Online Master of Education in Educational Leadership
The Master of Educational Leadership online program at the University of Cincinnati will provide you with real-world skills and knowledge to help you on your path to pursue an educational administrative or leadership role. This program prepares licensed educators to become strong leaders within educational organizations.
Masters of Educational Leadership Program Overview
With three main concentrations, choose the track that best fits your career goals. Concentrations for this program include Principal Leadership, Special Education Leadership, and General Administration & Policy.
The online Master of Education in Educational Leadership program is committed to serving the needs of schools throughout Ohio and the nation. Our program is ideal for licensed educators looking to further develop their knowledge and skills to enhance learning and to expand their earning potential through higher-level academic administration or leadership education roles.
- Principal Leadership: gain the tools to be a successful principal within a school or school district.
- Special Education Leadership: focuses on the legal and ethical roles and responsibilities of a professional within the field of special education.
- General Administration & Policy: study educational leadership with or without an educational/professional background through our non-licensure track.
Masters of Educational Leadership Program Highlights
High Quality Education
In this top-ranked program, you’ll:
- Discover the theories and practices of educational leadership and organizational behaviors in school systems.
- Gain hands-on experience through internships that will familiarize you with the roles and responsibilities of a principal.
- Examine current economic theories, sources of revenues, and trends in the fiscal structure and operations of public education.
Flexibility
- 100% online instruction
- Financial aid available
- Easy to transfer credits
- Enroll in the spring, summer, or fall semesters
- Part-time flexibility
Support from Application through Graduation
At UC, you’ll have a full support team behind you:
Enrollment Services Advisor: Your go-to resource during the application process
Student Success Coordinator: Helping you prepare for classes and stay on track
Access to Resources: Access to university resources that will support you through your program including online learning expectations and resources, health and wellness resources, and academic support
The online Master of Education in Educational Leadership is 30 credit hours, 18 semester credit hours of the required core curriculum and 12 semester credit hours of concentration-related curriculum.
View the General Administration & Policy Concentration (Non-Licensure) Major Map
| Course | Title/Description | Credit | ||||
| EDLD7035 | Educational Leadership Theory This course is designed to introduce the student to the theories and practices of educational leadership and organizational behaviors in school systems. Through a series of individual and collaborative activities, participants will begin to understand and appreciate the challenges faced by modern school leaders. |
3 | ||||
| EDLD7038 | Leadership for Social Justice This course is designed to develop competencies necessary for entry-level administrative positions. The goal of this course is to provide participants with a theoretical knowledge base concerning issues of social justice in educationalleadership. The course focuses on the many ways inwhich educational leaders can actively oppose economic, social, and political injustices in the American public school system. |
3 | ||||
| EDLD8034 or EDLD8061 | EDLD 8034 - School Finance This is a general course focused on addressing thefinancing of public elementary and secondary education in the United States. The course examines current economic theories, sources of revenues, and trends in the fiscal structure and operations of public education. This course will present the implications of education finance policies as a public good for society. At completion of the course students will be able to manage the public school organization, operations,and resources to promote safe, efficient, and effective learning environments. Throughout this course, we shall discuss the investment of public moneys to society. OR EDLD 8061 - Finance in Higher Education This course provides an overview of the economics and finance of higher education in the United States, with an emphasis on the analysis of financial policies and current issues at the national, state and institutional levels. The purpose of this course is to apply the concepts, models and methods of economic theory in the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of policies and issues related to the finance of higher education. |
3 | ||||
| EDLD8064 or EDLD8035 | EDLD 8064 - Legal Issues and Law in Higher Education Legal issues arise at universities on a daily basis, demanding university leaders accountable for making decisions that are compliance within their fiduciary responsibility as well a in responsive matter. Explores basic legal theories and their application in higher education, using the case method of study and discussion; covers such topics as constitutional mandates of due process and equal protection, nondiscrimination in employment and educational programs, privacy and openness, tenure and academic freedom, contractual obligations, and program discontinuance. OR EDLD 8035 - School Law This course offers an overview of legislative, executive, and judicial action pertaining to the education with a focus on: the rights of students;the rights of PreK-12 personnel; the responsibilities of school and state agency officials; due process hearings; gender equity andsexual harassment; race an international origin discrimination; legal problems of religious and private schools; search and seizure in schools; legal aspects of the formulation of policy in schools; complementary methods for examining legalissues in education; and recent developments in education law. This course also offers a survey offederal and state statutes, regulations, executiveagency opinions, and published research with respect to the rights of students and personnel and corollary responsibilities of school and stateagency officials, with a social justice approach. Additionally, this course examines a historical approach to meeting the needs of all students, embedded within the context of federal laws and policies. It also provides an overview of federal laws that mandate the success of students with varying social, emotional, and academic needs. |
|||||
| EDLD8037 | School and Community Partnerships The purpose of this course is to advance student understanding of school and community relationships by exploring and applying a variety of theoretical frameworks. Each framework draws attention to significant aspects of developing school and community partnerships and provides additional means of understanding and leading educational organizations. Educational leaders need to be able to collaborate with faculty and community members by collecting and analyzing information pertinent to the improvement of the school's educational environment. Too, they need to be able to mobilize community resources by promoting an understanding, appreciation, and use of diverse cultural, social, and intellectual resources within the school community. |
3 | ||||
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Free Electives | Policy Elective | 3 |
| Free Electives | Leadership Elective | 3 |
| Free Electives | Research Methods, Data and Analysis Elective | 3 |
| Free Electives | Three additional graduate level credit hours from the School of Education based on students' professional and academic interests. | 3 |
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| EDLD7035 | Educational Leadership Theory This course is designed to introduce the student to the theories and practices of educational leadership and organizational behaviors in school systems. Through a series of individual and collaborative activities, participants will begin to understand and appreciate the challenges faced by modern school leaders. |
3 |
| EDLD7038 | Leadership for Social Justice This course is designed to develop competencies necessary for entry-level administrative positions. The goal of this course is to provide participants with a theoretical knowledge base concerning issues of social justice in educationalleadership. The course focuses on the many ways inwhich educational leaders can actively oppose economic, social, and political injustices in the American public school system. |
3 |
| EDLD8032 | Human Resources Administration in Education Education is a labor-intensive enterprise. Human resources administration is of central importance to school administration, because personnel are key to the achievement of the educational system'sgoals and objectives. How individuals are recruited, selected, evaluated, motivated, supervised, compensated, and assisted in their development influence their personal and professional performance and satisfaction. The focus of this course is in the human resource administration functions of recruitment, selection, induction, performance appraisal, supervision, motivation, compensation, professional development and separation. |
3 |
| EDLD8034 | School Finance This is a general course focused on addressing thefinancing of public elementary and secondary education in the United States. The course examines current economic theories, sources of revenues, and trends in the fiscal structure and operations of public education. This course will present the implications of education finance policies as a public good for society. At completion of the course students will be able to manage the public school organization, operations,and resources to promote safe, efficient, and effective learning environments. Throughout this course, we shall discuss the investment of public moneys to society. |
3 |
| EDLD8035 | School Law This course offers an overview of legislative, executive, and judicial action pertaining to the education with a focus on: the rights of students;the rights of PreK-12 personnel; the responsibilities of school and state agency officials; due process hearings; gender equity andsexual harassment; race an international origin discrimination; legal problems of religious and private schools; search and seizure in schools; legal aspects of the formulation of policy in schools; complementary methods for examining legalissues in education; and recent developments in education law. This course also offers a survey offederal and state statutes, regulations, executiveagency opinions, and published research with respect to the rights of students and personnel and corollary responsibilities of school and stateagency officials, with a social justice approach. Additionally, this course examines a historical approach to meeting the needs of all students, embedded within the context of federal laws and policies. It also provides an overview of federal laws that mandate the success of students with varying social, emotional, and academic needs. |
3 |
| EDLD8036 | Curriculum Development and Data Analysis This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of basic principles and issues incurriculum planning, development, implementation, organization, and evaluation. This course focuses on social factors of curriculum, accountability needs, current research, and instructional leadership. This course emphasizes both the practical and theoretical understanding of these concepts. Instructional leaders are expected to beknowledgeable in principles and issues surroundingcurriculum as well as in various program evaluation measures and curriculum evaluation tools. Educational leaders must be confident in their ability to examine, explore, analyze, and utilize student level data to guide decision making and reform efforts in the school building. This ability is guided by the principles of understanding data management, interpretation, andstudent assessment. |
3 |
| EDLD8038 | Instructional Supervision Supervision of instruction holds great promise forimproving the entire educational process, including the quality of teaching and assessing student understanding of content. The development and implementation of high-level, rigorous, and relevant curriculum is at the center of supervision of instruction. Students will compare and contrast historical perspectives and models ofsupervision of instruction with new models for instructional supervision. An emphasis will be placed on supporting and building capacity with teachers to deliver better instruction and analyzedata on student achievement. |
3 |
| SPED7001 | Overview of Special Education Law This course offers an overview of legislative, executive, and judicial action pertaining to the education with a focus on: the rights of students;the rights of PreK-12 personnel; the responsibilities of school and state agency officials; due process hearings; gender equity and sexual harassment; race an international origin discrimination; legal problems of religious and private schools; search and seizure in schools; legal aspects of the formulation of policy in schools; complementary methods for examining legal issues in education; and recent developments in education law. This course also offers a survey of federal and state statutes, regulations, executive agency opinions, and published research with respect to the rights of students and personnel and corollary responsibilities of school and state agency officials, with a social justice approach. Additionally, this course examines a historical approach to meeting the needs of all students, embedded within the context of federal laws and policies. It also provides an overview of federal laws that mandate the success of students with varying social, emotional, and academic needs. |
3 |
| SPED7056 | Foundations, Trends, and Issues in Special Education Leadership Students establish a foundational understanding ofleadership practices within special education. Students gain understanding by studying how the field of special education leadership has evolved over time. Information presented in this course iscontextualized through various topics including: -special education history, - special education/general education federal law, regulations, and policy, - leadership foundations and theory, and - professional and ethical leadership practices. From this course, students gain a foundational understanding of special educational leadership practices, professional andethical leadership roles, and responsibilities within the field of special education. Students will demonstrate a knowledge base in historical perspectives in special education, leadership, andprofessional ethics, critical analysis and synthesis of information acquired through researchand data. Themes for this course are hinged aroundthe foundations and advocacy of leadership for thesocial and educational betterment for learners, families, and professionals. |
3 |
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| EDLD7050 | Principal Clinical Internship I Principal Clinical Internship I (PCI I) is the first of a two-course sequence that provides significant opportunities for students to engage in reflective practice as a building administrator and educational leader. The PCI I is planned, guided, and evaluated cooperatively by the student, the university professor, and the field site mentor who is a licensed, practicing building administrator/educational leader. Students are expected to (1) become familiar with the roles and responsibilities of the principal, (2) lead the planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting of a project designed to improve education in a school, and (3) reflect upon her/his leadership, seeking meaningful improvement as an educational leader. During PCI, students engage in discussions with members of their cohort, keep a reflective journal and record hours spent on their project. The professor will plan periodic conference calls, and/or personal phone calls, and/or visits with the student and his/her mentor to help guide the project and provide additional course oversight. The PCI I course covers the initial planning and placement in the project experience. |
1 |
| EDLD7051 | Principal Clinical Internship II Principal Clinical Internship II (PCI II) is the second of a two-course sequence that provides significant opportunities for students to engage in reflective practice as a building administratorand educational leader. The PCI is planned, guided, and evaluated cooperatively by the student, the university professor, and the field site mentor who is a licensed, practicing buildingadministrator/educational leader. Students are expected to (1) become familiar with the roles andresponsibilities of the principal, (2) lead the planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting of a project designed to improve education in a school, and (3) reflect upon her/his leadership, seeking meaningful improvementas an educational leader. During PCI, students engage in discussions with members of their cohort, keep a reflective journal and record hoursspent on their project. The professor will plan periodic conference calls, and/or personal phone calls, and/or visits with the student and his/her mentor to help guide the project and provide additional course oversight. The PCI II course begins as a continuation of PCI I, the implementation of the project, and ends with |
2 |
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| EDLD7035 | Educational Leadership Theory This course is designed to introduce the student to the theories and practices of educational leadership and organizational behaviors in school systems. Through a series of individual and collaborative activities, participants will begin to understand and appreciate the challenges faced by modern school leaders. |
3 |
| EDLD7038 | Leadership for Social Justice This course is designed to develop competencies necessary for entry-level administrative positions. The goal of this course is to provide participants with a theoretical knowledge base concerning issues of social justice in educationalleadership. The course focuses on the many ways inwhich educational leaders can actively oppose economic, social, and political injustices in the American public school system. |
3 |
| EDLD8032 | Human Resources Administration in Education Education is a labor-intensive enterprise. Human resources administration is of central importance to school administration, because personnel are key to the achievement of the educational system'sgoals and objectives. How individuals are recruited, selected, evaluated, motivated, supervised, compensated, and assisted in their development influence their personal and professional performance and satisfaction. The focus of this course is in the human resource administration functions of recruitment, selection, induction, performance appraisal, supervision, motivation, compensation, professional development and separation. |
3 |
| EDLD8034 | School Finance This is a general course focused on addressing thefinancing of public elementary and secondary education in the United States. The course examines current economic theories, sources of revenues, and trends in the fiscal structure and operations of public education. This course will present the implications of education finance policies as a public good for society. At completion of the course students will be able to manage the public school organization, operations,and resources to promote safe, efficient, and effective learning environments. Throughout this course, we shall discuss the investment of public moneys to society. |
3 |
| EDLD8035 | School Law This course offers an overview of legislative, executive, and judicial action pertaining to the education with a focus on: the rights of students;the rights of PreK-12 personnel; the responsibilities of school and state agency officials; due process hearings; gender equity andsexual harassment; race an international origin discrimination; legal problems of religious and private schools; search and seizure in schools; legal aspects of the formulation of policy in schools; complementary methods for examining legalissues in education; and recent developments in education law. This course also offers a survey offederal and state statutes, regulations, executiveagency opinions, and published research with respect to the rights of students and personnel and corollary responsibilities of school and stateagency officials, with a social justice approach. Additionally, this course examines a historical approach to meeting the needs of all students, embedded within the context of federal laws and policies. It also provides an overview of federal laws that mandate the success of students with varying social, emotional, and academic needs. |
3 |
| EDLD8036 | Curriculum Development and Data Analysis This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of basic principles and issues incurriculum planning, development, implementation, organization, and evaluation. This course focuses on social factors of curriculum, accountability needs, current research, and instructional leadership. This course emphasizes both the practical and theoretical understanding of these concepts. Instructional leaders are expected to beknowledgeable in principles and issues surroundingcurriculum as well as in various program evaluation measures and curriculum evaluation tools. Educational leaders must be confident in their ability to examine, explore, analyze, and utilize student level data to guide decision making and reform efforts in the school building. This ability is guided by the principles of understanding data management, interpretation, andstudent assessment. |
3 |
| EDLD8038 | Instructional Supervision Supervision of instruction holds great promise forimproving the entire educational process, including the quality of teaching and assessing student understanding of content. The development and implementation of high-level, rigorous, and relevant curriculum is at the center of supervision of instruction. Students will compare and contrast historical perspectives and models ofsupervision of instruction with new models for instructional supervision. An emphasis will be placed on supporting and building capacity with teachers to deliver better instruction and analyzedata on student achievement. |
3 |
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| EDLD7050 | Principal Clinical Internship I Principal Clinical Internship I (PCI I) is the first of a two-course sequence that provides significant opportunities for students to engage in reflective practice as a building administrator and educational leader. The PCI I is planned, guided, and evaluated cooperatively by the student, the university professor, and the field site mentor who is a licensed, practicing building administrator/educational leader. Students are expected to (1) become familiar with the roles and responsibilities of the principal, (2) lead the planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting of a project designed to improve education in a school, and (3) reflect upon her/his leadership, seeking meaningful improvement as an educational leader. During PCI, students engage in discussions with members of their cohort, keep a reflective journal and record hours spent on their project. The professor will plan periodic conference calls, and/or personal phone calls, and/or visits with the student and his/her mentor to help guide the project and provide additional course oversight. The PCI I course covers the initial planning and placement in the project experience. |
1 |
| EDLD7051 | Principal Clinical Internship II Principal Clinical Internship II (PCI II) is the second of a two-course sequence that provides significant opportunities for students to engage in reflective practice as a building administratorand educational leader. The PCI is planned, guided, and evaluated cooperatively by the student, the university professor, and the field site mentor who is a licensed, practicing buildingadministrator/educational leader. Students are expected to (1) become familiar with the roles andresponsibilities of the principal, (2) lead the planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting of a project designed to improve education in a school, and (3) reflect upon her/his leadership, seeking meaningful improvementas an educational leader. During PCI, students engage in discussions with members of their cohort, keep a reflective journal and record hoursspent on their project. The professor will plan periodic conference calls, and/or personal phone calls, and/or visits with the student and his/her mentor to help guide the project and provide additional course oversight. The PCI II course begins as a continuation of PCI I, the implementation of the project, and ends with |
2 |
| Course | Title/Desc | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| CI, EDLD, EDST, IDT, SPED, UEL |
Education Electives Six additional graduate level credit hours from the School of Education based on students' professional and academic interests. |
6 |
Admission into the University of Cincinnati’s Master of Education in Educational Leadership online program is selective and based on meeting the requirements outlined below.
Applications for the online program are reviewed and carefully consider all items in your application portfolio. Our Admissions Office is happy to work with you to answer any question you may have and help determine your eligibility. Contact an Enrollment Services Advisor or email onlineenrollment@uc.edu.
Prerequisites
If applying to the Special Education Leadership or Principal Leadership:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university.
- Overall minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (recommended).
- A current, active professional teaching license (alternative teaching licenses cannot be used to gain an administrative license).*
- A minimum of two years of full-time teaching experience with a sanctioned school/district. This excludes time spent as a substitute teacher or time spent as a student teacher. (Note: This degree program does not lead to initial teaching licensure)*
*Not required if applying for the General Administration & Policy concentration.
If applying to the General Administration & Policy:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university.
- Overall minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (recommended).
- Teaching license is not required
Admission Materials
- Three Letters of Recommendation (1 letter must be from an immediate supervisor who can speak to the candidate’s performance).
- Goal statement.
- Resume or CV.
- Unofficial Transcripts from all universities attended.
Complete the online application and submit the application fee.
Standard Application Fees:
- $65.00 for domestic applicants to most degree programs
- $70.00 for international applicants to most degree programs
- $20.00 for domestic applicants to Graduate Certificates
- $25.00 for international applicants to Graduate Certificates
- Application fees are waived for Summer 2026 applications submitted by March 1st, 2026
- Application fees are waived for Fall 2026 applications submitted by July 1st, 2026
- Fee waivers are automatically applied for applicants who:
- are currently serving in the US armed forces
- are veterans of the US armed forces
All applicants are required to upload unofficial transcripts during the application process, showing all undergraduate and graduate course work completed, including degrees granted and dates of conferral.
Official transcripts are not required until the student has received and accepted an offer of admission from the university. Once the offer has been confirmed, the student must submit official transcripts.
Students who have received degrees from the University of Cincinnati do not need to submit official paper copies of their UC transcripts.
Transcripts can be submitted electronically or by mail. To see if your transcript(s) can be ordered electronically, visit the links below and search for your previous school(s).
- Parchment
- Please select “University of Cincinnati – Main Campus” as the recipient of your transcript.
- National Student Clearinghouse
- Please have your transcript sent directly to admissions@uc.edu.
If you do not see your past school(s) listed on either site, please contact the school(s) directly. Then, mail your sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:
Please mail sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:
University of Cincinnati
Office of Admissions
PO Box 210091
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0091
Transfer Credits
You may transfer up to one third of the credits of the program, about 9 credits credit hours of graduate courses from a regionally accredited college or university. These credits must have been earned within the last five years prior to admission and be approved by the program faculty. Practicum coursework cannot be transferred into the program.
Transferring from one graduate program to join another at UC, all UC graduate credits taken as part of the incomplete program or under a certificate are eligible to use to fulfill requirements in the new program, based on faculty evaluation of the equivalence to courses in the new curriculum and program approval
Three letters of recommendation are required.
- Recommendations should come from individuals who can attest to your academic and professional skills. References from current and former employers are always desirable. Additionally, recommendations from contacts within academia or professional organizations you’re involved in are also desirable.
- Those writing letters should explain who they are, their relationship to the applicant, and what they know of the applicant’s academic and professional abilities.
- Letters of recommendation from family, friends or current students are not accepted.
- Recommendations are submitted by the recommender themselves; they cannot be completed or submitted by the applicant or another party on behalf of the reference.
Professional Resume:
A resume relevant to academic and professional data. It should include the applicant’s name; phone; email; colleges attended with degrees, dates conferred, and grade point average; employment history; professional experience; present employer; and names of references.
Curriculum Vitae:
A detailed look at the applicant’s career path, including achievements, publications, and awards. Including comprehensive information about candidate’s research background, presentations, publications, committee memberships and other experience of an academic, clinical, or scientific nature.
The goal statement serves as a sample of the applicant’s writing quality and ensures their goals match with the program. It should denote applicant’s desired program concentration (if applicable) and highlight applicant’s motivation for pursuing a career in the field, and how the program will benefit them.
No GRE is required of applicants.
GRE scores are optional for admission. Scores are recommended to strengthen applications that may be weak in areas. For example, applicants with a minimum undergraduate GPA of less than 3.0 should include GRE scores with their application.
Candidates who graduated from a non-accredited college or university or who do not meet the minimum grade point averages requirement for admission will need a waiver from the School of Education. For the program to request a waiver, the candidate must provide evidence that address mastery of the knowledge prerequisite to the courses required by the program, acceptable writing skills, the ability to engage in critical thinking, and a personal commitment to completing the program. The evidence must convincingly demonstrate the candidate’s potential for success in graduate level work.
International students are required to provide specific information about their transcripts. Transcripts must have a course-by-course evaluation completed from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). For questions regarding international student admissions contact an Enrollment Services Advisor.
English Proficiency Requirement: English proficiency is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. Students can demonstrate proficiency in a number of ways at the graduate level.
For International students, an English proficiency test:
- TOEFL minimum Internet-based 80
- Paper-based 520
- Computer-based 190
- IELTS minimum 6.5
| Term | Application Deadline | Classes Start |
|---|---|---|
Summer 2026 Fall 2026 Spring 2027 |
April 24, 2026 August 8, 2026 December 15, 2026 |
May 11, 2026 August 24, 2026 January 11, 2027 |
The University of Cincinnati's online course fees differ depending on the program. On average, students will accrue fewer fees than students attending on-campus classes.
The one fee applied across all UC Online programs is the distance learning fee. Students living outside the state of Ohio must also pay an additional “non-resident” fee to enroll in courses at UC Online. This fee is lower than the out-of-state fee for traditional on-campus programs.
To view tuition information and program costs, visit the Online Program Fees page.
- The University of Cincinnati and all of its regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- The online Master’s in Educational Leadership degree is fully accredited by the Ohio Department of Education.
- The University of Cincinnati is fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
- The program also meets the standards of the University Council for Educational Administration.
- The University of Cincinnati is ranked in the top 50 Online Master of Education programs on U.S. News & World Report (2023).
- University of Cincinnati Online ranked “Best Online” Public University on College Consensus in 2022.
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