The Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at Sam Houston State University, the oldest educator training institution West of the Mississippi River, offers a unique opportunity for individuals to earn a Master’s Degree that links leadership studies with practical applications across several areas of education. Students who pursue the 30 hour M.A. in Instructional Leadership come from many different backgrounds. Teachers (math, science, reading, history, ELL/ESL, Bilingual education, technology education, special education); gifted educators; academic advisors in higher education; and technology specialists are some of the individuals who might choose this program. Students in cooperation with the faculty engage in a curriculum that prepares them to take on the roles and responsibilities of supervisors, professional development leaders, instructional specialist etc.
Students admitted to the 30 hr. M.A. degree program take 24 hours of common core courses, and each student takes 6 to 9 hours in an area of concentration. The options currently available are listed on the left side of this page. Every attempt is made to align assignments and field activities align with the individual student’s area of concentration. Near the end of the degree program students complete a leadership practicum in the appropriate area of concentration. During the practicum, the student works with a practicing onsite mentor and a university supervisor.
This 30 hr M.A. is delivered via distance education. Some courses are delivered entirely online while others are delivered in a hybrid design—part online and part face-to-face. Through the use of BlackBoard, podcasting, streamed videos, and other technology students will work collaboratively with fellow students to complete assignments and to discuss current topics related to the theory and practice of leadership. These courses are led by full-time professors who have actual experience in instructional leadership and with part-time faculty who are currently working in the field. This degree is designed for students to complete all requirements in 12 months.
The 30-hr M. A. requires the candidate to complete a thesis under the direction of an assigned thesis chair and two other faculty members. A master’s thesis is designed to advance an original point of view as a result of extensive research and can range between 70-100 pages in length. |
