Some educators who are dedicated to excellence in education and devotion to their school, students, and community wish to advance their teaching career and take that next step toward becoming a principal. However, returning to a traditional educational setting in order to reach this goal may not always be easy for some teachers. There are some alternatives to the path of principal licensure. The University of Cincinnati offers a Masters of Education for obtaining your principal licensure that is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) that can be completed online in as little as two years.
The Master of Education In Educational Leadership program, which work in cooperation with the standards of performance developed by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC), is designed to give students the tools necessary to go into administrative roles such as directors, principals, and administrative coordinators in both public and private schools. Your program will begin with Foundations of Educational Administration I & II and as you work towards the completion of the online degree program you will have the opportunity to develop an electronic portfolio that will keep track of your work as you move through the degree program. During your final year of the program (the last four quarters) you will also have an opportunity to complete a Planned Field Experience to help you see the practical applications of what you have learned while working under the guidance of a licensed administrator. In total, the Master of Education in Educational Leadership will include 50 credits of course work plus 4 additional credits for the planned field experiences. The Master of Education in Educational Leadership will give you a very strong foundation in both academic and applied principles to give you the tools and confidence that you need to play an effective role in leading students to meet the high standards demanded by today's increasingly competitive world.
At the University of Cincinnati your graduate degree is reasonably priced at $404 per credit hour for Ohio residents, and $414 for students who are not residents of the state of Ohio, plus fees and supplies. Since the Master of Education in Educational Leadership is an accredited degree program, you may be eligible for financial aid or student loans that will help you to cover the costs of your degree. The University of Cincinnati has enrollment advisors that can help you in finding out what aid you may qualify for and assist you in obtaining the necessary paper work to apply. Admissions to the Master of Education in Educational Excellence program requires the standard items such as a transcript of undergraduate work, a resume, letters of reference that have been sealed and dated, and a written statement of your personal and professional goals. Additional applicants must submit recent GRE scores (taken within the past 5 years) and have a GPA of at least 2.8 out of the 4.0 scale. The application fee is $40 and there are additional requirements for international students.
With the online degree program from the University of Cincinnati there is nothing holding you back from achieving your career goals.
