Educational Leadership
If you've got teaching experience and would like to share your ideas with other teachers, you might be thinking of becoming the director of your school's math, science or language arts department. You may have even considered becoming a school principal or a district superintendent. For this, you'll need a graduate degree in educational leadership.
Help teachers work better by themselves and as part of a team, and improve the quality of education in schools that serve our children by pursuing a challenging and important career in educational leadership.
Educational Leadership Job Description
Educational leadership (EdD) degree programs focus on issues such as school effectiveness and improvement, restructuring of educational institutions, comparative international study of education reform, and policy analysis and development at the local, state and national levels.
EdD programs generally target the professional practitioner. PhD programs in educational administration and educational leadership are intended for those pursuing academic research roles. A degree in educational leadership or education administration is often needed to become a principal, assistant principal or school district administrator in the public school system.
Graduates of educational leadership programs tend to move into education administration roles, providing direction, leadership and management of day-to-day educational activities. Daily responsibilities of educational administrators include:
- Evaluating and improving educational programs such as special ed, bilingual, math or science
- Talking with parents and staff about educational goals and policies, student behavior and curricular improvements
- Preparing budget and grant proposals to improve education and support teachers in their school or district
- Overseeing school maintenance services and all school activities
Educational Leadership Credential Requirements
Students are required to have an undergraduate degree with educational leadership prerequisites or a bachelor's in education before being accepted into an educational leadership program. Many states require masters or PhDs for educational leadership or education administration roles. Remember to follow these educational leadership credential guidelines:
- Make sure the educational leadership program is approved by the Department of Education in your state.
- Make sure the program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Whether you're hoping for a job as school principal or district superintendent, learn which online educational leadership master degree or other educational leadership graduate degree is right for you.