and Professional Schools
• Junior Colleges
• Technical and Trade Schools
• Elementary and High Schools

Is a Master in Education Leadership & Administration Programs Worth It?

If your goal is to become a leader in education ‘worth’ is not the right question. If you don’t earn the degree, you likely will not have the chance to apply for the job. Starting with the fact that in most states, public school principals need a license. The same is true for superintendents. It is common that the masters in educational leadership is needed for the license.

Also, there is the potential to earn more money. One study from the BLS, found that professionals with a master’s degree earned 16% more than those with a bachelor’s’ degree.

Average Salaries from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Top States with the Highest Employment Level for Education Administrators

written by Rana Waxman

Masters in Educational Leadership & Administration Programs vs a PhDs

Which degree level is the right path for your goals? Both the Master’s and PhD in Education Leadership offer unique courses and outcomes. A MA in Educational Leadership is often up to 36 credits. It may expose you to research based tactics. You may learn how to apply make data driven decisions related to teaching, student learning and school leadership.

College settings often want a higher level of education. Deans and school provosts may need a PhD in educational leadership. PhDs often span 54 credits, and allow you to choose an emphasis. A PhD program should teach you how to conduct research. Then apply findings to classroom, school or course content. This would allow you to identify, assess and resolve issues.

A PhD in Educational Leadership in Colorado is a research degree. Unlike the EdD, a PhD involves forging new ideas through your own process. Through a wide range of topics, it may help you learn ethical and manager skills. Also, it may be a useful way to develop as a problem solver. PhD pathways include:

• Independent Research
• Chief Executive in College Setting
• College Faculty Position

What are masters in educational degree requirements?

To enroll in an educational leadership program, you’ll often need three things. A bachelor’s degree, teaching certificate and experience. In a common program, classes focus on being an agent of change. You will study a range of topics and do a final project or internship. Along the way, you may learn about your own style as a leader and how to leverage it in a chosen setting. It all depends on which program you pick.

If pursuing license is your goal, check program details to make sure the program offers a pathway. A few focused programs include:

• MS in Education – Edu Theory and Practice This type of program may help in the pursuit of National Board Certification. It may cover curriculum theory in depth. As such, one may learn to improve student outcomes.
• MS in Student Affairs in Higher Education This type of program may look at the day to day working of a college. It may help you grow skills as an admin. Some topics focus on student affairs theories and diversity. These may cover areas like advising, student activities and life on campus.
• EdS in Educational Leadership and Administration This type of program often suits students with a education leadership masters degree who want further credentials. It may ready you to lead and promote in the area of student success.
• Doctor of Management: Private Sector Higher Education Leadership Pursue senior level academic jobs in private schools. This type of program may boost skills as a manager and leader. It may cover areas like how to set policy. Also, you’ll often study how take charge of resources, staff and outcomes.

What Classes Will I Take for a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership?

Some themes address admin strategies and skills. For instance, school finance and scheduling. Others may touch on student assessment, public outreach and school law. These may help you excel as a principal, administrator or researcher.

strong>Education Law and Ethics: In this class, one might look at the legal aspects of leadership. Topics may get into things like due process, search and seizure and sexual misconduct.

Curriculum Development: This class may ready you to plan and build what students study. Topics may cover both theory and methods. The goal often to find areas that need an upgrade.

Improving Instruction: Here, one may learn how to apply data to make decisions about how to teach. For example, student outcomes and how to improve them.

Educational Leader Theory: A central course which may bring up issues that modern school leaders face. You may for instance look at work place behaviors in school systems.

Accreditation

Accreditation is a form of quality control by an outside agency. Some schools maintain two kinds of approval. One for the school as a whole. The other, to certain programs.

It is important to look for a school to be both regionally accredited. And, for the educational leadership degree program to be accredited. For one, these schools make it possible to apply for financial aid.

Specific agencies review programs. Their interest is in what students are learning at the program level. Education is a regulated industry that follows ethics and principles. As such, accredited programs keep up the standards for teachers and industry leaders.

One such agency is CAEP, the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Their goal is to set and check standards in programs that ready teachers. Another is The National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA). This alliance aims to set the bar for leaders in the school system. In many cases, earning a degree approved by one of these agencies is needed to earn a license.

How long is a Masters in Educational Leadership?

It may take about two years part time to earn a education leadership master. If you study full time it may take about one year. The number of credits varies (30 – 36) and this also impacts the length.

How Much Does A Masters in Educational Leadership Degree Cost?

The average cost of a of a graduate degree from a public school is $18,383 per year. This means you will be able to find programs that cost more and less than the average. To give specific examples, this graph shows graduate tuition costs of 4 schools with Educational Leadership Graduate Programs as reported by the NCES. We have then compared those costs to the average college options, also as reported by NCES.

GradSchools.com offers 9 Graduate Schools with Education Leadership and Administration Programs in Colorado