The Master of School Administration (M.S.A.) meets state standards for North Carolina Level I administrator licensure (school principal). The degree requires 42 credit hours. Students engage the content of leadership preparation through graduate classroom engagement and assignments, observing schools and school leaders in their practice, and performing tasks under the supervision of a school-based and university mentor during the internship.

Courses are offered in the evenings during the Fall and Spring terms and at various times in the Summer term. Courses are offered online and off-campus. Most students are enrolled part-time.

For information regarding deadlines and requirements for admission, please see https://grs.uncg.edu/programs/.

In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate School, applicants must submit a resume or curriculum vitae and a personal statement (see departmental website for topic and details).

Qualified applicants will have at least three years of teaching or other professional educational experience (not limited to public schools).

Application deadline: May 15.

Degree Program Requirements

Required: 42 credit hours

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Required Courses (24 credits)
ELC 616	Culturally Responsive Leadership	3
ELC 660	The School Principalship	3
ELC 670	Leadership for Teaching and Learning	3
ELC 673	Principal Leadership for Special Education	3
ELC 675	Schools as Centers of Inquiry	3
ELC 683	Engaging the Public in Education	3
ELC 684	Teacher Rights, Recruitment, Retention, and Evaluation	3
ELC 694	Cultural and Political Dimensions of Schooling	3
Electives (6 credits)
Select two courses (6 credits) of electives *		6
Required Field Experiences (12 credits)
ELC 690	Practicum in Educational Administration **	12
Total Credit Hours		42

*

Students will work with their advisors to choose two electives (6 credits)— either in the department or outside it— that match the student's interests and provide both content and activities that are necessary to complete the student's preparation. Advisors will encourage students to choose electives that create interdisciplinary and interprofessional connections in the student's preparation.

**

Students are required to complete an internship experience that is the equivalent of one year of full-time administrative field experience.

Capstone Experience

To be eligible to receive North Carolina state licensure as a principal, students must submit a Licensure Portfolio to the department for review. The portfolio will include material drawn from the student's course work and internship and provide documentary evidence of meeting state leadership standards. ELC faculty members will review the student's portfolio for approval.

Program and Course Delivery

We offer students a coordinated blend of online and hybrid online/face-to-face courses. Our approach to program and course delivery is academically rigorous at the same time it is mindful of students’ professional obligations and personal lives.