Administration and Supervision, M.Ed.

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The Master of Education degree program is designed for experienced educators who wish to enhance their professional preparation or prepare for entry-level leadership positions in educational organizations. The graduate of this program is expected to possess the professional attributes and competencies needed to qualify for a position of responsible leadership. Thirty-three (33) credits are required for the master’s degree program: 30 credits of specified core coursework and a 3-credit internship. Students must also pass the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) exam, or if not seeking endorsement must pass a comprehensive exam.

For students seeking Virginia endorsement, candidates are responsible for completion of all other Virginia requirements. In addition to completion of the School of Education and Human Development’s approved program of studies and internship, candidates are required to earn a passing score on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) and demonstrate a minimum of three years of successful classroom teaching experience with a Virginia teaching license. The Virginia Department of Education website provides detailed information about Virginia requirements for endorsement in PreK-12 Administration and Supervision.

Program Requirements

All requirements for the M.Ed. must be completed within 5 years of the time a student enrolls in the first course in his/her program following admission to the program. Only courses completed within 5 years of beginning the master’s degree program (after admission) will be counted toward completion of degree requirements.

Required Courses

EDLF 7140 - LEAD II: Professional Learning Credits: 3
EDLF 7805 - Cultivating Professional Capacity Credits: 3
EDLF 7806 - Family and Community Engagement Credits: 3
EDLF 7807 - Leadership Experiences, Applications & Development Credits: 3
EDLF 7808 - Strategic Alignment of Planning and Resources Credits: 3
EDLF 7810 - Legal and Educational Policy Context Credits: 3
EDLF 7811 - Leadership for Teaching and Learning Credits: 3
EDLF 7812 - Leadership for Continuous Improvement Credits: 3
EDLF 7813 - Leadership for EdTech Credits: 3
EDLF 7815 - Leadership for Equity of Diverse Populations Credits: 3
EDLF 8988 - Administrative Internship Credits: 1 to 3

Culminating Experience

Students must complete an administrative internship in a local school division. Designed to wed theory and best practices, the internship provides practical application of the content knowledge acquired through the program. The internship may be started after 21 hours of coursework, including School Law, has been completed.

All students must pass a comprehensive exam to become eligible for graduation. Students anticipating applying for the PreK-12 administrative endorsement in Virginia must use the State Leadership Licensure Assessment (SLLA) given by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), required for endorsement by Virginia, as a comprehensive exam. The SLLA exam must be taken early enough to allow 15 business days for ETS to report scores to the School of Education and Human Development. If scores do not arrive on or before the deadline date each semester (May 1, June 1, and Dec 1), the student will not be able to graduate in that semester and will be required to pay a fee to graduate in the next semester.

Students who do not anticipate applying for the PreK-12 administrative endorsement in Virginia may choose to take an alternative comprehensive exam. When nearing completion of the program of study, these students would, with the advisor’s approval, request an alternative comprehensive exam that is evaluated by two faculty readers. Satisfactory performance must be demonstrated before the student can graduate. A student who fails to perform satisfactorily on the comprehensive examination may petition for one re-examination.

Public Professional Licensure Disclosure

As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement, the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)). 

Upon completion of the Master of Education in Administration and Supervision at the UVA School of Education and Human Development, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state.

Please visit the University’s state authorization web pages to make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))

Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).