HELP Specialist of Arts in Educational Leadership (EDL) Print-Friendly Page Add to Portfolio

Adviser: Elizabeth Broughton, PhD.
304 Porter
734.487.0255
ebroughto@emich.edu

Model

Eastern Michigan University’s advanced professional education programs develop leaders who demonstrate reflective thought and scholarship within the context of a culturally diverse society.

Admission Requirements

1. Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School.
2. Applicants must have completed a master’s degree from an accredited University with a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
3. Foreign students must submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 550 (total) or the Michigan English Language Ability Battery (MELAB) of 77.
4. Applicants must submit confidential appraisal forms from two professional supervisors and/or supervising professors that address the quality of the applicant’s professional work. Applicants may receive these forms from the department office. Recommendation forms are due with the Application for Graduate Admissions form.
5. Applicants must present evidence of a valid teaching certificate or sign a waiver indicating that they do not seek certification.
6. Applicants must submit a résumé that details their professional and educational experiences.
7. On the graduate application, students must complete the personal statement of accomplishments and academic goals portion describing the reasons for requesting admission. This essay must be a minimum of 250 words and will be reviewed as an indicator of writing ability.

Admission Process

The admission process for the specialist’s degree is as follows:

1. The Office of Admissions will receive and gather all required documents. Completed applications that contain the required GPAs, confidential appraisal forms and the résumé will be forwarded to the coordinator of advising for the educational leadership program.
2. Completed applications will be reviewed by the faculty review committee. Those applications that include acceptable GPAs, the résumé, recommendations, test scores, goal statements and confidential appraisal forms will be admitted, assigned an adviser and invited for an advising interview. Applications may be deemed “questionable” due to a combination of low GPA, low test scores, fair or poor recommendations, poor writing ability and/or statements that are inconsistent with the student’s goals as an administrator.
3. These applications will be reviewed by the full faculty, giving special consideration to the student’s life experiences, verbal skills, writing skills, educational background, and GPAs.
4. Those applications which are accepted will be notified.
5. All decisions by the faculty regarding admissions are final.

Retention Review Requirements

A retention review will be conducted by the faculty review committee and coordinated by the EDLD coordinator of advising. Students who have not met the following criteria will be identified and asked to meet with their academic advisers. Students must have:

1. A minimum GPA of at least 3.3 in required educational leadership courses; and
2. An overall academic skills assessment of average, or above, in any educational leadership class.

Retention Process

The objective of this retention plan is to assure that students have an opportunity to review the appropriateness of their career choice and to receive assistance in achieving their specialist in arts degree in educational leadership should they choose to continue in the field. The retention review will be conducted by the EDLD coordinator of advising with the faculty review committee.

1. The Leadership Candidate Evaluation form may be completed for any student in any class, if they choose to do so. These forms will be filed in the student’s folder.
2. The EDLD coordinator of advising will examine the files of all students who did not achieve the required GPA and recommend review by the faculty review committee.
3. The folders, with the evaluation forms for this group of students, will then be reviewed by the faculty review committee. If the committee agrees that the record of each student indicates performance below graduate or program standards, the student and his or her adviser will be notified in writing.
4. The EDLD coordinator of advising will send a letter to each identified student requesting him or her to meet with his or her adviser to discuss career goals and the need for assistance. If the need for assistance is established, a plan will be developed. For example, if difficulties exist with skill or concept acquisition, the student may be required to audit a class.

Culminating Experience

The culminating experience for the specialist’s degree will be the student’s field-based research study and presentation of the student’s internship experiences as set forth in his or her written log. The culminating experience will be conducted by the instructor of the intern program and the director of the field-based research study.

Field-Based Research

Field-based research, EDLD 713, is available to specialist degree students winter or summer term only. Students are encouraged to contact the department at least one semester prior to registration for the class to reserve a place in the class.