Educational Leadership Licensure Programs, MEd

The Master of Education degree (MEd) in Educational Leadership program is designed to prepare students with a Bachelor’s degree for the following positions in school administration:

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)

These programs have been approved for licensure purposes by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This includes licensure reciprocity with signatory states under the Interstate Certification Compact.

Upon completion of their program option, students seeking Massachusetts licensure must possess an appropriate Massachusetts initial license and have had three years of employment in the role covered by that license, except where not required by licensure regulations.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’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
• 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 

Note regarding online courses

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education prohibits the online completion of the SEI course. Therefore, candidates who intend to complete the MEd program online, must be SEI endorsed prior to admission.

Program of Study