Educational Leadership, M.Ed. / Ed.S.

Our online Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership programs are for experienced educators who want to learn how to serve students and communities collaboratively and to acquire the necessary skills to solve the complex problems facing schools today. The M.Ed. and Ed.S. programs combine the educational excellence that Clemson University is known for with the flexibility that many educators need. The programs enable students to earn an advanced degree in educational leadership. The Ed.S. is a post-master’s degree and is appropriate for people who already have a master’s degree. Our graduates become principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, curriculum specialists, and serve in a wide variety of building-level and district-level leadership roles.

The Educational Leadership master’s and specialist programs admits students for fall entrance only. Only complete applications are considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

• January 15, priority deadline 
  • Applications will be reviewed for early decisions. Applicants are encouraged to apply by this date as cohorts fill up quickly.
• May 1, traditional deadline 

Application Requirements 

To be considered for the Program, applicants must: 

• Have completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or from a recognized international University with a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a US bachelor's.
• Be working in or have access to an educational setting.
• Have a minimum of two years teaching experience.
• Submit an online Graduate School application which requires:
  • Unofficial transcript(s) (official transcripts will be required if you are accepted into the program.)
  • A current resume
  • Three recommendation forms
    • Recommendation forms should be submitted by references who can speak to your teaching and/or leadership experiences.
    • At least one recommendation must come from a building-level or district-level leader
    • All recommendations should be written by professional contacts
  • A personal statement 
    • Prompts will be provided within the application
  • Meet one of the following criteria:
    • Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores taken within the last five years 
    • A GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on the last degree earned
    • At least five years of classroom teaching experience with at least two years in a leadership position (e.g., subject or team leader, department chair, after school program coordinator)
    • Alternative graduate level exam (e.g., LSAT, & MCAT)

Students seeking building-level certification in South Carolina, or any other state in the United States, should consult the relevant educational authorities for information regarding certification requirements.

Additional information concerning supporting materials

Courses are offered in eight-week terms (excluding summers, which are six-week terms). Taking one course at a time, students complete two courses each semester.

With the support of CU Online, Clemson uses the most advanced online technology to provide a rich, supportive, seamless learning environment. Courses are asynchronous thus allowing students to access courses when and where they need. 

While students have great flexibility in asynchronous learning, there are key deadlines in each course when learning modules must be completed. Students are provided with timely support from instructors and technology personnel so that learning is maximized. 

Canvas, a very user-friendly learning management system, is used for all courses to guide the learning experiences. An orientation module will be provided before the start of the program to allow students to become comfortable with expectations and the technologies before classes formally start.

Option 1: M.Ed. with South Carolina building-level certification 
Option 1 is for certified South Carolina educators. This option includes a 30-hour core and two internships and leads to either elementary or secondary building-level administrative certification. 

Option 2: M.Ed. with potential for out-of-state building-level certification*  
Option 2 is for educators certified in a state other than South Carolina. In this option, students may be able to apply for certification in their own state by completing Clemson’s 30-hour core and transferring in six internship credit hours from another accredited program. 

* Clemson’s M.Ed. is fully accredited in South Carolina. Educators interested in receiving certification in another state are responsible for consulting with their state education agencies to determine their specific certification requirements.

Option 3: M.Ed. 
Option 3 is for educators desiring an educational leadership degree without certification. In this option, students may take the 30-hour core and add two graduate-level electives. Students may choose from a range of electives taught online from across Clemson’s College of Education. These courses are in areas such as athletic leadership, human resource development, online instructional design, literacy, and STEAM, and may be used to earn additional certifications. Students may also transfer in the six credit hours from another accredited university.

Option 1: Ed.S. with South Carolina building-level certification
Option 1 is for certified South Carolina educators. This option includes a 30-hour core and two internships and leads to either elementary or secondary building-level administrative certification.

Option 2: Ed.S. with potential for out-of-state building-level certification*
Option 2 is for educators certified in a state other than South Carolina. In this option, students may be able to apply for certification in their own state by completing Clemson’s 30-hour core and transferring in six internship credit hours from another accredited program.  

* Clemson’s Ed.S. is fully accredited in South Carolina. Educators interested in receiving certification in another state are responsible for consulting with their state education agencies to determine their specific certification requirements.

Option 3: Ed.S. 
Option 3 is for educators desiring an educational leadership degree without certification. In this option, students simply complete the 30-hour core.

The M.Ed. consists of 12 courses, totaling 36 credit hours, with a ten-course, 30-credit core. The six-semester program can be completed in 24 months with two courses offered each fall, spring, and summer. All courses are taken online and have field-based learning experiences embedded in them. The course sequence features a developmental approach to leadership in schools and communities with attention to the effects of rurality, poverty, and race on learning conditions and on student and community development. For those seeking certification, two internships are required. Non-certification students may choose from elective courses in programs across Clemson’s College of Education or transfer in electives from other programs. As the M.Ed. includes many applied experiences, students must be working in or have access to an educational setting. 

Fall 
EDLL 8000 – Introduction to School Leadership 
EDLL 8050 – Contemporary Issues in School Leadership

Spring 
EDLL 8200 – School Personnel Development 
EDLL 8250 – Law and Ethics for School Leaders

Summer 
EDLL 8100 – Organizational Improvement in School Leadership 
EDLL 8300 – Instructional Leadership I

– Second Year –

Fall 
EDLL 8400 – Instructional Leadership II
EDLL 8500/8550 – School Internship I or Elective

Spring 
EDLL 8150 – Community Relations for School Leaders 
EDLL 8450 – Resource Management for School Leaders

Summer 
EDLL 8350 – Program Evaluation for School Leaders 
EDLL 8510/8560 – School Internship II or Elective

* Internship is only required for those seeking South Carolina certification (option 1)

Building-Level Certification
The Ed.S. consists of a 10-course, 30-credit core, with two additional internship courses required for those seeking building-level certification. The six-semester program can be completed in 24 months with two courses offered each fall, spring and summer. All courses are taken online and have field-based learning experiences embedded in them. The course sequence features a developmental approach to leadership in schools and communities with attention to the effects of rurality, poverty, and race on learning conditions and on student and community development. For those seeking certification, two internships are required. As the Ed.S. includes many applied experiences, students must be working in or have access to an educational setting.

– First Year –

Fall 
EDLL 8000 – Introduction to School Leadership 
EDLL 8050 – Contemporary Issues in School Leadership 

Spring 
EDLL 8200 – School Personnel Development 
EDLL 8250 – Law and Ethics for School Leaders 

Summer 
EDLL 8100 – Organizational Improvement in School Leadership 
EDLL 8300 – Instructional Leadership I

– Second Year –

Fall 
EDLL 8400 – Instructional Leadership II
EDLL 8500/8550 – School Internship I or Elective

Spring 
EDLL 8150 – Community Relations for School Leaders 
EDLL 8450 – Resource Management for School Leaders 

Summer 
EDLL 8350 – Program Evaluation for School Leaders 
EDLL 8510/8560 – School Internship II or Elective

* Internship is only required for those seeking South Carolina certification (option 1)

District-Level Certification
The district-level Ed.S. consists of a 10-course, 30-credit core, which includes two sequenced internship courses required for those seeking district-level certification. The five-semester program can be completed in 20 months with two courses offered each fall, spring, and summer. All courses are taken online and have field-based learning experiences embedded in them. The course sequence features a developmental approach to leadership in schools and communities with attention to the effects of rurality, poverty, and race on learning conditions and on student and community development. For those seeking certification, two internships are required. For those interested in the degree-only, two elective courses approved by the student’s advisor and two advising committee members, may be substituted for the two, sequenced internships. As the Ed.S. includes many applied experiences, students must be working in or have access to an educational setting. 

– First Year – 

Fall
EDL 8050 – Advanced Educational Leadership: Theory and Practice 
EDL 8150 – The Superintendency 

Spring 
EDL 8100 – School Facilities Planning 
EDL 8200 – Politics of Education 

Summer
EDL 9250 – School System Instructional Leadership
EDL 8300 – Finance in School Systems

– Second Year –
 
Fall 
EDIS 9360 – Advanced Program Evaluation
EDL 8400 – Field Problems in School Administration and Supervision of Instruction 

Spring
EDL 8500 – Internship in School System Leadership 1 
EDL 8510 – Internship in School System Leadership 2

OR

Degree-Only (no certification) 
Two elective courses, approved by advisor & two Ed.S. advising committee members

Tuition and Fees
Explore information on tuition and fees using the Student Financial Services’ tuition and fee calculator (be sure to choose the ‘online’ tab at the top of the page).

South Carolina Teacher Incentive
The Educational Leadership M.Ed. and Ed.S. offers a South Carolina Teacher Incentive reducing tuition by 10% for all SC K-12 teachers and leaders.

Financial Aid
For information regarding Financial Aid, please contact the office of Student Financial Aid.

Review our College of Education Graduate Calendar to view upcoming events and information sessions.

For more information regarding the program or questions associated with applying to the program, please contact Ashley Vaughan at avaugha@clemson.edu.