Educational Leadership (MEd)
This online Educational Leadership MEd program, inclusive of principal certification, is designed to develop culturally responsive educational leaders to serve a diverse student population, especially the English language learner.
Are you ready to move into school leadership positions? UTRGV’s M.Ed. in Educational Leadership online program prepares you for new opportunities as a socio-culturally aware educational leader competent in site-based school management, school law, finance and personnel practices.
Learn how to effectively direct and advocate for academic excellence as well as lead positive change in today’s schools with special focus on students from multicultural backgrounds and English language learner (ELL) populations. Gain management experience through field-based problem solving and practice collaborative strategies to shape a nurturing school campus culture.
• Benchmark Degree Progression Expectations (Effective Fall 2020)
Visit the Graduate College for more information.
Accolades
Ranked #36 for Best Online Masters in Educational Leadership Degree by intelligent.com (2021).
Admission Requirements
Step #1: Submit a UTRGV Graduate Application at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply. There is no application fee.
Step #2: Request your official transcripts to be sent electronically to gradapps@utrgv.edu or mailed to:
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The Graduate College
Marialice Shary Shivers Bldg. 1.158
1201 W. University Drive
Edinburg, TX 78539-2999
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the graduate program, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 GPA in the last 60 semester credit hours for clear admission; 2.75 - 2.99 GPA for Conditional Admission.
- Official Transcripts.
- Vita/Resume that includes educational background and work experience.
- Personal statement of two pages by responding to the following guiding questions:
- Why do you want to pursue an educational leadership degree?
- What leadership activities have you accomplished in the past especially as it relates within your teacher career?
- What personal attributes do you possess that would help you succeed in your educational journey to complete the degree?
- Video presentation – Develop a 15-minute video presentation that exhibits how you use student performance data to improve instruction.
How to Submit the Video You need to submit a link (URL) to your video (such as on YouTube.com or your own website), not the video file itself, and add the link to a Word document. You’ll need to upload the word document to the application. Do not secure your video with a password. Alternatively, we recommend you have the video unlisted. In YouTube, there are three privacy settings: Public, Private, and Unlisted. Please select, Unlisted.- Public – the default setting and anyone can see your video.
- Private – only available to those invited and must have their own YouTube accounts.
- Unlisted – requires a direct link to be able to see your video and does not require a YouTube account to view. (Select this option)
- Clear Criminal Background Check (CBC).
- Two years of teaching experience.
- Copy of Educator Certificate.
- Copy of Teacher Service Record.
An applicant who does not meet the minimum GPA requirement and is seeking certification in a class other than classroom teacher must perform at or above a score equivalent to a 2.5 GPA on the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytic Writing sections of the GRE ® (Graduate Record Examinations) revised General Test. The State Board for Educator Certification will use equivalency scores established by the Educational Testing Service, and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will publish those equivalency scores annually on the TEA website. TAC 227.10(a)(3)(D).
The application for admission must be submitted before the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.
Additional requirements for domestic applicants who attended foreign universities and international applicants::
- TOEFL or IELTS Language Proficiency Test with minimum scores: 550 on paper-based, 213 on computer based, or 79 on Internet-based for the TOEFL; 6.5 for the IELTS. TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for 2 years. For additional information, visit the Additional Documents for Domestic Applicants who Attend Foreign Universities section of our website.
- Certified English translation of educational records.
*Students in fully online programs are not eligible for I-20 or student visas however international applicants can study from their home country.
Check Program Availability in Your State
Higher Education Act of 1965 include changes in regulation for State Authorization that may impact online, distance, and correspondence education providers. Please review Check Program Availability in Your State for more details.
Fitness to Lead and Policy Exit Guidelines and Procedures for Professional Dispositions
Required acknowledgement for Master in Educational Leadership and Principal Certification programs:
Criminal History Acknowledgement
As required by Texas HB1508, applicants need to be aware of the following.
- In order to receive a educator certification in Texas, you must pass a criminal history background check.
- If you have been convicted of an offense that is considered not appropriate for an educator, you could be ineligible to earn this certification from the state of Texas.
- You have a right to request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter from the Texas Education Agency prior to admission into this program. The Texas Education Agency currently charges a $50 fee for this criminal history evaluation.
For more information on Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation:
https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/Preliminary_Criminal_History_Evaluation-FAQs/
Application Deadlines & Program Contact
Visit the Graduate College Calendar for the Master of Education in Educational Leadership Online to view module start and end dates, application, registration, and payment deadlines.
Program Contact
Debra Lynn Arce, Ed.D.
(956) 665-7444
debra.arce@utrgv.edu
EEDUC 1.510A
Course Requirements
EDUL 6300: Data Management for School Improvement
This course focuses on analyzing and interpreting campus data for decision-making necessary to promote the success of all children. Special emphasis will be on developing action plans to meet student performance goals. Additionally, the course focuses on the development of educators as leaders in assessment, research and evaluation. Applicable laws, policies and regulations including local, state and federal accountability standards will be emphasized.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
EDUL 6305: Socio-Cultural Contexts of Education
This course develops an understanding of how socio-cultural forces and emerging issues impact the school leader’s role in creating culturally responsive learning environments. Attention will be given to leadership strategies and best practices essential for addressing diverse learners. Future leaders learn to promote the success of all students and shape campus culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the full community. Applicable laws, policies and regulations will be emphasized.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
EDUL 6318: Ethics, Equity and Diversity
Students will learn to model and promote the highest standard of conduct, ethical principles, and integrity in all decision making, actions, and behaviors to establish equity and acceptance of diversity in the school community.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
EDUL 6320: Curriculum Leadership for School Improvement
In this course, students will learn to facilitate the design and implementation of curricula and strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning. Emphasis is on the alignment of curriculum, curriculum resources, and assessment, and the use of various forms of assessment to measure student performance. It will include the research of successful strategies for identified student groups. Applicable laws, policies and regulations will be emphasized.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
EDUL 6330: Instructional Leadership for Diverse Learners
This course provides a study of the delivery of differentiated instruction for diverse learners to include Bilingual Education/ESL, Gifted & Talented, Migrant, Special Education, 504, Career & Technology Education (CATE) and other special programs. Emphasis is placed on the principal’s role in elementary and secondary school programs. Applicable laws, policies and regulations will be emphasized.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
EDUL 6335: Instructional Leadership and Supervision
Students will learn about instructional leadership and its supervisory functions in elementary and secondary schools that relate to supervision, improvement, and evaluation of classroom instruction.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
EDUL 6350: The Principalship
This course examines a study of the unique functions of the principalship as they relate to the administration of elementary, middle and high schools. Special emphasis will be focused on the leadership role of the principal in the management and instructional aspects of the school programs. Applicable laws, policies and regulations will be emphasized. A minimum of 20 hours of field-based experience is required.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
EDUL 6355: Administration of Human Resources and Budgeting
This course provides a study of human resources and school budgeting functions. Emphasis is on understanding and applying local district and campus practices—e.g., recruitment, retention, evaluation. For budgeting, the emphasis is on aligning the budget to the campus plan and understanding how the various funding sources may be allocated. Applicable laws, policies and regulations will be covered.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
EDUL 6390: Practicum I
This course is a field-based course/practicum in which students practice competencies and theories acquired as they assume responsibilities associated with instructional leadership at a school. This course requires a minimum of 80 hours of field experience. Students unable to meet the 80-hour field experience requirement must repeat the course again to complete the field experience requirement. Students will be issued a grade of Cr if they to need repeat the course. Prerequisites: Attempted state examinations 268 and 368 and completed 24 hours of the master’s program.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
EDUL 6391: Practicum II
This course is a field-based course/practicum in which students practice competencies and theories acquired as they assume responsibilities associated with being an instructional leader at a school. This course requires a minimum of 80 hours of field experience and 3 formal observations. Students must have attempted the 268 Exam and submitted PASL I, II, and III. Prerequisites: Earned grade credit for EDUL 6390 with a grade of A-C and attempted 268 and submitted PASL I, II, III.
Duration: 7 weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Career Outlook
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Job Opportunities
Graduate Testimonials
Kevin Knight, M.Ed.
"Thank you for a great class. I enjoyed your teaching and the course content. This was my last module in the degree program. This high school band director has learned so much in these 10 courses. Kuddos to you and the other UTRGV ed professors for designing/continuing a great online program in Master of Education in Educational Leadership. I was in Harlingen judging a band contest back in March and I met the Fine Arts Director for San Antonio ISD. He said he took this program in person while he lived in the Valley before it went online. He was a very proud alumni."
Kathryn O'Brien, M.Ed.
"Having been out of the classroom as a student for seven years the thought of becoming a student again had me full of doubt. I was scared for the future and unsure that I would be able to live up to the student I once was. The educational leadership program assisted me in finding a new confidence in myself in terms of being a teacher, an aspiring administrator, and a colleague. Teaching full time and receiving my Masters was a daunting task; however, the teachers within the UTRGV community made it a manageable feat for which I am grateful. Having completed this program I have more confidence in myself and look forward to the future.Thank you Dr. Hernandez for providing me the opportunity to grow and challenge myself to become a teacher with a Masters's degree. Please express my gratitude to all faculty members within the UTRGV community, for without them, I would not be awaiting my degree."