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Educational Leadership - Leadership

Master of Education (M.Ed.)

Graduate Major

Detroit • Low Residency • 33 Credits

Educational leadership is the process of guiding and managing educational institutions to improve teaching and learning outcomes through strategic planning, resource allocation, and fostering a positive school culture.

Overview

Grand Valley's M.Ed. in Educational Leadership equips aspiring leaders with practical experiences, case-based teaching, and a curriculum tailored to the knowledge needed for success in pre-K through grade 12 leadership. The program prepares educators to lead in school buildings and districts, focusing on effective leadership, curriculum organization, personnel administration, finance, law, assessment, and instructional leadership. Emphasizing the application of theory to practice, it ensures relevance to the most critical aspects of educational leadership.

All Master of Education (M.Ed.) programs require a minimum of 33 semester hours. To receive the M.Ed in Leadership, students must complete the College of Education and Community Innovation foundations requirements and one of the emphasis areas.

Studying educational leadership opens up numerous career opportunities for professional educators, including an ES elementary and secondary (PK-12) school administrator endorsement. The program is taught by faculty members with extensive PK-12 teaching and administrative backgrounds, ensuring a rich learning experience. The curriculum blends educational theory and practical application, preparing students for real-world challenges. Flexible hybrid classes, available in the evenings, weekends, and during the summer, make it easier for teachers and administrators to plan their schedules, with some classes offered online.

Courses Admission Requirements Program Requirements

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Program Website

College of Education and Community Innovation

gvsu.edu/education/grad
401 Fulton Street West, Building C
(616) 331-6650
[email protected]

Program Director

Rick Vandermolen, Ed.D.
(616) 331-6250

Application Deadline

Deadline for fall semester is July 15; winter, November 15; spring/summer, March 15. Early application is strongly encouraged to secure course enrollment. Those applications received after the deadline will be considered on an individual basis and program availability. Late applicants should contact program director Rick Vandermolen, [email protected]. The $30 nonrefundable application fee is waived if you have previously applied to GVSU.

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Accreditation

Grand Valley State University's College of Education and Community Innovation is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association (NCA). The faculty are leaders in their fields, melding together the philosophy of education and your needs as a practitioner.

Career Options

Some of the job titles associated with this graduate degree are:

PK-12 teaching
School administration
Special education supervisor
College level professional and administrative positions

Scholarships

Grand Valley State University offers a wide variety of merit-based scholarships. For information on all of the scholarships that are available to students, please visit Scholarships at GVSU.

Grand Valley offers myScholarships (a scholarship matching tool) to help admitted students match with GVSU scholarships, as well as external scholarship opportunities. myScholarships will prompt you to answer questions to help match you to scholarships for which you might qualify.