This 33-semester-hour program of advanced study in educational administration is designed to prepare eligible graduate students for various administrative positions in education. It emphasizes the technical and specialized aspects of administration and includes studies intended to refine the student’s competence to deal with more general aspects of educational theory. Within their program of studies, students may complete requirements for the superintendent endorsement to the Type 75 Illinois Administrative Certificate. Other certification requirements may be included in the program. Students should consult their adviser.
Admission
An applicant for admission to the Ed.S. program in educational administration must submit
evidence of having completed a master’s degree
all official transcripts from institutions of higher education
scores on the GRE
three letters of recommendation from professors and/or practicing school administrators who hold state certification
The faculty in educational administration select the most qualified applicants. Preference is given to experienced administrators who hold a master’s degree from an accredited university, with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.5. Faculty decisions are based on the total profile of each applicant. Any applicant who is denied admission may submit an appeal to be reviewed by the admissions committee and the faculty. Appeals must be in writing, explain the basis for the appeal, and include information not previously submitted.
Limitation of Time
The student must fulfill all of the requirements of the Ed.S. program within the six consecutive years immediately preceding the date of the student’s graduation from that program. This time limit applies to enrollment in all graduate course work in the student’s program including work for which transfer credit is allowed.
If an NIU course taken to complete the requirements for the Ed.S. program does not fall within the time limitation indicated in the previous paragraph, the department may require the student to retake the course for credit or may allow the student to demonstrate current knowledge of the subject matter. In the latter case, currency must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the department offering the course through successful completion of an appropriate examination or other assessment if available from the department. Otherwise, the outdated course work must be deleted from, and other course work must be substituted in, the program of courses. Transfer courses falling outside the limitation of time cannot be used in a graduate program.
Course Requirements
The program requires 33 semester hours in either the thesis or non-thesis option with a GPA of at least 3.00 in the degree program (excluding deficiency courses taken for graduate credit) as well as in all graduate course work taken at NIU. No more than 9 semester hours of the credit counted toward the Ed.S. degree may be earned in courses numbered 400-499.
Non-Thesis Option
Additional course work in educational administration (15)
Course work in one or two related fields of study (12)
Same as non-thesis option except that 6 semester hours of the educational administration course work must be in LEEA 599B, Ed.S. Thesis, or LEEA 599C, Ed.S. Field Study.
Each student must successfully complete a comprehensive examination administered by the department. The examination may be written or oral, or both, at the option of the department.
A student planning to take a comprehensive examination may be required to file a letter of intent with the department chair, and should consult the department concerning applicable procedures and deadlines for such notification.
A student must be enrolled in the term of the comprehensive examination. A student must be in good academic standing, both overall and in the Ed.S. program, to be eligible to take this examination. A student who fails this examination may, with the permission of the major department, repeat it no sooner than the following academic term. A student who fails this examination a second time, or is not granted approval for a second attempt, will not be permitted to continue work toward the Ed.S. degree, and admission to that program will be terminated.
Thesis
The writing of a thesis or field study is optional in the Ed.S. program. See “Requirements for Graduate Degrees.”
Composition of Committees
The thesis committee (if applicable) and comprehensive-examination committee shall each consist of at least three members. The majority of the committee must be regular faculty members at Northern Illinois University; a majority must be members of the graduate faculty; and the chair must be a graduate faculty member in this department.
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