Department of Educational Leadership and Secondary Education

Dr. Thomas Walsh, Chairperson

Location: Hennings Hall, Room 303
Phone: 908-737-3798
Email: tpwalsh@kean.edu

Degrees and Certificates Offered:

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Master of Arts in Educational Leadership

School Business Administrator
Supervisor and Principal
Supervisor, Principal, and School Business Administrator

Post-Master's Certificate in Educational Administration

Digital Leadership
School Business Administrator
Supervisor
Supervisor and Principal
Supervisor, Principal, and School Business Administrator

Additional certification requirements:

Students interested in obtaining a certification upon degree conferral or completion of a post master’s certification must submit a separate application. Please visit the Office of Teacher Certification and the NJ Department of Education for more information on specific certification requirements.

Program Accreditation:

This program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Admissions Requirements

Master of Arts

(Supervisor – Principal – School Business Administrator)

An earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited College or University (official transcripts from all institutions attended are required)
A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (A lower GPA may be considered based on the overall strength of the application)
New Jersey or out-of-state Standard Instructional or Educational Services Certificate
Three to five years of experience under the appropriate certification*
Submission of GRE (Graduate Record Exam) or MAT (Miller Analogies Test) scores. GRE/MAT is waived for applicants who meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Have earned a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited College or University AND have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher.
- Have successfully completed a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution. The date the Master's Degree is conferred must be prior to the application deadline.
Two Letters of Recommendation
Personal statement
Professional Resume/CV
Official TOEFL or IELTS score reports (where applicable)

*Please note that in order to receive a supervisor's certificate, a minimum of three years of full-time teaching is required. The requirement to receive a principal's certification is five years of full-time experience. A candidate will be unable to establish certification without this requirement being met. This requirement is not applicable to the school business administrator certificate.

Post-Master's Certificate

(Supervisor – Principal – School Business Administrator; Digital Leadership)

Master's degree form an accredited College or University
A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0
Official transcripts from all institutions attended
Three to five years of experience under the appropriate certification*
Two letters of recommendation
Departmental interview may be required
Personal statement
Professional Resume/CV
Official TOEFL or IELTS score reports (where applicable)

*Please note that in order to receive a supervisor's certificate, a minimum of three years of full-time teaching is required. The requirement to receive a principal's certification is five years of full-time experience. A candidate will be unable to establish certification without this requirement being met. This requirement does not apply to the school business administrator certificate or the digital leadership certificate.

Doctorate of Educational Leadership (Ed.D)

Master’s degree from an accredited College or University
A Statement of purpose
Official transcripts of all colleges or universities attended
A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in last degree attained (A lower GPA may be considered based on the overall strength of the application)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) taken within 5 years of application
Professional Resume/CV
Substantial experience working in education or family support agencies
Two letters of recommendation
Letter of Endorsement from a Superintendent or Agency Director
- All applicants for the Doctorate of Education in Urban Leadership (Ed.D.) are required to submit a letter of endorsement from the Chief Administrator of their school district, charter school or community education agency that indicates they will support and mentor the candidate in the internship. For a public school, the endorsement letter should come from the Superintendent. For a charter school, the endorsement letter should come from the Director of the school or the President of the Board. For a community education agency, the endorsement letter should come from the Director of the agency.
Official TOEFL or IELTS score reports (where applicable)

The Doctor of Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) requires the completion of 90 credits beyond a bachelor’s degree. Candidates who already possess a Master’s degree in Educational Administration or Educational Leadership will be eligible for full admission, meaning 36 credits of Master's level courses will be applied towards the Ed.D.

Students with a Master's degree in a related discipline may be conditionally admitted until the prerequisites or course equivalents are completed. Up to 36 graduate credits are eligible to be applied towards the doctoral program if they meet the requirements similar to Master's level course work at Kean. (The Program Director will analyze candidates' transcripts and decide which courses will be accepted).

*Candidates entering the Ed.D. program are not eligible for certification as Principal, Supervisor, or School Business Administrator.

Start terms

MA and Post-MA Certificate programs may begin every Fall, Spring or Summer
The Ed.D. is a cohort-based program and admits students in the Fall Semester Only

Declaration Requirements:

In order to receive a degree or complete a certificate program of the department, all students must:

Maintain a 3.0 GPA
Submit evidence of a passing Praxis I exam
Provide documentation of five years of experience as teacher or other school services personnel for state certification as a Principal
Provide evidence of three years of experience as teacher or other school services personnel for state certification as a Supervisor

Graduation Requirements:

Candidates must hold a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in order to graduate from all programs of the department.

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