Benefits

• The M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership degree prepares students to be practitioners, assuming leadership roles in public and private elementary and secondary schools.
• In addition to the M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership, the course work satisfies the academic requirements for the Illinois State Board of Education Type 75 Principal Certificate Endorsement. Students must also meet the Illinois State Board of Education requirements for the General Administrative Endorsement.

Degree Requirements

Curriculum Plan: Completion of the M.Ed. degree program requires completion of 36 semester hours and a written comprehensive examination as the culminating assessment of the degree program. Ten of the 12 courses of the master's degree program meet the requirements for the Illinois Type 75 Principal Certificate.

Technology Expectation
All students are provided Internet access to link electronically to classmates, faculty and student services. In order to use these technological resources, all students must have the computer skills necessary to support academic work (i.e., word processing, PowerPoint) and to access e-mail and the Internet.

Continuous Enrollments
Master's students in Instructional Leadership are required to maintain the status of continuous enrollment during their program of studies. (See SOE Policy: Academic Standing - Continuous Enrollment)

Candidates in all programs leading to Illinois certification are required to pass an Illinois Test of Basic Skills, the appropriate certification exam, and a State Criminal Background Check.

Leadership Core (21 semester hours)

• ELPS 460 School Administration*
• ELPS 463 School Leadership and the Law 
• ELPS 466 School Finance and Budgeting
• ELPS 469 Human Resources in Educational Organizations
• ELPS 470 School Supervision
• ELPS 472 Administration of Special Education and Pupil Services
• ELPS 562 Practicum in School Administration

*For the Archdiocese Cohort only: ELPS 465 (Rome Option) Instructional Leadership: Cultural Context for Informed Decision Making may be taken in lieu of ELPS 460.

Instructional Track for the Catholic Educator Cohort
        with a Curriculum Focus (15 semester hours)

• RMTD 400 Introduction to Research Methods
• CIEP 440 Curriculum and Instruction
• CIEP 442 Curriculum Development and Implementation
• CIEP 469 Teaching and Learning in Urban Communities 
• CIEP 488 Using Assessment Data and Action Research to Improve Curriculum and Instruction 

Instructional Track for the CPELL Cohort
          with an English Language Learners Focus* (15 semester hours)

• RMTD 400 Introduction to Research
• CIEP 471 Foundations of ESL and Bilingual Education
• CIEP 472 Methods and Materials for ESL and Bilingual Education
• CIEP 473 Instructional Leadership for Multicultural Schools OR
  ELPS 465 (Rome Option) Instructional Leadership: Cultural Context for Informed Decision Making
• CIEP 474 Assessment of English Language Learners

* Courses may fulfill ESL and/or Bilingual teacher approval/endorsement as required by ISBE

• Fall Exam – August 1
• Spring Exam - December 1
• Summer Exam - April 1

See School of Education Academic Calendar for comprehensive exam dates

Your program coordinator will confirm one month in advance the date and time of your exam. Please call her if you have not received information at least two weeks prior to the exam.

You will be notified by mail with the results of the comprehensive examination once it has been reviewed by the appropriate faculty.  Typically, this process takes one (1) to six weeks from the date of the M.Ed. comprehensive examination.

Degree Conferral
While the commencement ceremony is every May, degrees can be conferred May, August, and December. Students must apply for graduation/degree conferral. Students should apply for graduation in the semester they anticipate completing all degree requirements. Failure to meet application deadlines may result in a delay of the conferral of the degree to the following semester. Applications for Degree Conferral are due:

• August 1 for December conferral
• December 1 for May conferral
• February 1 for August conferral