Graduate Catalog 2003-2004

Educational Administration and Supervision/Leadership Studies

Educational Administration and Supervision (EDAS) & Leadership Studies (EDLS)

Degree: Master of Education; Specialist in Education; Doctor of Education

Judy Alston, Chair/Graduate Coordinator
Room: 511 Education Building
Phone: 419-372-7377

Graduate Faculty

Associate Professors - Judy Alston, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor - Jeffry Bowman, Ph.D.; Judith Jackson May, Ph.D.; Patrick Pauken, J.D., Ph.D.; Judith Zimmerman, Ph.D.

The programs in Educational Administration and Supervision and Leadership Studies offer three graduate-level programs for people who are interested in careers in the field of educational administration and leadership. The Master of Education degree is intended for those who wish to qualify as administrators or supervisors in schools or educational service agencies. After completing this graduate program, most students are eligible to apply course work toward licensure by the Ohio State Department of Education in the following areas: assistant superintendent (48 semester hours); elementary principalship (45 semester hours); high school principalship (45 semester hours); and supervisor (33 semester hours).

The Specialist in Education program, if carefully planned, will enable students to meet requirements for the positions of superintendent of schools or other administrative specialist positions for which an Ohio licensure is needed.
The Doctor of Education degree in Leadership Studies is a cohort-based interdisciplinary program designed to prepare individuals for leadership positions in educational settings, human resources institutions, or other professional organizations, or for teaching/research positions in colleges and universities.

Prerequisites to Graduate Work

Teaching or administrative experience in a school setting prior to pursuing a graduate program in EDAS is not required but strongly recommended. If an applicant is deficient in general and/or professional preparation, additional course work may required as a condition of admission. Also, if a student is interested in being recommended for an Ohio administrative or supervisory license, prior certification/licensure and teaching experience are required. As the leadership studies doctoral program is interdisciplinary, prior teaching or administrative experience in a K-12 setting is not required.

Admission Procedure

Applicants seeking admission to the EDAS graduate programs should follow the instructions outlined in the "Graduate Admission" section of this catalog. Applicants must also fulfill the following departmental requirements for admission.
Applicants to the M.Ed. and Ed.S. programs must submit three written recommendations from professional persons, including an employer.

Applicants to the Ed.S. program must also submit a comprehensive biographical sheet that includes personal information, educational data, and a description of teaching and/or employment experience.

Applicants to the Ed.D. program must submit a professional résumé and four current letters of recommendation. At least one letter should be from a person who is familiar with the applicant's academic work and one letter should be from a person knowledgeable about the applicant's professional competence and potential in terms of leadership and management in administration.

Ed.D. applicants must also submit a written statement approximately two pages in length describing the applicant's present goals, interests, and reasons for seeking admission. The application deadline for the Ed.D. fall cohort is March 15.

A completed application for a graduate assistantship should also be included if such an appointment is desired.

Degree Requirements
Master of Education

Students may pursue the M.Ed. degree under one of two plans:


Plan I: Candidates must write a thesis and complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate course work. The thesis experience provides students with an opportunity to conduct research and to test theory against present practice in administration.

Plan II: Candidates must complete 33 semester hours of graduate course work , including work in statistics and methodology, and a final written comprehensive examination.

Each student's program is planned individually in consultation with an adviser to meet degree and certification requirements.
Specialist in Education

A minimum of 30 semester hours of post-master's graduate work is required. The program of study is spread over courses in: educational administration; professional education outside the area of educational administration; and research methods and educational statistics. An internship or field experience is required.

Doctor of Education

The Ed.D. degree is a 60-hour, post-master's program. A minimum of 45 hours of course work (excluding dissertation research) that includes completion of 20 hours of specified EDLS core courses and six hours of research methodology is required. Specific departmental requirements for the Ed.D. are described in a brochure that can be obtained from the EDAS/EDLS office.

General requirements for each degree are outlined in the "Degree Programs" section of this catalog.

Graduate Courses


Please access graduate courses online at http://webapps.bgsu.edu/courses/search.php. Graduate courses offered by the department use the prefix: EDAS and EDLS.

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