The Educational Leadership Master Program at Florida A&M University offers a planned
sequence of educational experiences for (A) individuals seeking a master’s degree
in Educational Leadership and (B) individuals who posses a master’s degree and wish
to earn Level 1 certification in Educational Leadership. Both program options prepare
graduates for entry level (Level 1 Certification) administrative positions in Florida
school systems and other related fields.
The Educational Leadership Master Program, within the Department of Educational Leadership
and Human Services, offers graduate study grounded in the historical stream of research
that informs educational practice. From this knowledge base, the course of study includes
experiences to prepare individuals to assume leadership roles in educational institutions
and other organizations. The program is comprehensive and a goal is to develop the
exemplary professional who can assume school leadership roles. Major emphasis is on
urban and rural education as well as on diversity issues
Upon completion of this program, candidates will possess the skills and competencies
necessary to become effective school administrators.
What is educational leadership?
The Educational Leadership Program at the Florida A&M University offers a planned
sequence of educational experiences. The Educational Leadership program, within the
Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling, offers graduate study grounded
in the historical stream of research that informs educational practice. From this
knowledge base, the course of study includes experiences to prepare individuals to
assume leadership roles in educational institutions and other organizations. The program
is comprehensive and a goal is to develop the exemplary professional who can assume
school leadership roles. The program in Educational Leadership provides candidates
with skills and competencies to become effective school administrators. Learning experiences
provide candidates opportunities to become sensitive to the needs of individuals from
different ethnic, gender, and cultural backgrounds. The program of educational leadership
intends to develop professional and well-prepared individuals who can effectively
lead in diverse educational contexts.
As part of their learning experiences, candidates will gain sensitivity to the needs
of individuals from different ethnic, gender, and cultural backgrounds.
Educational Leadership Careers
Educational leaders work in a wide span of environments. Educational leadership is a profession with many career options:
• School Administrator (Level One Certification) • Principal • Assistant Principal • Headmaster • Dean • Educational Policy
The educational leadership program is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and the
Florida Department of Education.
Q: Who is this program for? A: The Educational Leadership Program at the Florida A&M University offers a planned
sequence of educational experiences for (a) individuals seeking a Master’s degree
in Educational Leadership and (b) individuals who possess a Master’s degree and wish
to certify in Educational Leadership.
Q: Can I receive a certification through this program? A: Yes. There are program options that prepare candidates for entry level (Level One
Certification) administrative positions in Florida schools, the nation’s school districts,
and other related fields.
Q: How do I apply for admission? A: You will need to begin the application for admissions process by applying online through
the FAMU Graduate School CollegeNet system; which you should access via the Graduate
School website.
Are you thinking about pursuing a career in educational leadership? Our program prepares
students to become skilled educational leaders.
If you are thinking of majoring in educational leadership, consider what some of our
own Rattlers had to say about the program, what inspired them, and why they chose
educational leadership as a career.
A famous African proverb says, "Children are the reward of life." I believe this statement
to be true. I think that children are our future, and our responsibility as school
leaders is to make every effort to be a positive influence and provide a safe learning
environment so they can become productive citizens in their communities. Women in
leadership have remained constant in bridging the social-economic achievement gap.
As a graduate of the College of Education's Master's program, my profound purpose
is to continue this legacy.
As graduation approaches, I’m constantly reminded of my purpose in pursuing a master's
degree in Educational Leadership. While working in education, I realized that I truly
wanted to be a champion of equity and opportunity for those students who too often
get overlooked. To do so, I needed to further my education. I’m so happy to have chosen
Florida A&M as the institution to prepare me for such a rigorous task. As a distance
learner, this has been the most familial, collegiate experience that I’ve ever encountered.
For that, I’m exceptionally grateful. Balancing work, home, a newborn baby girl, and
graduate coursework has been no easy feat. However, my support system and the instructors
and advisors in the College of Education have all been incredible beacons of motivation.
With the knowledge that I’ve obtained in this program, I feel very well prepared to
be a change maker in the lives of my students!
Educational Leadership Master Program Admission Requirements
Applicants for admission must meet the following admission requirements:
Applicants must have an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have achieved a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average in
the last 60 hours of the bachelor’s degree.
Applicants must possess a current Florida or other State Professional Educator’s License/Certificate.
Upload into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system a copy of current Florida or other
State Professional License/Certificate.
Applicants must have at least two years of full-time classroom teaching experience.
Applicants must have documented successful demonstration of the core standards for
effective educators outlined in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPS)
and a documented track record of achieving student gains.
Acceptable documentation of instructional expertise must include a rating of “effective”
or higher on the “Performance of Students” and “Instructional Practice" sections of
the candidate’s two most recent performance evaluations per Section 1012.34, F. S.
For applicants who are not employed by a Florida public school district, an alternative
equivalent documentation demonstrating two years of effective instruction with a record
of student learning gains may be submitted. Upload into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET
system documentation of Professional Instructional Expertise documentation.
At a minimum, applicants must have demonstrated critical skills and dispositions that
focus on improving student achievement in the applicant’s own classroom and demonstrable
improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues.
Applicant’s documentation of demonstrated critical skills and dispositions that focus
on improving student achievement in the applicant’s own classroom, and documentation
of demonstrable improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues,
as well as any other documentation of Professional Leadership Potential must be upload
into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system.
In addition, the applicant must upload into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system,
the FAMU Educational Leadership Master’s Programs’ School Administrator/Leader Professional Leadership Potential Form. This form is to be completed by the school administrator/leader to address the applicant’s
professional leadership potential (at a minimum, demonstrated critical skills and
dispositions that focus on improving student achievement in the applicant’s own classroom
and demonstrable improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues
as well as any other documentation of Professional Leadership Potential ).
Applicants must submit current (within the last 5 years of admissions application
date) GRE scores. The FAMU GRE school code is 5215. All GRE scores are submitted electronically
using FAMU school code. Contact the Graduate School if you have questions regarding
submission of GRE Test Scores.
Applicants must submit one official copy of bachelor’s degree transcripts and one
official copy of master’s degree transcripts (if applicable). Upload transcript(s)
into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system. Contact the Graduate School if you
have questions regarding submission of official transcripts.
Applicants must submit three professional references. One of the references must be
from a school administrator/leader. Upload all Professional References into the Graduate
School’s CollegeNET system.
Applicants must submit a three page statement of your beliefs about leadership, values
that inform your beliefs about leadership, related leadership experience(s), and leadership
goals. Upload the Leadership Statement into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system.
Applicants must submit resume or Curriculum Vitae. Documents must be upload into the
Graduate School’s CollegeNET system.
Admissions documents will be reviewed and admission recommendations from the Educational
Leadership faculty will be submitted to the Chair of the Educational Leadership and
Counseling Department, the Dean of the College of Education, and the Dean of Graduate
Studies for further processing. After a final decision is made, the applicant will
be notified of his/her application status.
