Educational Leadership Licensure Programs, CAGS

Graduate students who hold a master’s degree in education or related field and who are seeking further study in educational leadership may pursue the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) program and initial licensure in school administration. This program is designed to enable the student to:

• Take educational initiatives by encouraging innovation, planning and implementing strategic change and having the self-confidence to be a risk-taker
• Analyze and prioritize problems by acquiring and interpreting key information and by resisting premature judgments
• Build and maintain teams for continuous improvement of teaching and learning by communicating expectations and by developing and empowering others
• Expand learning opportunities for all constituencies by having and advocating a need to be a lifelong learner

Program Description

The CAGS in Educational Leadership (initial licensure) is mainly a weekend program through which students earn 39 credits beyond the master’s that meet state requirements through a university-sponsored internship for school administrators in the following licensure areas:

School Principal/Assistant Principal (PreK-6)
School Principal/Assistant Principal (5-8)
School Principal/Assistant Principal (9-12)
School Business Administrator (all levels)
Supervisor/Director (all levels)
Special Education Administrator (all levels)
Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent (all levels)

The initial courses in this program are designed in part to meet state licensure requirements. The remaining courses are designed to provide a sound knowledge base for research issues for school administration and systems planning.

Admission Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university (official transcript required)
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.8
• Completed application form
• Three letters of recommendation (one from immediate supervisor)
• An essay on the candidate’s philosophy of educational leadership and school reform
• Initial licensure in other area dependent upon administrative licensure sought in addition to all Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education administrative licensure requirements. Exceptions are granted on a case-by-case basis as approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• Passing score on the Communication and Literacy Skills portion of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure^® (MTEL)
• Prerequisite experience:
  • Completion of at least three full years of employment in an executive management/leadership role or in a supervisory, teaching, or administrative role in a public school, private school, higher education, or other educational setting accepted by the Educational Leadership program coordinator
  • Additional requirements for directors, department heads, and curriculum specialists in the core academic subjects at the secondary level (5-12):
    • A master’s degree in the arts or sciences in one of the core academic subjects the candidate will supervise
      or
    • At least 18 credits of advanced graduate studies in one of the core academic subjects (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, History, Reading, Foreign Language, Arts) the candidate will supervise
  • Additional requirement for School Business Administrator: a minimum of two years experience in financial planning and/or accounting systems

Program of Study