A Leadership Program for Professional Educators
Prepare to lead high-achieving, culturally-responsive schools with a Master of Arts (M.A.) or Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in UNC’s Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration program. Delivered in a convenient online format that you can start any term, this interdisciplinary degree brings together faculty with extensive and diverse professional experience as K-12 administrators, ranging from assistant principal to assistant superintendent. Graduates of the Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration program earn dual licensure as a principal and a special education director.
Degree Options
UNC’s online Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration offers Master of Arts (MA) and Educational Specialist (EdS) degree options, both of which provide dual licensure as a principal and special education director.
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration — with Dual Licensure as a Principal and Special Education Director
Complete your master’s degree while obtaining principal and special education director licensure in Colorado. You’ll gain the skills to direct educational programs, implement policies and lead positive change in educational systems. You’ll also apply your learning through extensive classroom experience and research opportunities. Designed for working professionals, the Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration MA degree can be completed online and you can start any academic term.
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Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration
If you already have a Master of Arts degree, the Educational Specialist degree enables you to earn an advanced degree while obtaining a principal and special education director license. This program is also offered entirely online and can conveniently be started any academic term.
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Related Programs
Your Future in Educational Leadership and Special Education
Develop marketable leadership skills to address the complex challenges facing educational systems. UNC’s Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration program brings together expert faculty from diverse educational leadership backgrounds and offers valuable opportunities to apply your learning in the field.
Consider UNC’s Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration programs if you are:
- Dedicated to helping diverse students access the best possible education
- Interested in finding solutions to a wide range of educational challenges
- Looking for a top graduate program you can complete online while continuing your career
You’ll learn:
- Leadership roles and strategies
- Program planning and organization
- Policy, budget and resource development
- Effective methods for parent and community engagement
Sample courses:
- Shaping Organizations: Management and Leadership in Education
- School Finance and Budgeting
- The Principalship: Leadership at the School Site Level
- Administration and Supervision of Special Education
- Law and the Administrator
- Internship in Educational Leadership
Beyond the Classroom
Graduates of the Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration program work as building principals at elementary, middle or high school levels; and district level positions including special education directors and central office administrators.
Where can your degree take you?
Career options held by our graduates include:
- Principal
- Public or private school administrator
- Special education director
- Department chair
- Curriculum specialist
- College admissions director
Current Research in Educational Leadership and Special Education Administration
Our faculty are both accessible, dedicated teachers and top researchers in their respective fields. Our department’s current research undertakings include:
Charter School Barriers:
Do Enrollment Requirements Limit Student Access to Charter Schools?
Spencer Weiler, Ph.D., and Linda Vogel, Ph.D.
The potential of the charter school movement to positively influence traditional public education lies in the ability of charter school officials to provide all students access to the curriculum. UNC Educational Leadership professors Spencer Weiler and Linda Vogel recently conducted a study to document potential registration and enrollment barriers incorporated into the practices of Colorado charter schools, such as parent commitment requirements, fees, registration and lottery information. Their findings suggest that Colorado charter schools have created specific barriers to registration that could impede some students from fully participating, and call for charter schools to increase transparency related to every aspect of the registration and enrollment process.
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