Overview

The Educational Leadership program at Montana State University is nationally accredited by TEAC (Teacher Education Accreditation Council) as well as by the Montana Board of Public Education.  The focus of the program is to prepare K-12 school principals and school superintendents to effectively serve Montana communities and rural communities throughout the Northern Plains and Northern Rocky Mountain region of the United States.

Three levels of academic degrees are offered—Masters of Education (M.Ed.), Educational Specialist (Ed.S.), and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.).  Those students completing the degree requirements for the M.Ed. will also have met the academic requirements necessary for a Montana Class 3 Administrative license with a K-12 Principal Endorsement.  Those students completing the degree requirements for the Ed.S. or Ed.D. will also have met the academic requirements necessary for a Montana Class 3 Administrative license with a Superintendent endorsement.  Additionally, non-degree Principal and Superintendent Preparation programs are available for those students who already hold a Master’s degree in Education and qualify for a Montana Class I Teaching License. 

All options in the Educational Leadership program are offered using a combination of delivery methods. Online courses are delivered completely via distance and hybrid course use a combination of distance delivery and face to face meetings. The structure of the course will detemine the delivery methods employed.  For example, the M.Ed. principal preparation coursework is delivered completely online using distance delivery methods during the school year while its summer courses are blended with one week of face to face instruction.  On the other hand, the Ed.D. program courses usually blended such that the class meets for face to face instruction one weekend a month and online during the weeks in between meetings.

Programs and General Program Information

Programs

• Principal Preparation
• Superintendent Preparation
• Doctoral Preparation

General Program Information

• Program Admissions Requirements and Process
• Transfer Credits
• Program Standards
• Degree Process
• Board of Public Education/ Office of Public Instruction Intern Program
• Field Experience Requirements (EDLD 574)
  
  • Field Experience is one of the final experiences in the graduate education leadership program at Montana State University - Bozeman. It is designed to provide students who have finished or who have nearly finished their program to experience what it is like to provide leadership at the district level. It is an opportunity to apply and further develop leadership and administrative knowledge and skills under the guidance of a certified school leader/administrator in a site outside of the university environment.
  • Prerequisites:
    • EDLD 574 Field Experience
    • EDLD 610 Leadership and Organizational Theory
    • EDLD 620 The School Superintendent
    • EDLD 630 Supervision and Instructional Leadership

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Application materials for admission into a principal preparation cohort should be submitted by 1 March. Our principal preparation cohorts, a group of students that proceed through the program as a group, begin each summer around mid-May.

A limited number of students may be admitted into the principal preparation program during fall and spring semester provided a sound reason exists for an exception. Candidates seeking an exception should contact Dr. Bill Ruff by email, wruff@montana.edu, or phone, 406 994 4182, to discuss the issue.

Yes, all students seeking to take principal licensure coursework need to be admitted to the program prior to completing their second semester of courses. Ideally, students should be admitted into the principal licensure program prior to taking coursework.

No, there are no admission review requirements for students entering into the superintendent preparation program with the exception that students registering for the superintendent courses must have completed an accredited principal preparation program.

You may get the Advisor/Alternate PIN needed to register for graduate courses from the Graduate Administrative Assistant. You can contact the Graduate Administrative Assistant at edgrad@montana.edu or 994-6786, to obtain the appropriate PIN number.

The Rural Education Leadership Cohort emerged from a partnership with the MSU Educational Leadership faculty and the Montana Rural Education Association. Its purpose is to prepare effective administrators in leading rural, often single administrator, schools throughout Montana. The program offers principal and superintendent licensure courses such that upon completion of the program students are academically eligible for licensure with both K-12 Principal and School Superintendent endorsements.

No admissions tests are required for entry into the Master's degree or Educational Specialist programs in Educational Leadership. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) is required for all students requesting admission into the Ed.D. Program in Educational Leadership.

How are advisors assigned?

Advisors are full time faculty members in the Educational Leadership program that monitor and facilitate a student's progress, ensure the student takes the courses appropriate to his or her goals, advocate for the individual student, and serves as Chair of the student's Graduate Committee. An Advisor is assigned to each student at the time of admission; however, the student may select his or her advisor when completing the program of study. NOTE: Students selecting an advisor different from the faculty member initially assigned need to obtain the faculty member's permission before listing them as an advisor.

The Program of Study is a listing of courses that the student will need to take to be graduated and/or recommended for administrative licensure. It needs to be completed by the student and submitted to their advisor by the end of the student's second semester of enrollment into the program. The form may be obtained from the Graduate School website under the heading of "forms." The required courses for your program option are listed elsewhere on this website by cohort.