Overview
The Education Specialist program is a practical, directed independent study program which emphasizes course work in leadership and management in a variety of educational and public service settings.

The Educational Technology concentration provides students with a solid foundation of advanced concepts in instructional design, management, laws and ethics, and emerging trends as they apply to a variety of educational settings. The program is of particular interest to individuals with public or private school teaching experience who seek administrative positions or middle level managers who are interested in moving into higher levels of administration.

The objectives of the Program are:
1. To offer a program of coursework and practical exercises in educational leadership, management and instruction that will enhance the professional and personal lives of its students.
2. To prepare professional educators to serve the needs of both public and private institutions from the elementary to postsecondary level in their community and beyond.
3. To enable educational leaders to make meaningful contributions to the foundation of knowledge in current and emerging educational technologies.

Successful graduates of the Program will be able to:

• Apply best practices, current concepts, theories, and research about effective teaching, learning, and administration to improve one’s professional practice as a teacher or administrator.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the use of current and emerging technologies in a variety of educational settings.
• Employ effective and appropriate technology and leadership techniques that support educational and administrative objectives.
• Evaluate ethical issues, recognize administrative, legal, and regulatory issues, and make appropriate decisions and recommendations based on sound research reasoning and analysis with sensitivity to stakeholder interests.
• Discuss with a level of authority on the funding and budgeting practices and legal principles of the American public school system.
• Use information and technology to plan instructional and administrative strategies and improve learning, productivity, and professional practice.
• Communicate effectively with learners, their families, and other professionals in ways appropriate to purpose and content.

Successful students should demonstrate high quality communication and writing skills, become more critical of the status quo, and be well prepared to initiate school and process improvement based on solid reasoning backed by valid research. Graduates of the Program will emerge with a recognized degree and a set of diverse and relevant skills that are applicable in the pursuit of administration, and advanced level positions in education fields.

The University acts to fulfill the purposes of the Education Specialist program through appropriate coursework, coupled with continuing direction, evaluation of student progress, and regular assessment of student learning outcomes, supervised and administered by qualified faculty. The Education Specialist degree program is designed to service a national market and does not purport to provide licensure or credential certification in any particular state and/or school district. Applicants interested in licensure, credential certification, and/or salary advancement are encouraged to contact the relevant licensing body(ies) and their respective human resources department before enrollment. Coursework in the Program is geared toward those in school settings. Applicants are encouraged to contact the admissions office if they have questions regarding the curriculum and their individual professional backgrounds.

This fall, we’re adding a new learning modality: Directed Study. Students who prefer learning with a cohort and more structure for coursework may choose to start with this learning modality on October 26, 2021 and then on any of three start dates per year ongoing. The Directed Study program is approved by the Department of Education for Federal financial aid funding to cover 100% of the tuition and fees of the degree program.

On October 26, 2021, our Independent Study modality is also changing its program structure. The final start date for our current EdS Independent Study structure is October 1, 2021.

Read the new EdS Program Catalog here.

And our new Academic Catalog here.