As a teacher, you have valuable experience that gives you a unique understanding of the challenges that students and schools face. Build upon those experiences as an administrator.

The IU Online EdS in Educational Leadership prepares you to take on leadership roles in your school, district, or educational organization. In this program, you are trained to:

• Promote the current and future success and well-being of all students.
• Apply your knowledge and skills to collaboratively lead, design, and implement a district mission, vision, and process.
• Foster continuous improvement at the district level which reflects a core set of values and priorities that include data use, technology, values, equity, diversity, digital citizenship, and community.
• Advocate for ethical decisions and cultivate professional norms and culture.
• Develop and maintain a supportive, equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive district culture.
• Evaluate, design, cultivate, and implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, data systems, supports, assessment, and instructional leadership.
• Engage families, communities, and other constituents in the work of schools and the district and to advocate for district, student, and community needs.
• Develop, monitor, evaluate, and manage data-informed and equitable district systems for operations, resources, technology, and human capital management.
• Cultivate relationships, lead collaborative decision-making and governance, and represent and advocate for district needs in broader policy conversations.

Many online support services are available to assist you as you progress through the program.

Of Special Interest for K–12 Teachers Wanting to Transition to the Role of Administrator

• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree plus two years of classroom experience can enter the program directly and earn the degree after completing 60 hours of graduate coursework in educational leadership.
• Applicants with an advanced post-baccalaureate degree can apply up to 30 credit hours of coursework toward the requirements of this program.
• Applicants holding a post-baccalaureate degree from Indiana University may apply up to 36 credit hours.

Your IU Online EdS in Educational Leadership prepares you for education administration careers at the preschool, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels. Job titles include:

• Director of education
• Academic director
• Director of student services
• Library director
• Department chair
• Health services director
• Principal

This 100 percent online, consortial program is taught by IU East, IUPUI, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. This consortial model allows you to take coursework from several campuses and learn from a wide range of faculty.

Required Coursework - 

The overall curriculum for the IU collaborative Ed.S. in Educational Leadership meets NELP district-level standards.  At the course level, it aligns with Indiana Department of Education standards for the Building-Level Administrator and District-Level Administrator licensure requirements.    

Program Components and Credit Breakdown are as follows:

Part 1:  Building-level administrator requirements (24 credit hours)
Part 2:  District-level administrator requirements (27 credit hours)
Part 3:  Electives and Leadership Seminar (9 credit hours)

Ed.S. total credits = 60

To earn the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership students must complete the following degree components and required coursework: 

Part 1: Building-Level Administrator Coursework (24 cr.)

Mission, Vision, & Improvement of Schools  

• EDUC-A 500 Intro Ed Leadership (3 cr.)  

Ethics & Professional Norms  

• EDUC-A 608 Legal and Ethical Perspectives on Education (3 cr.) 

Equity, Inclusiveness, & Cultural Responsiveness  

• EDUC-H 520 Education and Social Issues (3 cr.) 

Learning & Instruction  

Students complete one of two course options: 

• EDUC-A 624 Educational Leadership: The Principal K-12 (3 cr.) 
• EDUC-J 500 Instruction in Context of Curriculum (3 cr.) 

Community & External Leadership  

• EDUC-A 510 Community School Relations (3 cr.) 

Operations & Management  

Students complete one of two course options: 

• EDUC-A 630 Economic Dimensions of Education (3 cr.)  
• EDUC-A 635 Public School Budgeting (3 cr.)    

Building Professional Capacity 

• EDUC-A 515 Educational Leadership: Teacher Development and Evaluation (3 cr.)  

Internship 

• EDUC-A 695 Practicum in Educational Leadership (3 cr.)   

Part 2: District Level-Administrator Requirements (27 cr.)

Mission, Vision, & Improvement of Schools 

• EDUC-A 671 Planning and Change in Educational Organizations (3 cr.)  

Ethics & Professional Norms 

• EDUC-A 615 Advanced School Law (3 cr.)

Equity, Inclusiveness, & Cultural Responsiveness 

Students complete one of three options: 

• EDUC-A 675 Leadership in Special Education (3 cr.)
• EDUC-J 655 Seminar in Multicultural and Global Education (3 cr.)
• EDUC-T 531 Organizational Change in Cultural and Linguistically Diverse Schools (3 cr.)

Learning & Instruction 

• EDUC-J 630 Curriculum Theory and Practice (3 cr.)

Community & External Leadership 

• EDUC-T 550 Cultural and Community Forces and the Schools (3 cr.)

Operations & Management 

• EDUC-A 653 Organizational Context of Education (3 cr.)  

Policy, Governance, & Advocacy 

• EDUC-A 672 Moral Dimensions of Leadership (3 cr.)

Internship 

• EDUC-A 785 Internship in Educational Leadership (3 cr.)

Leadership Seminar/ Project /Thesis 

Students complete one of two course options:  

• EDUC-A 680 Educational Specialist Seminar (Educational Leadership) (3 cr.)  
• EDUC-A 754 Seminar in Research in Educational Leadership (3 cr.)

Part 3. Additional Ed.S. Educational Leadership coursework to reach 60 credits. 

Collaborative Ed.S. Electives 

Students may complete any three courses from the following list:  

• EDUC-A 530 Statistical Data for Educational Leadership (3 cr.)
• EDUC-A 590 Independent in Educational Leadership (3 cr.)  
• EDUC-A 629 Continuous School Improvement and Data-Informed Decision Making (3 cr.) 
• EDUC-P 507 Assessment in Schools (3 cr.)
• EDUC-P 540 Learning and Cognition in Education (3 cr.)   
• EDUC-Y 502 Intermediate Statistics Applied to Education (3 cr.) 
• EDUC-Y 510 Action and Research I (3 cr.)