Specialist in Educational Administration

A program for advanced work in educational administration leading to an educational specialist certificate.

Applicants will enter the program after completion of the masters degree in Educational Administration. Completion of the educational specialist program will require a minimum of 30 semester credit hours beyond the masters degree with an accumulated GPA of 3.5 during the specialist program. Students with a masters degree in areas other than administration will be required to take additional work equivalent to that required in the administration degree and must meet initial administrative certification.

Admission Requirements

For admission to the sixth-year program the student must be admitted as a classified graduate student. To be considered a classified graduate student, evidence must be provided of completion of a masters degree with a 3.0 GPA and a score of 460 or 50th percentile on the Advanced Education section of the Graduate Record Examination and must also provide three letters of reference verifying five years of successful teaching and administration experience (administration experience must be at least one year).

A student who does not meet these requirements upon application will be admitted as a conditional student and must complete all requirements for admission during the first semester of enrollment. Exceptions may be petitioned to a committee of educational administration faculty and the department Chair.

Program Requirements

All course requirements will be distributed within three areas. A student must complete the minimum semester hours identified in each area. The courses used to meet the minimum area requirements may be taken during the masters degree or educational specialist program.

Area I: Professional Foundations (6-12 hours)

Advanced work in humanistic and behavioral studies providing the student with a context in which educational problems can be understood and interpreted. In some cases, these studies are part of the content specialization. Specific courses appropriate to the area of specialization will be determined by the candidate and advisor.

Area II: Content Specialization (12-24 hours)

Advanced studies and related experiences in administrative theory and practice, development of curricula, program design, and supervision and improvement of teaching. Candidates will complete six hours from business, economics, counselor education/special education, vocational education, psychology, sociology, or government appropriate to the area of specialization. Specific courses appropriate to the area of specialization will be determined by the candidate and advisor.

Area III: Research and Evaluation (6-12 hours)

Advanced studies of research methods, interpretation, evaluation, and application with regard to gaining access to research findings and adapting them to professional needs. Candidates will complete a course in research and writing or will have completed a comparable requirement at the masters level.

The student must pass an oral and/or written examination at the completion of the course requirements.

Courses for areas of specialization will be determined by Idaho certification requirements, the area of specialization desired by the candidate, and the background and need of each individual candidate. The program will be jointly planned by the student and major advisor.

Planned Fifth-Year Program

The purpose of the planned Fifth-Year Program in Teacher Education is to provide an opportunity for candidates to further their own professional growth and career goals through planning processes and guidelines which allow for maximum flexibility and increased autonomy by candidates in program design. Candidates professional development goals may relate to (a) extending and refining their cognitive background and skills related to their current professional assignment, (b) seeking improvement and/or modification in their professional career status within a teaching staff or institution, or (c) seeking an additional endorsement or advanced certification.

Prospective candidates must:

1. Possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
2. Meet standard certification requirements in the area and at the level of their planned Fifth-Year Program.
3. Apply for admission to graduate study.
4. See an advisor/sponsor as soon as possible, preferably at the time of application for admission to graduate study.
5. Establish with the advisor a proposal for the planned Fifth-Year Program that reflects the candidates professional development goals and/or career ladder goals.
6. Work with the advisor to submit and gain approval of the proposal. Requirements of the Planned Fifth-Year Program:
   1. A minimum of 30 semester credits. At least 2/3 of the credits included in the program must be graduate level course work (500-600 level).
   2. A minimum of 15 credits to be taken following approval of the planned Fifth-Year Program proposal.
   3. A maximum of 1/3 of the credits may be undergraduate work.
   4. A maximum of 10 credits of Education 397/597.
   5. A maximum allowance of 8 transfer credits (graduate transfer credits must meet requirements of the Graduate School.)
   6. All course work must be completed within a six-year period.
   7. The candidate must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.00 in the planned Fifth-Year course work with a maximum of five credits of C allowed. During the semester in which a candidate will complete all planned Fifth-Year Program requirements, the candidate will apply for graduation. The advisor, in consort with the candidate, will initiate a written recommendation to the department Chair who will in turn transmit a recommendation to the Dean of the College of Education for issuance of the planned Fifth-Year Program certificate.

      The candidate is responsible for initiating any application to the Idaho State Department of Education for certification stemming from completion of the planned Fifth-Year Program in Teacher Education.