Leadership Studies in Education, M.A.
Prepare for the next stage of your educational career. WVU's online M.A. in Leadership Studies in Education delivers the strategic decision-making tools and credentials needed to lead local schools and districts effectively.
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Courses and Credits:
10 Courses / 30 Credits
Duration:
2 years
Admission Terms:
Fall, Spring, Summer
Next Start Date:
January 11, 2027
Term Length:
8-week courses
Learning Format:
Online asynchronous
GMAT/GRE:
Not required
Program Overview
Designed for practicing educators aiming to become principals, superintendents, or district leaders, the online M.A. in Leadership Studies in Education focuses heavily on place-based administration. This approach teaches you to look directly at the cultural, economic, and geographic strengths of your local area to solve complex school challenges. The curriculum from the College of Applied Human Sciences fits seamlessly around a full-time teaching schedule. Through field-based practicums, you will practice managing school budgets, designing professional development, and navigating policy, ensuring you graduate ready for administrative licensure exams.
Expand Your Administrative Scope
Gain the practical regulatory knowledge and organizational frameworks required to manage modern school systems.
- Licensure Preparation: Study a curriculum aligned directly with National Educational Leadership Preparation and Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation guidelines to prepare for state licensure requirements.
- Contextual Problem Solving: Apply place-based leadership concepts to design real-world solutions tailored to the dynamic needs of your current student body and faculty.
- Real-World Internships: Complete 1 to 2 local, 16-week internships in your community (1 building-level, 1 district-level) to apply your learning in authentic educational settings.
- Stackable Certificates: Complete specialized graduate certificates in Principalship, General Instructional Supervision, or Combined School and District Leadership, and apply those credits toward your graduate degree.
What You’ll Learn
The coursework bridges policy, finance, and organizational culture to prepare you for complex administrative roles.
- Strategic Direction: Build and execute shared institutional goals that unite faculty, students, and families around a central mission.
- Instructional Oversight: Evaluate school-wide curriculum frameworks, build targeted accountability structures, and direct teacher professional development.
- Cultivate Culture: Create safe, welcoming, and supportive learning environments that actively support the well-being of both staff and students.
- Asset Management: Direct daily operational logistics, including human resources, facility safety, and district budgeting.
- Legal Governance: Use sound ethical models to interpret education law, protecting the constitutional and professional rights of everyone in your building.
- Community Engagement: Coordinate collaborative partnerships with local families, businesses, and civic organizations to expand student opportunities.
Featured Courses
Explore some of the options you can pursue to build your competitive edge in leadership studies in education:
Application Steps
What You Need to Apply
- Successful completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended (other than WVU) to be sent to:
- WVU Office of Admissions - P.O. Box 6009 Morgantown, WV 26505-6009
- Or via email: WVUAdmissions@mail.wvu.edu
- At least two recommendation letters from an academic or professional reference.
- Create a Statement of Purpose
- Personal statements should be 750 to 1,000 words and double-spaced. This is an opportunity to tell the admissions committee more about your reasons to earn this degree and should not repeat the information on your resume.
- Submit a Resume/CV that reflects your education and experience
- Professional Teaching Certificate
- Residents of West Virginia require at least 2 completed years of teaching. Licensure requirements vary by state.
- In order to obtain administrative licensure, students will need to have completed 3 years of teaching by program completion. The program is not dependent on successful licensure.
Please note, applicants who have not already earned a graduate certificate in General Instructional Supervision, Principalship, or Combined School and District Leadership will also need to be admitted into one of these certificate programs.
How to Apply
Applications for WVU’s online programs are processed through the University’s central portal. Follow these steps to set up your account and submit your application.
- Check the prerequisites: Review ‘What You Need to Apply’ to confirm your eligibility and get your application materials ready.
- Create your account: Visit the portal, create your account and start your application.
- Pay your application fee: Complete the required payment within the portal.
- Submit: Carefully review your details and submit your application.
WVU Serves as a Leader in Rural Education
The School of Education and Counseling is a national contributor to rural education research and practice, with a focus on strengthening schools and communities across West Virginia and Appalachia. Faculty work alongside districts, state partners and national organizations to address challenges such as rural teacher staffing. That work is anchored by the Center for Education Research and Practice in Appalachia and includes a partnership with Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia on teacher recruitment and retention in West Virginia. Students in this program learn place-based leadership within that network.
The WVU School of Education and Counseling serves as the West Virginia regional hub of the Rural Schools Collaborative, a national network supporting rural schools and teachers. Through the partnership, rural West Virginia teachers can apply for Grants in Place awards for place-based classroom projects, and WVU participates in the national Rural Teacher Corps network.
WVU is home to the American Council on Rural Special Education, the only national organization dedicated entirely to special education in rural America. School of Education and Counseling faculty lead the organization as national co-coordinators. ACRES publishes the Rural Special Education Quarterly and hosts the annual national conference on rural special education.
Erin McHenry-Sorber, a professor in the WVU School of Education and Counseling, serves as co-editor of The Rural Educator, the official journal of the National Rural Education Association. The journal publishes research and promising practices from rural schools nationwide.
- Complete the FAFSA
- Check Employer Benefits: Inquire about potential tuition assistance or reimbursement programs.
- Review Waivers: Understand the specific restrictions on University tuition waivers.
Learn More
Careers and Employment
The online Leadership Studies in Education, M.A. program will prepare you to become an effective leader in educational settings. You will learn to guide teams, manage organizational change, and develop strategies that improve teaching and learning outcomes. This program aims to equip you with the skills to lead with confidence and create positive, lasting impact in schools and educational organizations.
In addition to coursework in leadership theory, ethics, policy, and organizational development, you will gain hands-on experience through practicums that allow you to apply leadership concepts in real-world educational environments. These practical experiences will help you build a strong professional portfolio and connect with mentors in the field. By completing this program, you will position yourself for roles such as School Administrator, Program Director, Education Consultant, or Training Coordinator.
What can I do with a Leadership Studies in Education, M.A. degree? Explore potential careers, employment environments, and academic pathways:
- Principal
- Curriculum/Instructional Supervisor
- Superintendent
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’d like to dive deeper into the program’s curriculum and student experience, connect with:
Melinda Sierzega
- Email: Melinda.Sierzega@mail.wvu.edu
- Phone: 304-293-0882
- Schedule chat
