This program is certified by the Maine Department of Education.

This program of study is intended to support individuals, according to Maine DOE regulations, in fulfilling partial requirements in the following endorsement areas:

• 040 Building Administrator Endorsement
• 045 Assistant Building Administrator Endorsement

This degree program is intended for educators who are interested in pursuing a position in school administration. Courses are designed to meet the (standards) of Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL). The certificate provides the general knowledge areas most states require for early-career school leaders, the degree concentration for those areas required of principals and superintendents. Students in this program should inquire with their state department of education and confirm the necessary coursework for their specific state’s unique certification requirements.

Students in this program investigate the current scholarly research on educational administration, and evaluate it in terms of their previous experience and expectations of past and current school settings. They review and reflect upon issues such as supervising, leading, and developing professional employees, management and leadership styles, unionized environments, financial and legal responsibilities, social and political influences on education,and strategies for inclusive leadership. Students will also conduct a supervised internship where they are encouraged to apply theoretical ideas into practice and gain practical insight and experience within an educational administrative setting.

The overall outcomes for the M.S.Ed program are as follows:

• Gain Knowledge and Skills in the Education Profession
• Engage in Reflective Practice
• Think Critically
• Write with Clarity

Students in the M.S.Ed School Leadership concentration will:

• Recognize and apply multiple supervisory management and leadership methods.
• Apply knowledge of the basic legal and fiduciary requirements of an administrative position as well as the potential ethical issues that may be encountered. 
• Evaluate various leadership styles and to reflect upon their own professional development and growth in both management and leadership approaches.
• Become familiar with organizational planning and development models, change management, the dynamics of schools as unique human organizations, with diverse resources, challenges and opportunities.
• Identify the educational organization as a subsystem of larger social and political systems and be adept at recognizing the requirements for productive relationships with students, families, and communities at large.