Educational Administration, EdD (P-12 School Superintendent)
Doctor of Education Degree with a Specialization in P to 12 School Leadership
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Overview
Admissions and Requirements
Courses You’ll Take
Tuition & Fees
Program Overview
The blended Educational Administrative, Ed.D. with specialization in P-12 School Leadership is designed for students seeking an endorsement as a P-12 superintendent.
The challenges for school leaders has never been more significant. School leaders are tasked with improving instruction and student learning and providing optimal learning environments for teachers, students and staff. They also must create a safe and welcoming culture for all.
Students choose the Educational Administration, EdD (P-12 Superintendent Endorsement) program to:
- Learn from faculty who conduct and share leading research on authentic school leadership challenges.
- Participate in the authentic internship experience in their districts with support from a field-based mentor and a faculty mentor.
- Gain knowledge from leading authorities who share well-established expertise on topics such as instructional leadership, school culture and climate, technology, grading and assessment, curriculum and other vital topics.
Coursework is designed to integrate the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards to enable students to develop the principles, processes and practical skills necessary for effective district-level leadership.
Note: This is a blended program, requiring students to attend three on-campus seminars during the first, second and third summer terms of enrollment. The on-campus seminars are intense, short sessions focused on topics of compelling interest taught by experts in trends in P-12 administration. All other courses are offered online.
This program is offered as a cooperative program through the UNL and UNO campuses.
Career Outlook: Educational administrators oversee student services, academics and curriculum in schools and colleges. Typically, postsecondary education administrators need a master’s degree because employers prefer to hire candidates that have experience with the job duties listed above. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for Postsecondary Education Administrators is growing at 10%, which is faster than average. The Bureau reports that the demand for Elementary, Middle and High School Principals is growing at 8%, which is about as fast as average. Principals coordinate curriculums, oversee teachers and provide a safe environment for students.
More about the Department of Educational Administration:
The Department of Educational Administration has been a part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln since 1913. The faculty and staff are committed to preparing individuals to serve and lead educational organizations in the challenges facing 21st-century teaching and learning. Distance education is an essential part of the academic programs of the department, with a majority of the classes now available online. The department is constantly working to improve its efforts, both in terms of the developmental needs of students and in the quality of their academic work.
Admissions and Requirements
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
A Master's degree
Must be from an accredited institution
3 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
A license/certificate required
Certification as a school administrator
Taken the GRE
Taken the TOEFL or IELTS
(Only required if English is not your native language)
A written personal statement
3 letters of recommendation
Official transcripts from all previous schools
Three samples of writing or research
Personal Vita or Resume
Copy of your current administrative certificate
NOTE: If you reside in state(s) KY contact a program adviser before applying.
To apply to this program:
- Complete and submit the online application for Graduate Studies
- Pay $50 application fees
- Complete and submit separate application to the Department of Educational Administration
- apply and be admitted to the department
Courses You’ll Take
Core Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDAD 988 | Dissertation Proposal Development | 3 |
Intended for students who are working on the development of their dissertation proposal. Component parts of the dissertation proposal. Students from all areas of Teachers College and the University of Nebraska who are in the process of developing their proposal will find this course to be of use. Typically the course should be taken after the research tools have been completed. (Requires 1 week on-campus with additional online content.) | ||
| EDAD 998 | Internship in Educational Administration | 3 |
Opportunity for educational administrators to gain an understanding of administering changes or innovations, and to obtain supervised field experience. Consideration will be given antecedents of change, change models, the role of government, forces that restrict or stimulate change, tools to implement change, and evaluation. | ||
| EDAD 801 | Cross-Cultural Leadership Studies | 3 |
Prereq: Permission For those interested in exploring leadership and leadership issues from a cross-cultural perspective. Students construct their understanding of different cultural perspectives on leadership through readings, interviews, and field trips. Provides students with a valuable perspective on their own and other cultural perspectives through the comparison of cultural viewpoints. Native American understanding of leadership. | ||
| EDAD 925 | Law and Higher Education | 3 |
Examination of legal principles applicable to postsecondary education institutions. Overview of the legal system, postsecondary education institutions as legal entities, authority for governance and administration, faculty rights and responsibilities, student rights and responsibilities, institutional and personal liability, and other selected issues. | ||
| EDAD 830 | Administrative Theory | 3 |
Introduction to classic and contemporary administrative theory as applied to educational organizations. The theoretical nature of the course content is relevant to those with an interest in a broad variety of educational institutions. General organizational theory, organizational models, historical schools of administrative theory, authority, power, motivation, and leadership. Frequently students are involved in studying problems of practice as a means of testing theory. | ||
| EDAD 837 | Education Law | 1 - 4 |
Evolution, principles, and practice of education law in relation to local, state, and national units of organization. Education law of Nebraska. | ||
| EDAD 982A | Superintendent Academy I | 3 |
A forum for dialogue and an exchange of ideas and experiences while creating a network of support for colleagues. Exploration and developing the skills, knowledge, understandings and unique features required of the superintendent's roles and responsibilities. Multiple perspectives on effective leadership and participants will be challenged to look at educational issues in new ways. Participants will be encouraged to bring contemporary educational issues to the sessions for intensive, confidential review and discussion. Interaction with session leaders and participants will be facilitated in an effort to examine the rapidly changing realities of public education and the impact these changes are having on the roles/responsibilities of the public school superintendent. (Requires 1 week on-campus with additional online content.) | ||
| EDAD 833 | Educational Finance | 3 |
Critical analysis of the political and economic elements impacting K-12 school finance. Content and activities address both building and district level concerns with an emphasis on principles, programs, and trends in school finance. | ||
| EDAD 800 | Foundation of Research & Methods of Inquiry in Educational Administration | 3 |
A written report is required. Investigation and analysis of current problems in education administration and supervision. | ||
| EDAD 905 | Issues in Governance of Educational Institutions | 1 - 3 |
(1-3 cr, max 3) Issues in the governance of K-12 schools including administrator-school board roles and relationships. | ||
| EDAD 835 | Business Managment of Schools | 3 |
Allocation and management of fiscal resources including aspects of financial planning and reporting, budgeting and accounting procedures, purchasing, risk management and insurance, investing and bond issues, and auxiliary service. | ||
| EDAD 906 | Issues in System Level Administration | 3 |
(now the old 844) Prereq: Masters degree or equivalent. Selected system level issues faced by PreK-12 school administrators. | ||
| EDAD 922 | Finance in Postsecondary Education | 3 |
Federal and state government funding, institutional planning, technological and community influences, human resources finance, budgeting, and sources of financial support as they relate to postsecondary education institutions and agencies. | ||
Elective Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDAD 902 | Data for Action Planning | 3 |
Assessment theory and types of assessments used to measure student performance relative to a school improvement goal. Relationships between profile data and baseline data, locally developed classroom assessments, and post data pertaining to school improvement goals and action plans. | ||
| EDAD 907 | Issues in Educational Politics and Policies | 3 |
Analyze and evaluate policy processes involved in making choices; develop understanding, apply and evaluate knowledge about key political concepts and theories to the analysis of educational policy issues; analyze and evaluate issues as points of political conflict between institutional structures with competing interests; understand people as the actors in roles they occupy in the political system. | ||
Other Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDAD 993 | Introduction to Doctoral Studies in Educational Administration | 0 |
Workshop seminar topics are determined with the student’s adviser. This is a required, non-credit course. | ||
| EDAD 982B | Superintendent Academy II | 3 |
Designed to provide future school superintendents a link between theory and practice through case studies and voice-of-experience discussions. This academy is a forum for processing the "on-the-job" experiences with participants who are pursing doctoral studies, those who are about to enter the role of the superintendent, or those who are new to the work of school leadership. Provides training situations for developing leadership skills, examination of the practical challenges that school leaders face. Examination of contemporary educational issues through different organizational frameworks and review of various issues related to the management of change. (Requires 1 week on-campus with additional online content.) | ||
Tuition & Fees
Nebraska Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $357.00
- Fees
- $52.25
- Total
- $409.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $1071.00
- Fees
- $156.75
- Total
- $1227.75
Out of State Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $750.00
- Fees
- $52.25
- Total
- $802.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $2250.00
- Fees
- $156.75
- Total
- $2406.75
Kent Mann, Ed.D.
Associate Professor of Practice
Kent Mann's outreach work includes involvement with the Nebraska Council of School Administrator's Networking with New Principals project and consulting with school districts and conducting student discipline hearings as requested. He is the founder of Leadership2, a network designed to create dialogue and discussion with second-year Nebraska building principals. He also serves and the liaison between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Greater Nebraska Superintendent's organization. Mann teaches a wide variety of courses in the area of school leadership.
Application Deadlines
- SummerFeb 01
