Educational Leadership
Instructional leaders make a difference.
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Educational Leadership Certification, M.Ed. Overview
The Educational Leadership Certification Program, accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and approved by the Florida Department of Education, is designed for students who have a minimum of two years (three years preferred) of teaching experience and wish to prepare for administrative and supervisory positions, such as principal, assistant principal, district supervisor, in-service director, curriculum developer, or dean in public and private elementary and secondary schools. The degree emphasizes the eight Florida Principal Leadership Standards and associated competencies and seeks to prepare students for the Florida Educational Leadership Exam (FELE). Passing scores on the FELE are required prior to graduation.
Students will be assigned a faculty mentor who will provide career advice and advisement concerning professional issues. The Educational Leadership Certification Program has a field experience embedded in each course. Students must have access to and work with an administrator in a school or educational setting.
Hear from our faculty and a former student on the details and benefits of enrolling in UWF’s Educational Leadership, M.Ed. program: View the video here.
In our online educational leadership master’s program, you will study key topics such as:
- Theories and practices used to increase human relations and communications in an educational institution
- Improving learning programs through effective human resources
- The various laws and policies related to education
- Principles, trends, practices and financial support systems used in financing public education
- Issues, practices and theories relevant to school administration
- The tools and concepts used to evaluate student learning outcomes and progress
- Foundations of curriculum development
- Usage of student achievement data to develop curricula and learning environments that will further enhance student learning
Candidates for This Program Include:
- Those wanting to improve the educational experience for their school’s students
- Current teachers who wish to pursue an administrative role, such as principal, dean or district supervisor
- Students seeking an educational leadership role in Florida
Learning Outcomes
Content:
1. Candidates analyze data and develop a plan to enable continuous improvement to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.
2. Candidates evaluate the comprehensive systems that cultivate a caring, rigorous, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of all students.
Critical Thinking:
3. Candidates design effective plans to build the collective and individual professional capacity of school personnel by creating support systems and offering professional learning to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.
4. Candidates evaluate current systems to manage school operations and resources to cultivate a safe school environment and promote the academic success and well-being of all students.
Communication:
5. Candidates design effective plans to collaborate with parents, students, and other stakeholders to develop, communicate, and enact a shared vision, mission, and core values to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.
6. Candidates integrate appropriate technology, communication skills, and problem-solving techniques to utilize multiple means of reciprocal communication to build relationships and collaborate with parents, families, and other stakeholders to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.
Integrity and Values:
7. Candidates critically reflect on the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession to act ethically and according to professional norms to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.
8. Candidates analyze systems that cultivate, support, and develop other school leaders to promote the academic success and well-being of all students
Accreditation
The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership is accredited based on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Standards through Spring 2025. CAEP is the only CHEA recognized national accreditor for educator preparation.
CAEP’s annual outcome and impact measures and their trends, candidate performance data, and additional accreditation information is available on the UWF School of Education web page.
Courses and Requirements
UWF’s online educational leadership master’s program includes a total of 30 credit hours, through which you’ll explore the advanced skills including school finance, law and curriculum development.
- EDA 5191 - Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice
3 Credit Hours
Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice
Leadership theories and planning models which have been developed through studies in education, business, industry, and the military will be examined. The subject matter, class activities, and skill developments of this course were selected to assist your personal growth. The success of educational leaders is conditioned largely by their ability to lead faculty, staff, and other constituencies through appropriate human relationships and leadership techniques. Application will focus on both personal and professional leadership development.
- EDA 6063 - Introduction to Educational Leadership
3 Credit Hours
Introduction to Educational Leadership
An introduction for graduate students to the educational leadership program. Major topics will be leadership, William Cecil Golden Modules, code of ethics, verbal and nonverbal communication and interpersonal skills. Permission is required.
- EDA 6222 - Administration of School Personnel
3 Credit Hours
Administration of School Personnel
Focus is on the improvement of educational programs through the proper management of human resources. Emphasis is upon recruitment, selection placement and evaluation of school personnel.
- EDA 6232 - Law and Education
3 Credit Hours
Law and Education
Examines law and its relationship to education. Students study constitutional law, legislative enactments, school policies and the relationships among these aspects of school law as they pertain to administration. Tort liability, due process for students, corporal punishment, teacher contracts and other law relating to authority and responsibility of teachers and administrators are included.
- EDA 6240 - Introduction to School Finance
3 Credit Hours
Introduction to School Finance
Focus is on principles, trends and practices in financing public education, including federal, state and local financial support programs. School finance as related to taxation and other areas of school finance is included. Fiscal policies, planning and management as related to the total education program are central themes.
- EDA 6503 - The Principalship
3 Credit Hours
The Principalship
Students will focus on problems, practices and theories pertinent to the success of building level administrators in elementary, middle and high schools. This course includes planning, staffing, implementation and evaluation techniques necessary to administer an effective school program. Practicum experiences are designed to provide a clinical setting for the demonstration of theory applied to practice and will be an integral part of the course. Prerequisite: EDA 6063.
- EDA 6193 - Instructional Leadership
3 Credit Hours
Instructional Leadership
This course focuses on problems, practices, and theories pertinent to the success of building-level administrators in elementary, middle, and high schools. Students will have the opportunity to learn through real case studies, role plays and simulations reflecting the real work of school principals. By aligning the specific knowledge and skill dimensions, candidates will learn to contextualize theories and how they will apply as future instructional leaders.
- EDG 5250 - Principles of Curriculum
3 Credit Hours
Principles of Curriculum
Emphasis on school curricula, underlying theories, and strategies for improvement make up the foundation for curricular reform. Students intending to meet FDOE certification requirements should select specialization areas. The specialization areas are (a) early childhood/ primary education, (b) middle school education, (d) secondary school education, and (e) exceptional student education.
- EDG 6285 - Data Driven Decisions Using Standardized Student Achievement Data
3 Credit Hours
Data Driven Decisions Using Standardized Student Achievement Data
Using data to drive decisions is a critical component of the accountability system currently in place in Florida. Participants will develop skills in determining data needed to make certain decisions; in analyzing data and in communicating information about the decision making process to stakeholders. This course is designed specifically for administrators in the K-12 educational setting.
- EDS 6105 - Human Relations and Communication in Education
3 Credit Hours
Human Relations and Communication in Education
Theoretical and experiential framework for maximizing human relations and communication within the educational domain including principles of persuasion, public information management, effective communication strategies and personal effectiveness with staff and the public.
- EDA 5191 - Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice
Some UWF academic programs prepare students to sit for licensure in Florida. In order to comply with U.S. Department of Education regulations for professional licensure, UWF is required to make the following disclosure with respect to professional licensure outside the state of Florida. UWF cannot confirm whether a particular program meets requirements for professional licensure outside of the State of Florida. Please contact applicable licensure board(s) in any state you may want to pursue licensure prior to beginning the academic program in order to determine whether the program meets licensure requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm program eligibility for licensure in any state outside Florida.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the University graduate admission requirements described in the Admissions section of the catalog, the applicant must meet the following minimum departmental admission requirements for provisional admission:
- Have a valid professional teaching certification issued by Florida or another U.S. state
- Have a minimum of two years (three years preferred) of k-12 teaching experience
- Have earned a GPA of at least 3.0 on a bachelor’s degree*
- Submit a letter of intent that includes the following information: your professional background, short- and long-term goals, contributions you would like to make to your field of education, and strengths you bring to the program
- Submit contact information (email addresses and phone numbers) for two professional references
- Submit evidence of minimum “instructional expertise” and “leadership potential” standards as defined by 6A-5.081 by providing recent teacher evaluation ratings or evidence:
- “Instructional expertise” means 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 candidates who are not employed by a Florida public school district, a post-secondary institution or school district may accept alternative equivalent documentation demonstrating two years of effective instruction with a record of student learning gains.
- Submit evidence of “leadership potential” (applicant may provide a letter from current school principal, superintendent, or other relevant evidence):
- “Leadership potential” means the critical skills and dispositions that a candidate must demonstrate prior to entering the program. At a minimum, these qualifications must include an analysis of the candidate’s relentless focus on improving student achievement in their own classrooms and contributing to the demonstrable improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues.
- Applicants who do not meet the GPA requirement but meet all remaining admission requirements may be conditionally admitted to the program. Specific academic requirements will be established by the School of Education and monitored by the Graduate School (see Conditional Admission in the Admissions section of the catalog).
All approvals for admission to the Educational Leadership program are subject to reevaluation as students progress through the program. Students denied admission or removed from the program may appeal the decision to the Dean of the School of Education.
School of Education students are expected to adhere to the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida and national standards of conduct associated with professional, accreditation, and state agencies. Students will receive additional support, as needed or requested, through the Educational Leadership Remediation Plan.
Degree Requirements
In addition to general University requirements, students seeking the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership must meet the requirements listed below.
- Be admitted to the program
- Complete degree requirements compliant with the time-to-degree policy
- Be recommended for graduation by the School of Education
- Successfully complete any additional requirements of the selected specialization
How to Apply
To apply for admission to this program, you first need to submit an application for graduate admission (plus a $30 application fee) and be accepted for admission into University of West Florida. In addition, you must:
- Submit official transcripts confirming a bachelor’s degree from an institution whose accrediting agency is included on the list of UWF approved accrediting agencies
- Submit a letter of intent that includes the following information: your background, short- and long-term goals, contributions you would like to make to your field of study and strengths you bring to the program
- Submit contact information (email addresses and phone numbers) for two professional references
- Submit evidence of minimum “instructional expertise” and “leadership potential” standards as defined by Florida State Statute 6A-5.081 by providing recent teacher evaluation ratings or evidence:
- “Instructional expertise” means documented successful demonstration of the core standards for effective educators outlined in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices 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 candidates who are not employed by a Florida public school district, a post-secondary institution or school district may accept alternative equivalent documentation demonstrating two years of effective instruction with a record of student learning gains.
- Submit evidence of “leadership potential” (applicant may provide letter from current school principal, superintendent, or other relevant evidence):
- “Leadership potential” means the critical skills and dispositions that a candidate must demonstrate prior to entering the program. At a minimum, these qualifications must include an analysis of the candidate’s relentless focus on improving student achievement in their own classrooms and contributing to the demonstrable improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues.
To be fully admitted to the program, the following requirements must be met in addition to the requirements for provisional admission (above). Full admission is required by the fifth week of the first semester. Students will be unable to register for a second semester of coursework until full admission has been granted.
- Purchase and activation of a subscription to the College of Education and Professional Studies assessment system within the first week of the first semester
- Completion of the Professional Education Applicant Disposition Scale by each person identified as a professional reference.
- Completion of the Professional Education Applicant Disposition Self-rating Scale.
Have questions about this program or the admissions process? Connect with one of our knowledgeable enrollment counselors.
Costs & Financial Aid
| Component | Cost | Total* |
|---|---|---|
| Full Online Program Tuition | $416.50 per credit hour | $12,495.00 |
| Tuition with Maximum Transfer Credits (Up to 6) | $416.50 per credit hour | $9,996.00 |
Time to completion for the master’s in educational leadership degree varies by student, depending on individual progress and credits transferred, if applicable. Fees are charged per semester unless otherwise noted. This program takes up to four semesters to complete, depending on transfer credits. For a personalized estimate of time to completion, call an enrollment advisor at 844.372.9390 or request information.
Refer to UWF Cost of Attendance Estimates and Financial Literacy for more information on UWF costs and financial aid.
* Tuition and fees are subject to change.
Military Students
UWF proudly serves active duty U.S. military members and veterans. As UWF has been a participant of the Yellow Ribbon Program since 2011, you could be eligible to receive free tuition with your military benefits.
See How We Can Serve YouFinancial Aid
Funding your college education should not empty your wallet. We offer various financial aid options for our online students, including loans, scholarships and grants for degree-seeking students.
Learn More About Financial AidCareer Outcomes
Upon completion of our educational leadership master’s program, you can pursue a variety of careers within the field.
* Salary and job outlook information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Assistant Principal — Elementary, Middle and High School
Assistant principals are largely responsible for carrying out a principal’s decisions. They’re heavily involved in administrative tasks as well as disciplinary issues with students, helping them replace negative behaviors with positive actions and attitudes. According to PayScale.com, the average assistant principal salary is $72,823.
Education Administrator, K–12
Administrators are responsible for a school’s operations and instructional leadership. You’ll develop learning resources, academic programs, procedures, budgets and reports while working closely with teachers, counselors, and other support staff to ensure learning objectives are being met. The mean annual wage for education administrators is $102,610.
Literacy and Reading Coach (Instructional Coordinator)
Instructional coordinators develop curricula and instructional material and manage teaching standards. They analyze student data, evaluate curriculum effectiveness, and train teachers and staff on new school programs. Through 2032, employment is projected to increase 2 percent, and the median annual wage is $74,620.