What you will study
UCM’s Educational Leadership degree for K–12 school leaders is designed for educators
who already have a master’s degree but want to deepen their knowledge and skills.
As a graduate student, you’ll build on your existing knowledge with coursework that
covers a wide scope of leadership competencies, including finance, law, curriculum,
data analysis, administration and supervision.
Throughout the graduate program, you’ll work with a mentor to observe, participate
and facilitate school management and improvement roles. You’ll continue to work in
your current position while broadening your impact in your school community.
Excellence in Educational Leadership
- Top 15%: Most Focused Colleges for Education (College Factual, 2022)
- Top 6%: Most Popular Colleges for Education (College Factual, 2022)
Unique learning opportunities in educational leadership
As a graduate student in UCM’s Educational Leadership program, you’ll put your knowledge
into action with hands-on learning opportunities. Most Educational Leadership students
are also full-time teachers, so we’ve structured our program to adapt to your schedule
and ensure that you can take advantage of knowledge-sharing opportunities with your
peers:
- Internships: Tie together everything you’ve learned by working with local administrators and real-life
scenarios during a two-semester practicum at your school or another location of your
choice. You’ll identify challenges that your school is facing and design and implement
a solution that directly impacts your school and students.
- Collaborative Principals Preparation Program (CPPP): Graduate students can take advantage of our collaborative partnership with Kansas
City area school districts and complete their Educational Leadership degree close
to home. Learn alongside teachers from area schools and benefit from the guidance
and support of an administrative mentor from your school district.
- Practical application: As a UCM student, you’ll learn by doing, applying your knowledge in real-world situations.
Whether you attend in-person or online classes, you’ll solve real problems and make
meaningful changes at your school.
What can you do with an Educational Leadership degree from UCM?
When you earn your degree in Educational Leadership from UCM you’re demonstrating
your commitment to creating a positive and effective learning environment while gaining
the credentials you need to advance your career in a leadership position. Our EdS
degree for K–12 school leaders provides the coursework required by the state to apply
for certification for school administration once a performance assessment and content
test have been successfully completed.
Graduates of this program can apply to a wide variety of leadership roles — including
lead teacher, instructional coach or a central office position. If you plan to pursue
a terminal degree, our EdS will equip you for advanced education and a successful
future in school leadership.
Careers in educational leadership
Use the tool below to explore careers in educational leadership. View salary potential,
employment trends, job growth rates and other career data.
Financial assistance options for your Educational Leadership degree
At the University of Central Missouri, we recognize that earning a degree is a big
investment. We’re proud to offer a regionally recognized degree at a lower-than-average
cost. In addition to our low tuition and fees, we offer financial resources such as
scholarships, grants and awards to help finance your college education. In fact, we are recognized as a top-ranked university for low student debt by LendEDU
and as a Best Value College by U.S. News & World Report.
Beyond the university-wide scholarships we offer, the College of Education offers
three scholarships for our graduate students in the Educational Leadership degree
program:
- Cliff and Patty Mohn CPPP Scholarship
- School Administration Scholarship
- Dr. John Paul Mees Scholarship
Learn more about program-specific scholarships by using the .
Meet Courtney H.
EdS Educational Leadership ’21 - Coordinator, Early Learning
“The lessons provided me with real-life experiences from the field that are relevant
to what educators are facing today. Those valuable experiences supported me in my
journey to become an educational leader.”
Study at the Missouri Innovation Campus
State-of-the-art facilities
Students in the Kansas City area can attend classes at our Lee’s Summit campus. This
building, built in 2017 in collaboration with the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District,
provides a cutting-edge learning environment with dedicated spaces for team projects
and collaboration.
Faculty Mentorship
Real-world educators
All of our Educational Leadership program faculty hold terminal degrees and have prior
experience in K–12 teaching and leadership positions. With varied backgrounds and
experiences, they understand the challenges you’ll face and will mentor you through
the program to help you succeed.
A History of Tradition
Well-respected and recognized throughout the state
UCM has been training educational leaders for generations in the Kansas City area
and throughout Missouri. We partner with local school districts to develop educators
who are equipped with the most recent theories and tools to effectively lead change.
As a future school leader, you can feel confident that you’ll have the knowledge and
skills you need to advance your career.
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