Mar 29, 2024  
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] 
    
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Central Office/Superintendent Endorsement [Post-Master’s Certificate]

Location(s): Online


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The State of Michigan K-12 School Administrator Certification is a state-supported post-master’s professional development option for prospective and current educators who seek enhanced training in school and/or district leadership, management and instruction. This credential, reinstated by legislative approval in January 2007, coincides with an ongoing process of Michigan state certification available through designated post-secondary institutions (including Eastern Michigan University) for the Basic (Initial) Certificate in K-12 Administration (school/assistant principal licensure). The Central Office/Superintendent Endorsement typically requires the successful completion of the basic (initial) school principal certificate.

The Basic Certificate in K-12 Administration may also be earned as part of the Master’s and/or Specialist’s Degree Program or as a Post-Master’s Certificate in Educational Leadership at Eastern Michigan University. The district-level leadership endorsement may be earned as part of the Specialist Degree Program in Educational Leadership at Eastern Michigan University or as a Post-Master’s Certificate also.

The Central Office/Superintendent Endorsement Certificate requires 21 hours (minimum) of EMU Educational Leadership Specialist program courses (with an approved master’s degree) to be determined by the program advisor. These courses must meet the requirements of EMU’s state-approved program.

Online Education Eligibility

  • The U.S. Federal Government limits the number of online courses international students may enroll in while living in the United States. For this reason, we cannot admit students on F1 or J1 VISAs to fully online programs. Please check with International Admissions to confirm eligibility before applying.
  • All applicants, please review Online Education for Out-of-State Students to confirm your eligibility to enroll in an online program based in Michigan.
 

Program Admission


Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; students may start the program in the Summer, Fall, or Winter. See Application Deadlines.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) 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. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements. Requirements may be more stringent than the minimum graduate school requirements.

  • Applicants must have completed a master’s degree from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
  • Submit recommendation forms from two professional supervisors and/or supervising professors that address the quality of the applicant’s professional work. 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 be able to 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.

Application

Your application will be submitted using GradCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions  and select the appropriate application.

Domestic Applicants Within the application, applicants will follow the instructions to submit official transcripts from the institution(s) that granted their bachelor’s and graduate degrees.

If the bachelor’s degree-granting transcript does NOT list 30 or more credit hours with an overall GPA of 3.0 or over OR list 60 or more credit hours with an overall GPA between 2.7 and 2.99, the applicant is required to submit transcripts from all previously attended institutions. The University may ask applicants to submit additional transcripts after applying.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

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

Admission Process

The admission process 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 résumé are forwarded to the coordinator of advising for the educational leadership program.
  2. The faculty review committee will review completed applications. Those applicants who have submitted acceptable GPAs, résumé, recommendations, and personal statement are 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 entire faculty will review these “questionable” applications, giving special consideration to the life experiences, verbal skills, writing skills, educational background, and GPAs.
  3. Those persons whose applications are accepted are notified.
  4. All decisions by the faculty regarding admissions are final.
 

Department Information


Leadership & Counseling 304 Porter, 734.487.0255

Kimberly Kappler Hewitt, PhD, Department Head

Advisor Information


Ronald Clement, PhD, 304 Porter, 734.487.0255

Phillip Caldwell, PhD, 304 Porter, 734.487.0255

Certificate Requirements: 21 hours (minimum)


21 credit hours (minimum) of required EMU educational leadership specialist program courses (with an approved master’s degree) typically along with the basic (Initial) certificate in K-12 administration (principal/assistant principal licensure) to be determined with the program advisor. The two credit hour Administrative Internship is required. Courses must have the approval of the program advisor before the beginning of the program.

  • The advisor must approve course substitutions/program changes before registration.
  • The faculty has prepared a suggested list of courses outside the program. Other courses may be used for electives in this area if approved by the student’s advisor.
  • Internship 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.

Critical Graduation Information


Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Graduate Certificate requirements must be completed within three (3) years of first enrollment in a course applicable to the certificate. Dually enrolled students (certificate and master’s program) must complete both degrees within six years of first enrollment in the master’s degree. 

In the event a student does not complete the graduate certificate degree requirements within three years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are the minimum requirements for all graduate certificate degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

  • A graduate certificate must require a minimum of 12 credit hours.
  • No more than six credits of independent study courses and 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.  
  • Residency Requirement - For students admitted to a graduate certificate program, at least nine graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the program must be earned at EMU. Students completing multiple certificate programs must have a minimum of 9 unique credit hours per certificate.
  • Application of completed certificates toward prior degree credit - Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours of the master’s program.
  • The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
  • Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.

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