Program Admission

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Graduate School Application

After reviewing the admission requirements below, please select the appropriate application. The University is transitioning application platforms; pay close attention when selecting the application below.

• 2021-2022 Application (Winter 22)
• 2022-2023 Application (Summer 22, Fall 22, or Winter 23)  

The program you are applying to may not accept applicants every semester.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Admission Requirements

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

A four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution. In addition, a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program, is required for full admission. Applicants who do not meet minimum admission requirements may be considered for conditional admission. See International Admissions for international applicant requirements.

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements:

• Recommendation forms from two professional supervisors and/or supervising professors that address the applicant’s professional work quality. The completed forms are due within the online Application for Graduate Admissions. By entering the recommender’s email address within the online application, they will upload a letter and the required recommendation form directly to your application. The recommendation form must come directly from your reference.
• Submit a résumé that details their professional and educational experiences.
• A 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 master’s degree is as follows:

• Completed applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
• 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.
• The faculty review committee will review completed applications. Those applicants who have submitted acceptable GPAs, résumé, recommendations and personal statement will be admitted, assigned an advisor, and invited for an advising interview. An application may be deemed “questionable” due to a combination of low GPA, fair or poor recommendations, poor writing ability, and/or statements inconsistent with the student’s goals as an administrator. The full faculty will review these “questionable” applications, giving special consideration to the life experiences, verbal skills, writing skills, educational background, and GPAs.
• Applicants who are accepted will be notified following admission decisions.
• All decisions by the faculty regarding admissions are final.

Department Information

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Leadership & Counseling | Dr. Devika Dibya Choudhuri​, Ph.D., Interim Department Head | 304 Porter, 734.487.0255, dchoudhur@emich.edu

Advisor Information

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James Berry, Ph.D., 304 Porter, 734.487.0255, jberry@emich.edu

Program Requirements

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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 advisors. Students must have:

1. A minimum GPA of at least 3.25, in required educational leadership courses;
2. Acceptable progress made in developing a professional portfolio after completing 18 hours of coursework; and
3. 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 master’s 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. After completing 18 hours of course work, students should schedule a meeting with their advisor to discuss the review progress in developing a professional portfolio.
2. Faculty may complete the Leadership Candidate Evaluation form for any student in any class if they choose to do so. These forms will be filed in the student’s folder.
3. Each semester the Office of Graduate Studies and Research will review the GPA of each student completing 12 hours. The EDLD coordinator of advising will examine the files of all students who have not achieved the required GPA and recommend the review by the faculty review committee.
4. The coordinator of advising will request each identified student to meet with their advisor 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.

Exit Process

Professional Formation

As part of your internship experience, you were asked to write a Professional Formation, which required you to review your self-assessment, journal, critical incident report(s), interview notes, your supporting materials, as well as your EDLD coursework and develop a synthesis of your learning in your program. Because of this reflection, you have developed a personalized understanding of “what it means to be an administrator.”

In this process, you prepared a 4-5-page paper addressing the following questions:

• During the program, students read a lot and participate in many assignments and activities. Of all these things, what two or three are most memorable and how have they shaped who you are as a leader?
• As you reflect on your internship and the experiences you have had in your coursework, what are the skills, attitudes, and feelings you would want to promote as an educational leader? Why are these important?

• What experiences in the internship shaper your beliefs? What experiences in your coursework have shaped your beliefs? How have they changed because of the internship and/or coursework? How have you changed as a leader? What stands out as areas of significant growth for you as an educational leader?

• As you reflect on your internship and the experiences you have had in your coursework, what other experiences do you need to engage in as you continue your professional growth?

As your final experience in the program, we would like you to share your Professional Formation with your adviser as well as participate in an exit interview.

Exit Interview

You must schedule a mutually agreed upon time with your faculty advisor for a formal presentation of your Professional Formation from your internship and an exit interview. It is important to schedule this meeting early in the semester to coordinate your schedule with your adviser’s schedule. Students planning to graduate during the spring or summer should know that not all faculty may be teaching those semesters. Accordingly, you must make arrangements early with your advisor to ensure their availability. As part of your Internship experience, you complete and included in your internship notebook a Professional Formation. To complete your exit interview, you must submit a copy of your Professional Formation to your adviser by sharing a copy with your faculty advisor in Watermark at least seven (7) days in advance of your exit interview so that your adviser may have an opportunity to review your Professional Formation prior to your interview.

Your presentation of the Professional Formation will consist of a brief discussion of your reflections of your understanding of “what it means to be an educational leader,” followed by a discussion with faculty regarding the student’s personal learning and growth, along with perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the overall program.

Assessment of the Professional Formation and exit interview will be made using the following criteria:

• Quality of written and oral communications
• Comprehensiveness
• Meaningfulness as evident through reflection
• Demonstration of personal growth

The Professional Formation/Exit Interview will be evaluated as follows:

1. Pass without revisions
2. Pass with minor revisions by the date indicated
3. Pass with major revisions by the date indicated
4. No pass

Degree Requirements: 35 hours

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Students must complete 29 hours of program course work and six hours (including EDPS 667 - Principles of Educational Research ) in the supportive area. EDPS 667 should be taken as early as possible in the program. The student’s advisor will assist in developing the program of study that may include course work necessary for both administrative certification and the master’s degree. A minimum of 35 hours of graduate credit applicable to the program is required for the master of arts degree. Courses in the basic concentration include:

Additional Information

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Course Substitutions/Program Changes - The advisor must approve changes in the student’s official program and substitution of courses before registration.

Courses Outside the Program - The Program faculty have prepared a suggested list of courses. Other courses may be used for electives in this area if approved by the student’s advisor.

Internships - Information is available from the director of the intern program or at emich.edu/coe/lc. Internship placements should be arranged at least one semester in advance and approved by the internship director.

For more information about the program, admissions, etc., contact the department head.