Education Administration Program

The principal preparation program may lead to a M.A. in Education Administration.  The 24 to 30 hour, cohort-based program, along with successful completion of required exams, leads to Level I School Principal certification.  Estimated program completion time is 4 semesters. Within five years of receipt of the Level I certificate, the program for Level II must be completed.

Admission requirements include: (1) a master’s degree, or strong recommendation from district supervisor, (2) three years of teaching experience, (3) successful completion of an application and interview during the recruitment period, and (4) a letter of support and MOA from your school district.  Cohorts are offered through Zoom. 

Cohorts are structured with 6 credit hours per semester for 4 consecutive semesters.

Semester 1: ADM 601 and ADM 671
Semester 2: ADM 611 and ADM 672
Semester 3: ADM 631 and ADM 676
Semester 4: ADM 681 and ADM 682

Additional 6 hours of approved electives required for Master of Arts in Education Administration.

Exit Criteria:

• Verification of field experience hours
• Successful defense of capstone project
• Must have at least 3.0 cumulative GPA

Required Courses:

ADM 601 and ADM 671
ADM 611 and ADM 672
CTE 672 and CTE 676
ADM 681 and ADM 682
CTE 650 and CTE 651

Exit Criteria:

• Verification of internship and field experience hours
• Successful defense of capstone project
• Must have at least 3.0 cumulative GPA

Central office certificates are built upon the school principal certification. Courses beyond the 24 credit hour school principal program are offered as "stand-alone," and not through a cohort.

Core Courses: ADM 601, ADM 611, ADM 631, ADM 672
Level I Supervisor of Instruction: ADM 665 and ADM 669
Level II Supervisor of Instruction: ADM 759

If you currently hold a principal certificate, you may obtain the Level 1 and Level 2 certificates with the following courses:

Level I Supervisor of Instruction: ADM 665 and ADM 669
Level II Supervisor of Instruction: ADM 759

Central office certificates are built upon the school principal certification. Courses beyond the 24-hour school principal program are offered as "stand-alone," and not through a cohort.

Core Courses: ADM 601, ADM 611, ADM 631, ADM 672
Level I Director of Pupil Personnel: ADM 669 and ADM 667
Level II Director of Pupil Personnel: ADM 677 or HOL 692

If you currently hold a principal certificate, you may obtain the Level 1 and Level 2 certificates with the following courses:

Level I Director of Pupil Personnel: ADM 669 and ADM 667
Level II Director of Pupil Personnel: ADM 677 or HOL 692

Central office certificates are built upon the school principal certification. Courses beyond the 24-hour school principal program are offered as "stand-alone," and not through a cohort. Candidates must provide evidence of three years of experience as a teacher or school psychologist, with at least one year as a teacher of exceptional children or school psychologist.

Core Courses: ADM 601, ADM 611, ADM 631, ADM 672
Level I Director of Special Education: ADM 669 and SED 650
Level II Director of Special Education: ADM 749 or ADM 759

If you currently hold a principal certificate, you may obtain the Level 1 and Level 2 certificates with the following courses:

Level I Director of Special Education: ADM 669 and SED 650
Level II Director of Special Education: ADM 749 or ADM 759

Central office certificates are built upon the school principal certification. Courses beyond the 24-hour school principal program are offered as "stand-alone," and not through a cohort.

Courses are taught by experienced superintendents.

Required courses: ADM 739, ADM 749, ADM 759, ADM 779

The Ed.S. in Education Administration results in all of the following district-level certifications: instructional supervisor, director of pupil personnel, and superintendent. This specialist degree is designed for individuals pursuing district-level certification in in K-12 education. This is a 21-hour program in addition to a 30-hour M.A.Ed. in Education Administration degree. Upon completion of the 30-hour master's degree, the student may reapply to the Specialist program and complete the remaining 21 hours.

Required courses:
ADM 669 and ADM 667
ADM 667 or SED 650
ADM 739, ADM 749, ADM 759, ADM 779
9 hours of additional approved electives

The Ed.S. program can serve as a bridge to the Ed.D. in P-20 and Community Leadership, providing students with the opportunity for a streamlined matriculation to the doctoral degree.

Candidates must do the following:

• Attend Leadership Team meetings offered through the partnering district
• Attend Murray State class meetings
• Collaborate with school/district leaders to complete authentic leadership activities
• Build a portfolio documenting field experiences, knowledge of diverse learners that demonstrates competency of the PSEL standards, and successful defense of the capstone project.
• Present the portfolio to a Murray State advisory team, along with $250 to complete necessary paperwork, to determine whether prior learning assessment credits will be awarded for ADM 681 and ADM 682. If the student is not awarded prior learning assessment credit, the student may take the course(s) the following semester to complete the requirements for the education administration program.

Courses are offered through Zoom and may be completed in 3 semesters.

Semester 1: ADM 601 and ADM 671
Semester 2: ADM 611 and ADM 672
Semester 3: ADM 631 and ADM 676

ADM 681 and ADM 682 may be completed through the PLA process during the third semester.

Additional 6 hours of approved electives are required for a rank change.

Faculty have identified specific courses for which Prior Learning can be demonstrated:

ADM 670: Instructional Technology for Administrators
ADM 740: Instructional Coaching and Mentoring
ADM 700: World Class Teaching and Learning (NISL participation required)
ADM 751: Sustaining Transformation through Capacity and Commitment (NISL participation required)
ADM 681: Instructional Leadership for Diverse Learners (Institute for School Leadership Development participation required)
ADM 682: Principal Internship III (Institute for School Leadership Development participation required)

Please make sure you have completed all instructions before submitting your materials and paying for the review.

1. Contact the appropriate program coordinator to ensure you understand the requirements and process for PLA credit.
2. Before submitting, contact the program leader for a submission code.
3. Pay for the review using the link provided and the submission code. 
4. Reviews may take as long as two weeks.
5. You will be notified of the result of the review via email.
6. There is not an appeal process specific to the review. If you have concerns, please communicate with the department/program.