Master of Education

Program Description

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) program in Teacher Leadership is designed for certified educators who want to remain in classroom teaching while, at the same time, extend their influence beyond the walls of their own classrooms. The program is designed to help teachers improve their knowledge and skills in teaching their own content areas as well as in leadership where they develop expertise in leading other educators to improve teaching and learning across all subject areas and grade levels. The Teacher Leadership program addresses the expanded roles and responsibilities of teachers in schools, including data-driven assessment and decision making for school improvement, leading professional learning communities, applying research to practice, improving teaching and learning, and collaborating with families and the community.

The 36-semester hour program includes six hours in foundations courses, twelve hours in teacher leadership courses, twelve hours in content area pedagogy courses, and six hours in an internship. Candidates complete the internship in their own classrooms during the final two semesters of coursework where they gain experience as teacher leaders under the supervision of P-12 and university coaches and mentors.  

The program integrates theoretical frameworks with practical and performance based experiences by combining academic content with field experiences and internships. The program model also provides candidates access to graduate-level instruction from faculty in multiple disciplines which allows them the opportunity to broaden their understandings of the total school community and expose them to a wide variety of P-12 educational processes.

There are three start dates for the M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership degree. Students may begin at the start of Fall, Spring, or Summer semester.

Educator Preparation at Columbus State University is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), formerly NCATE.

Career Opportunities

Upon successful completion of the M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership program, the candidate will be eligible for a Georgia teaching certificate (S-5; the letter "S" indicates that the certificate is in a service, P-12 field and the number "5" indicates that the candidate's highest degree is a master's degree recognized by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission). For more information about applying for a certificate, go to http://www.gapsc.com CSU candidates should contact the Office of Student Advising and Field Experiences at 706-568-2191 with any questions about the application process for certification.

Admission Requirements

• Complete requirements for a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a related field of study.
• A cumulative 2.75 (4.0 scale) grade point average or higher on all undergraduate work for regular admission and a cumulative 2.50 (4.0 scale) for provisional admission. A cumulative 3.0 (4.0 scale) grade point average on any transfer graduate work.
• A clear, renewable level 4 or higher professional teaching, service, or leadership certificate in the field of study for which the applicant will specialize.
• A minimum of three years teaching experience in the field in which the applicant will specialize.
• A personal statement of purpose not to exceed 400 words, which identifies the applicant’s interest in the program and reason for pursuing graduate study.
• Two letters of recommendation, with one being from the candidate’s school system administrator (superintendent) or designee.

How to apply for the fully online program.

Note for out of state students

If you live outside the state of Georgia, state regulations may limit your distance education options. To find out whether Columbus State University is authorized to deliver specific programs in your state, please email your inquiry to state_authorization@columbusstate.edu. This email address is exclusively for questions regarding state approval of online offerings. Other types of questions should be sent to the academic department offering the online course.

Columbus State University's programs leading to all levels of licensure, endorsement, and professional certification are designed to satisfy the requirements of their respective Georgia boards governing licensure.  CSU does NOT guarantee that these programs will necessarily satisfy the criteria of professional boards in other states or territories. Programs with state licensing requirements may include, but are not limited to, programs in Nursing, Leadership, and Education.  Students from outside of Georgia who are considering a professional program should contact the appropriate board in their state of intended practice prior to beginning a course of study.

Follow the link below for professional licensure contact information by state.

• Education Programs - link to http://www.nasdtec.net/?page=State_DIrectory

Learning Outcomes

Graduates will:

• Model professionalism and best practices in teaching and learning and serve as a mentor and coach for other educators;
• Collaborate with all stakeholders to build a positive school culture and to improve teaching and learning;
• Facilitate the design and implementation of effective professional learning based on identified student and teacher needs;
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of curriculum and assessment that includes the use of data analysis for decision making;
• Access and conduct research to use in improving teaching and learning.

Additional Program Requirements

• Students must earn a 3.0 GPA calculated on all graduate work attempted. "Academic Forgiveness" policy does not apply to graduate studies
• Students cannot graduate with a grade of "C" or below in more than two (2) graduate courses
• A minimum of 27 hours of the hours required for the degree must be earned in residence (75%). Asynchronous (online) and distance learning courses administered through Columbus State University constitute courses taken in residence
• A maximum of nine (9) semester hours of transfer credit or courses taken at CSU prior to full admission to a masters degree program may be applied toward the degree. Courses with earned grades of "C" or below cannot be transferred. The student’s advisor and the coordinator of the program in which the student is enrolled must approve any courses transferred
• All degree requirements must be completed within seven (7) years of first enrollment
• All students must complete an electronic portfolio as the culminating project  

NOTE: For Georgia certification, candidates must satisfactorily complete the state testing requirement for Teacher Leadership; the certificate is a P-12, service field.

An active Tk20 account is a required resource for this program because selected assignments must be submitted electronically using this online platform. Tk20 is used by the university to maintain our accreditation, to demonstrate the quality of our academic programs, and to improve teaching and learning.

Program of Study

Area 1 Foundations Required Hours: 6
EDUF 6116 Educational Research Methods
EDUF 6117 Adult Learners and Learning

Area 2 Teacher Leadership Required Hours: 12 
EDUL 6235 Adult Learner Instructional Strategies
EDUL 6255 Collaboration for Improved Student Achievement
EDTL 6156 Developing Teacher Leaders
EDTL 6157 Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning

Area 3 Content Pedagogy Required Hours: 12
EDTL 6158 Reading & Writing in the Content Areas
EDTL 6159 Differentiating Instruction in the Content Areas
EDUL 6226 Curriculum Design for High Achievement of All Students 
Elective: Content/Content Pedagogy Related Course (ENG, MATH, SS, RDG, ECE...)

Area 4Internship & Exit Requirements Required Hours: 6 
EDTL 6685 Teacher Leader Internship
Pre-req: Completion of a minimum of 18 hours from areas I and II to include EDTL 6156, EDTL 6157, & EDUL 6235
EDTL 6686 Teacher Leader Internship II
Pre-req: Successful completion of EDTL 6685

Total Hours Required: 36