Educational Administration, Master of Arts
Overview
The Masters of Arts in Educational Administration degree program is designed to prepare transformative school leaders who successfully meet the Principal as Instructional Leader certification requirements in the State of Texas. It is estimated that the average length of time which is required to complete the Master’s degree is 18 months. Courses are all offered online with a weekly synchronous component. Principal certification is also offered for professionals who already have completed a master's degree and are requiring certification only.
Who should apply?
The program is designed for students interested in educational leadership whose career goals include a principalship, teacher leadership, central office leadership, or district leadership.
Each applicant must submit their application and required documents by the appropriate semester deadline to GradCAS. The application is available online at https://gradcas.liaisoncas.org/apply/. For questions regarding the application process, contact the Office of Graduate Studies, graduate.studies@tamusa.edu. Candidates will submit a letter of recommendation from a current or former school leader, peer, or A&M-SA Education Leadership Program alumni or a current student. In addition to an interview with the Graduate Advisor, candidates will submit a writing sample to be evaluated by the program faculty.
Program Details
Students seeking admission to the program must meet the basic requirements outlined in the Admissions section of the catalog. Students must have a valid Texas teaching certificate for entrance into the program. Applicants without an appropriate background may be required to complete additional preparatory coursework.
Graduate Admission Categories
Unconditional Admission
For unconditional admission, applicants must have:
- an undergraduate cumulative grade point average between 3.00-4.00 and a score of 3 or 4 on each component of the application including a letter of recommendation from a current or former school leader, peer, or A&M-SA Education Leadership Program alumni or a current student. In addition to an interview with the faculty, candidates will submit a writing sample that will be evaluated by program faculty.
- an undergraduate cumulative grade point average between 2.60-2.99 or an undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 or higher for the last 60 semester credits (or 90 quarter credits), and a minimum GRE composite (Q+V) score of 297 (1000 for tests taken prior to August 2011), or a minimum MAT score of 388 (MAT scores are for Education majors only) and program admission requirements below.
Conditional Admission
Applicants who do not meet the GPA , GPA/GRE (or GPA/MAT) requirement may be conditionally admitted and will be allowed to take program specified required coursework. Students will be unconditionally admitted after successfully completing their first semester with a grade point average of 3.0 or above and by maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or above on all A&M-San Antonio graduate courses.
Program Admission Requirements
In order to receive unconditional admission to the program, students must meet University admission requirements. Recommendations from campus and/or district supervisors will be considered for conditional admission. Students who are seeking principal certification and already possess a graduate degree will not be required to submit GRE or MAT scores for program admission. Students in this program must have a valid Texas teaching certificate for entrance into the program. Applicants without an appropriate background may be required to submit additional materials or complete additional preparatory coursework.
Applicants will be invited to an interview with a faculty member to review program expectations, develop a course plan, and ensure the applicant possesses advanced verbal communication skills expected of future school leaders. This will be evaluated by the faculty who will use the Program Application Interview Rubric.
In addition to the interview, applicants will provide a writing sample which will be evaluated by the faculty to ensure the applicant possesses the advanced written communication skills expected of future school leaders. Faculty members will evaluate the Program Application Writing Sample using the Program Application Writing Sample Rubric.
Applicants will submit one letter of recommendation from a current or former school leader, peer, or A&M-SA Education Leadership Program alumni or current student. This will be evaluated by the faculty who will use the Program Application Letter of Recommendation Rubric.
Graduation Requirements
Candidates for the Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration must earn a minimum of 33 semester credit hours and maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. Normal course loads consist of 6-9 hours per semester. Students must pass a comprehensive examination, administered during the final semester of coursework, as part of the requirements for graduation.
Program Policies and Standards
Admission to the program does not guarantee fitness to remain in the program. Only those students who meet program standards will be allowed to continue in the program as decided by the Educational Leadership program faculty. Fitness criteria include: The Texas Code of Ethics for Educators (TAC 247.2) and Texas A&M University-San Antonio Graduate Student Handbook Student Misconduct Standards (see student handbook).
Transferability of Courses
Transfer courses are limited to six hours in this program and are subject to approval by the Department Chair and Director of Graduate Studies. Transferred courses must have been taken within the last five years. Courses must meet requirements for program alignment. Internship courses that include the demonstration of leadership skills will not be eligible for transfer credit. Courses previously used for the completion of a graduate degree will not be approved for transfer to a subsequent graduate degree. All requests for the transfer of courses must be made within the first semester of enrollment.
Incompletes “I”
The spirit of the “Incomplete” is to give a student an opportunity to complete a course after the end of the semester. An Incomplete will only be considered under specific circumstances:
- 70% of the class has been completed and student is passing with a “C” or better
- The circumstance for which the “I” is requested is supported with documentation
- Student has been attending class on a regular basis
Incompletes are not to be used to remedy excessive missed classes. Unforeseen circumstances precipitating the request for an “I”, should occur near the end of the semester. Students who are experiencing difficulties at the beginning or midway through the course should contact their professor immediately to discuss options. When a professor agrees to grant an “I”, a contract between the student and professor that outlines a specific timeline for completion of the course will be generated. Topics such as highest possible grade will also be outlined. If contract is not fulfilled, the professor will submit a change of grade form with earned letter grade. All “I”s will automatically revert to an “F” after one year.
Dropping a Course
Each student is responsible for knowing the drop dates for any given semester. Professors are not responsible, under any circumstances, for “dropping” a student from a course. To formally drop a course, students must obtain a drop form at the department under the program. Failure to fulfill academic requirements, related to dropping a course may result in a recorded failing grade.
Curricula
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EDAD 5301 | Behav and Org Found of Educ | 3 |
| EDAD 5302 | Elem and Secondary Curricula | 3 |
| EDAD 5313 | Sch Admin Public Sch Fin | 3 |
| EDAD 5315 | Admin of Various Specl Progrm | 3 |
| EDAD 5330 | Multicultural Ed for Educators | 3 |
| EDAD 5341 | School Administration | 3 |
| EDAD 5383 | Public School Law | 3 |
| EDAD 5329 | Educational Research | 3 |
| EDAD 5344 | Supervision | 3 |
| EDAD 5345 | Internship in School Administration 1 | 3 |
| EDAD 5382 | School Public Relations | 3 |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
- 1
Course should be taken in final semester.
Candidates for the Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration must earn a minimum of 33 semester credit hours. Students must pass a comprehensive examination toward the end of their formal coursework.
Additional Policies and Standards
Successful completion of the Master of Arts in Educational Administration degree and passing the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) promotes students to be recommended for the State of Texas Principal Certification. Following are the State requirements for principal and superintendents in the state of Texas.
Principal Certification Only
Candidates seeking only Principal Certification must earn a minimum of 24 semester credit hours as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDAD 5341 | School Administration | 3 |
| EDAD 5301 | Behav and Org Found of Educ | 3 |
| EDAD 5315 | Admin of Various Specl Progrm | 3 |
| EDAD 5383 | Public School Law | 3 |
| EDAD 5313 | Sch Admin Public Sch Fin | 3 |
| EDAD 5330 | Multicultural Ed for Educators | 3 |
| EDAD 5302 | Elem and Secondary Curricula | 3 |
| EDAD 5345 | Internship in School Administration 1 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
- 1
Course should be taken in final semester.
Texas Principal Certificate Requirements
- Successfully complete a principalship preparation program;
- Pass the principal certification exam (TExES-268 and PASL exams );
- Hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education; and
- Document two years of classroom teaching experience in an accredited school.
- Hold a valid teaching certification in the State of Texas (TAC §241.15).
Superintendent Certification Only
Candidates seeking only Superintendency Certification must earn a minimum of 15 semester credit hours as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDAD 5317 | Introduction to the Superintendency | 3 |
| EDAD 5351 | Advanced Personnel Management and Human Relations | 3 |
| EDAD 5352 | Advanced Educational Finance and Facilities | 3 |
| EDAD 5381 | Educational Equity: Advocacy for All Students | 3 |
| EDAD 5385 | Superintendency Internship | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Texas Superintendent Certificate Requirements (TAC 242.20)
To be eligible to receive the standard Superintendent Certificate, a candidate must:
- satisfactorily complete an examination based on the standards identified in §242.15 of this title (relating to Standards Required for the Superintendent Certificate); and
- successfully complete a State Board for Educator Certification-approved superintendent preparation program and be recommended for certification by that program; and
- hold, at a minimum, a master's degree from an accredited institution of higher education that at the time was accredited or otherwise approved by an accrediting organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; and
- hold, at a minimum, a principal certificate or the equivalent issued under this title or by another state or country; or
- have at least three creditable years of managerial experience in a public school district.
- The managerial experience must include responsibility for:
- supervising or appraising faculty or staff;
- conducting district-level planning and coordination of programs, activities, or initiatives; and
- creating or maintaining a budget.
- The candidate must submit an application to Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff for the substitution of managerial experience as defined in this paragraph. The TEA staff will review the application and will notify the applicant, in writing, of approval or denial within 60 calendar days from date of receipt.
- The managerial experience must include responsibility for:
In order to take the state exam, a candidate must meet academic competency requirements and receive approval to test from Texas A&M-San Antonio (TAC §242.5).
Master of Arts - Educational Administration
This suggested plan of study is intended to be used as a guide in conjunction with official degree requirements outlined in the catalog. This is an example of a degree track for Educational Administration, Master of Arts This plan has all electives already selected for the student.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | |
| EDAD 5301 | Behav and Org Found of Educ | 3 |
| EDAD 5341 | School Administration | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| EDAD 5302 | Elem and Secondary Curricula | 3 |
| EDAD 5383 | Public School Law | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| EDAD 5315 | Admin of Various Specl Progrm | 3 |
| EDAD 5382 | School Public Relations | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| EDAD 5313 | Sch Admin Public Sch Fin | 3 |
| EDAD 5329 | Educational Research | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| EDAD 5344 | Supervision | 3 |
| EDAD 5345 | Internship in School Administration | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| EDAD 5330 | Multicultural Ed for Educators | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |