Educational Administration | 2026-2027 Graduate Catalog | SIU

The School of Education offers a master’s and two doctoral degrees in Educational Administration as well as two CAEP-accredited endorsements. Students seeking these degrees and endorsements often pursue careers as superintendents, principals, or other administrative positions, including directors of special education or vocational education.

Endorsement Programs

The School of Education offers two State of Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) Administrative Endorsements: the principalship and the superintendency. To earn the principalship endorsement, a student must have a master’s degree and four years of school teaching (or its equivalent). To earn the superintendent endorsement, students must have a master’s degree, plus two years of administrative experience working as a principal. These two School of Education endorsement programs are offered in conjunction with programs in Curriculum and Instruction and Special Education.

Students must make applications for the administrative endorsement program through the School of Education. These programs require a nonrefundable $65 fee that must be paid by credit card and submitted with the application. Interested applicants should direct inquiries to the School of Education, Educational Administration programs (SOEGradPrograms@siu.edu).

Master’s Degree

Upon admission to pursue a M.S.Ed. in Educational Administration degree and/or endorsement offered by the School of Education, the program will expect students to maintain adequate academic standing (see below). To maintain this status, each student must enroll in, complete, and pass courses, internships, exams, and other requirements that lead to the completion of their specified academic program. As specified by the Graduate School, each student will have six calendar years, from the date of initial enrollment, to complete all of the requirements for their specified academic program for the Master’s Degree. (Refer to the Degree Requirements section of the Graduate Catalog for more information.)

Graduate Credit From Post-Master’s Courses

The School of Education will accept selected post-master’s degree graduate credit hours earned by students prior to acceptance into the Ph.D. and Ed.D. in Educational Administration programs. Credit will not be accepted for Independent Readings, Independent Studies, or Internship courses. EAHE will accept up to the maximum of credit hours allowed by the Graduate School at SIUC.

Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) in Educational Administration

The Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) in Educational Administration is a cohort program, with admissions once a year. This program leads to an Illinois Principal Endorsement. Contact the School for application deadline and cohort start date information. The program is comprised of 30-credit hour core consisting of:

• EAHE 501 Vision and Planning for School Improvement
• EAHE 503 Building Collaborative Structures and Systems of Professional Practice
• EAHE 504 School Leadership through Personnel Administration and Evaluation
• EAHE 509 School Community Relations and District Policy
• EAHE 511 Leading Curriculum and Assessment
• EAHE 519 School Law and Educational Policy
• EAHE 521 Leadership for Equity - Special Populations
• EAHE 523 Effective Management and Operations: Finance, Facilities, Technology & Grants
• EAHE 538 Education, Policy, and Social Forces, and
• EAHE 548 Developing Professionals and the Inquiry of Professional Practice

Those seeking the principleship endoresement must also take 6-credit hours of internship for a total of 36 credit hours.

• EAHE 595 Principal Internship (6 credit hours)

M.S.Ed. Educational Administration / J.D. in Law

A concurrent degree in educational administration and law is designed to enhance students’ knowledge of the increasingly litigious areas of education law. Specifically, the program is designed to educate practitioners in law and educational administration to effectively utilize the problem-solving strategies and techniques of both disciplines. Individuals so trained will be uniquely prepared for careers that combine both legal and educational needs, such as K-12 administration, public policy leadership roles, and student or employee advocacy. Students must meet the requirements of admission and be admitted separately to the M.S.Ed. in Educational Administration program and the School of Law. Students currently enrolled in the educational administration or law programs must have a minimum GPA before they may enroll in the concurrent program: educational administration is 3.0 and for law is 2.5. M.S.Ed. in Educational Administration students interested in this program should consult with the Educational Administration Graduate Program Director.

Doctoral Programs

The School of Education offers two doctoral programs in Educational Administration: The Ph.D. and the Ed.D. The program will expect students to maintain adequate academic standing for the duration of their program. To establish and maintain this status, each doctoral student must enroll in, complete, and pass courses, internships, program of study, exams, research elements, and other requirements that lead to the completion of their degree.

All doctoral degree requirements must be completed within 10 calendar years from the time of initial enrollment in the program.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Administration

The Ed.D. in Educational Administration offers two concentrations: School Leadership (P-12) and Higher Education. This practice-based degree prepares educational leaders for a variety of administrative roles in public and private schools, educational agencies, and college or university settings with the goals of guiding the effective management and leadership of educational institutions. These goals aim to improve both the learning environment and organizational efficiency to improve outcomes for students, schools, institutions, communities, and society. Current and prospective students should contact program faculty members for information on courses, sequences, and other requirements. Generally, the Ed.D. can be completed within three years. (See below for requirements for each concentration.) 

Admission

To gain admission to the Ed.D. program, prospective students must hold a Master’s degree, a minimum 3.0/4.0 GPA for graduate level coursework, and at least 3 years of professional experience in an educational setting. Applications for admission must include the following: a completed application, three letters of reference attesting to the applicant’s potential for success, and a writing sample. Program faculty members will review applications and select students for admission to the Ed.D. program.

Doctoral Program Committee

Each doctoral student must form a doctoral committee approved by the Graduate School. This committee will consist of at least five graduate faculty members: three members within the student’s program, one member from within the School of Education in a graduate program outside the student’s academic discipline, and one member (external) must not hold a primary appointment in the School of Education. A primary task of the committee is development of the program of study, which is created in conjunction with the doctoral committee and approved by the Dean of the School of Education.

Preliminary Exam

Preliminary examinations will cover content and knowledge germane to the student’s concentration as determined by the doctoral committee. They must submit an application requesting to take preliminary examinations, which are offered three times a year (fall, spring, summer). Students must meet the following requirements before they are permitted to take the exams: 

1. Have an approved Program of Study on file in the Dean’s Office,
2. Be at or near the completion of all coursework for their Ed.D. program with a grade of C or better in each course and a 3.25 grade point average overall,
3. Finish all incomplete courses and,
4. Completed preliminary examination application form (with signed consent of their advisor).

A student who fails the preliminary examination on the first attempt will have up to two additional opportunities to take and successfully pass the examination. If a student fails to successfully complete all parts of the preliminary examination, the School will dismiss the student from the program.

Advancement to Candidacy

A doctoral student may be “advanced to candidacy” after completing their course work as required as part of their approved Program of Study, fulfilling the residency requirements established by the Graduate School, and after passing all elements of the Preliminary Examination. The student’s faculty advisor must complete the advance to candidacy forms and forward them to the Dean of the School of Education. Note that the Graduate School will not confer the doctoral degree less than six months after admission to candidacy.

Capstone Project

The Capstone Project is the culminating project, conducted under the direction and supervision of the student’s capstone supervisor, and must demonstrate scholarly rigor at the doctoral level. Students select a topic area and project approach for completing the capstone requirement. All capstones must include data collection and analysis. The student must enroll in 12 credit hours of EAHE 600B during the capstone phase.

The following specifies the coursework requirements for each of the concentrations in the Doctor of Education in Educational Administration degree. 

 Ed.D. in Educational Administration Concentrations

  I. School Leadership Concentration

• Professional Core (12 credit hours)
  • EAHE 502 Administrative Leadership and Practice
  • EAHE 544 Education and Culture
  • EAHE 551 Policy and Politics in American Education Systems
  • EDUC 510, 511, or 512 - Professional Seminar (choose one)
• School Leadership Core (12 credit hours)
  • EAHE 520 Current Issues in Educational Administration
  • ERES 531 Implementation & Assessment of Program Evaluation
  • EAHE 555 Leadership and Change in Education Organizations
  • EAHE 564 Seminar in Ethics and Social Justice in Education

• Internship (3 credit hours)
  
  • EAHE 597 Superintendent Internship
• Research Core (12 credit hours)
  • ERES 510: Action Research
  • ERES 520: Introduction to Quantitative Research in Education 
  • ERES 540: Introduction to Qualitative Research
  • ERES 589 Doctoral Research Seminar

• Electives (3 credit hours)
• Capstone Project (12 credit hours)
  
  • EAHE 600B Capstone
• Total requirements: 54 credit hours (includes 12 credit hours of capstone work)

 II. Higher Education Concentration 

• Professional Core (12 credit hours)
  
  • EAHE 502 Administrative Leadership and Practice (introduction course to the Ed.D. program)
  • EAHE 544 Education and Culture
  • EAHE 551 Policy and Politics in American Education Systems
  • EDUC 510, 511, or 512 - Professional Seminar (choose one)
• Higher Education Core (12 credit hours)
  
  • EAHE 520 Current Issues in Educational Administration
  • ERES 530 Program Development & Evaluation
  • EAHE 555 Leadership and Change in Education Organizations
  • ERES 530 Program Development 

• Internship (3 credit hours)
  
  • EAHE 598 Higher Education Internship

• Electives (3 credit hours)
• Research (12 credit hours)
  
  • ERES 589 Doctoral Research Seminar
  • ERES 520: Introduction to Quantitative Research in Education OR
  • ERES 540: Introduction to Qualitative Research
• Capstone Project (12 credit hours)
  
  • EAHE 600B Capstone
• Total requirements: 54 credit hours (includes 12 credit hours of capstone work)