Tier II Education Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership
You see the need. You feel the calling. You know you can make a difference in your district, community and students' lives. With a Tier II Educational Specialist Degree (EDS.) or Certificate from Albany State University, you will.
Why Albany State University?
The ASU Educational Leadership Tier II program was redesigned from the ground up by a team of national and state educational experts, Georgia state educational leaders, and regional district superintendents to recruit, prepare, and graduate candidates to lead the next generation of educators. Our program relaunched in 2019 with the goal of being the best of its kind.
Go Beyond Credentials
Any educational leadership Tier II program can offer you the credentials necessary to become a principal, principal’s supervisor, or superintendent, and the ASU Tier II program is no exception. Our candidates want more than a credential; more than a degree or certificate. The promising leaders who enter the program are passionate and dedicated educators who enter this field to make a difference. They’re hungry to lead, with the courage to identify and take on intractable challenges. They know the transformative impact an education can have on a child and want to use their leadership to generate change – for children, for educators, and for communities.
As a candidate in the program, you will gain the confidence and skills needed to address challenges in your district and community. You will learn from professors who are as passionate as you are, who want to help you succeed at every level, from the basics of administration and planning to creating lasting change to making sure that the system works for everyone.
You will be supported by mentors and will use work to put ideas into practice. And you will learn as part of a dynamic cohort—a group of supportive peers who share your passion and commitment and will challenge you to be your best.
At Albany State University, you will be part of a program that is both academically rigorous and individually tailored to build on your strengths and create new ones. You will become the high-impact leader that districts throughout our region are seeking to hire.
What to Expect
Your Albany State University Educational Leadership Tier II program will feature remote learning. You will complete coursework online, so that you can continue your role as an educator without interruption. And you will meet with your cohort and Leadership Candidate Support Team (LCST) remotely.
If you’re going for your EDS degree, you will take 30 credit hours and complete 750 hours of clinical practice, applying real-world experiences at every level—from elementary to middle to high school to the central office—contributing to decisions that guide your school and district.
If you have already earned certification at the specialist or doctoral level in an area other than leadership, you may add certification in leadership by taking 24 credit hours of course work along with completing the 750 hours of clinical practice.
Year At-A-Glance
SUMMER |
Focus: vision and mission, school improvement, professional learning |
FALL |
Focus: team and collaborative work, families and community engagement, teaching and learning |
SPRING |
Focus: personalized student learning and well-being, ethics and equity advocacy, organization and management |
Each term will include real-world experience, so that you can put what you learn into practice. For your entire list of courses, including descriptions, click button below.
Phase i requirements (fully online)
- Invitation to participate
- Interviews (i.e., individual, group)
- On-demand writing and teacher feedback response
Phase II Requirements
(Completion of Phase I requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Potential candidates must complete Phase II requirements.)
- Minimum overall Masters GPA of 3.0
- All Official transcripts from each college/university
- Tier I Certification in Leadership
- Three years professional educational experience
Three professional letters of recommendation (one from immediate supervisor, someone you supervise, and a community member)
Requirements below:
- Letter from your supervisor
- Please describe the applicant’s ability to analyze student data, identify patterns/trends and use this information to make instructional decisions aligned to the school’s mission/vision.
- Please describe a time when the applicant had to lead a difficult conversation with a school staff member or school parent and their ability to effectively solve the problem.
- Please describe the applicant’s strengths and growth areas
- Letter from someone you supervise (aligned to GA Educational Leadership/PSEL Standard
7)
- Please describe how the applicant fosters a supportive workplace and develops teachers and other professional staff.
- Please describe how the applicant uses data promotes accountability among staff to impact student learning.
- Letter from community member (aligned to GA Educational Leadership/PSEL Standard 8)
- Please describe how this applicant sets the pace for open communication with families and the community about the school, students, needs, challenges and/or accomplishments.
- Please describe how this applicant engages the community’s cultural, social intellectual and political resources to promote student success.
- **Writing sample (Essay)
- In 100 words or fewer, BRIEFLY describe an instructional project or initiative you’ve led or coordinated See requirements below; in 400 words or fewer, discuss issues/strategies for an instructional project; in 500 words, describe a recent professional learning session you have led; and in 500 words, describe a recent school improvement project you implemented. (For a total of 1500 word-essay)
Requirements below:
Applicant must complete one essay and can choose among the three prompts.
- In 100 words or fewer, BRIEFLY describe an instructional project or initiative you
have led or coordinated where the team or committee members had conflicting viewpoints
on how to move the work forward:
- Then, in 400 words or fewer, discuss the following:
- What were some of the conflicting view points/issues? How were they resolved?
- Discuss a strategy you used to move the team’s work forward.
- If you had the opportunity to lead this project again, what would you do differently?
- In 500 words, describe a recent professional learning session you have led:
- What was the purpose/goals?
- What follow-up did you provide participants?
- What was the student impact on your work with 2-3 individual teachers? How do you know?
- In 500 words, describe a recent school improvement project you implemented:
- What methods did you use to monitor implementation of the project? Why did you choose them?
- What adjustments did you make during implementation of the project? What was your rationale?
- How did implementation of the project impact student learning? Instructional practice? How do you know?
- Then, in 400 words or fewer, discuss the following:
All Applicants NOT in a leadership POSITION must secure a written letter granting release time from their district to complete 750 clock hours of Professional Standards Commission required clinical/field experience.
Out-of-the state applicants may be accepted into Albany State University's educational specialist in educational leadership program. However, please be aware that completion of the program leads to an educational specialist in educational leadership degree but not certification in the State of Georgia. Interested persons should check their state requirements for certification.
ready to make an impact?
Ready to Make an Impact? Begin your app today!
Step 1: Activities
If you are invited for Step 1 after contacting the Graduate School or Program Coordinator, you will be asked to participate in several assessment activities including:
- Individual and group interviews
- In-basket activities to see how you prioritize multiple items in your “in basket”
- On-demand writing assessment
We will notify you soon whether you have been invited for Step 2.
Step 2: Email Application Materials to the Graduate School graduateadmissions@asurams.edu
Please submit the following:
- Completed application APPLY NOW.
- Non-refundable application fee FEE INFORMATION
- Three letters of recommendation with one from immediate supervisor LETTER REQUIREMENTS
- Transcripts from all graduate programs you attended
- Copy of your Tier I certification in educational leadership, if seeking Georgia certification
- Proof of at least 3 years’ professional education experience
- A successful writing sample from your tenure as an administrator
*All Applicants NOT in a leadership POSITION must secure a written letter granting release time from their district to complete 750 clock hours of Professional Standards Commission required clinical/field experience.
We will notify you soon whether you have been selected to join the program.
Step 3: District Documents
Before you can start, your district will be asked to provide us with additional forms, including:
- Superintendent's Assurance Form
- Proof of employment in a leadership position or secure a written letter granting release time from your district to complete 750 clock hours.