Educational Leadership (M.Ed.)

Discover FGCU's Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership, designed to prepare candidates for leadership positions in educational settings and beyond.

At the core of our program is a commitment to the Florida Educational Leadership Standards (FELS). We understand the importance of aligning our curriculum with the standards as determined by the Florida Department of Education ensuring you are well prepared to meet the demands of the educational leadership landscape.

Available Delivery Formats: Online

Application Information

The deadline for application of Tuition Waivers:

Fall Deadline: 5:00pm, May 1st

Spring Deadline: 5:00pm, October 1st

Summer Deadline: 5:00pm, March 1st

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Delivery Formats

15 Weeks

Courses are offered in a 15-week delivery method, and candidates are generally expected to take two courses each semester. Courses are offered in a synchronous online format each semester. All internship activities are embedded in coursework and are matched to the FELS standards associated with each course. *LEADs+ candidates who expect to be hired in any one of our regional school districts (Charlotte, Collier, Lee, the Heartland) will participate in a special professional development program in their district based on the Memorandum of Understanding co-signed by FGCU. LEADs+ graduates are eligible for immediate entry into their district’s AP pool.

7 Weeks (accelerated)

Courses are offered in an accelerated, asynchronous online, seven-week format. Candidates typically take one course every seven weeks.

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Successful Candidate Profiles

15 Weeks
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The Successful Candidate:
- Is able to attend several synchronous online classes per semester and is comfortable with active participation in group discussions and favor gaining immediate, formative feedback from their instructors and peers
- Is expected to commit to performing at least 2-3 hours each week hours of internship activities for each class under the direction of their district mentor
- Will take two courses at a time in each 15-week term (can take more or less with approval from advisor)
- Has earned a minimum of two years of effective or highly effective teaching experience prior to admission
- Is expected to pass the FELE prior to graduation
  - *LEADs+ is a special supplement to the 15-week Educational Leadership program designed specifically for students who work in one of our nine local districts. Graduates are eligible for immediate entry into their district’s Assistant Principal pool upon graduation. Districts currently participating in this special program include: Collier, Lee, Charlotte, and the Heartland (Hendry, Glades, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee). For more information as to enrollment, please contact the M.Ed. Educational Leadership program coordinator.
7 Weeks (accelerated)
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The Successful Candidate:
- Is comfortable taking the courses asynchronously in a seven-week format
- Prefers to work independently with minimal social interactions and no set class meeting times
- Prefers to set their own work schedule and are more likely to interact individually with the coursework
- Does not expect immediate, formative feedback or assessments and are comfortable with receiving graded work at the end of each week in the term
- Generally, will elect to take one course at a time in each seven-week term in order to focus solely on that course material
- Is expected to commit to about 4.5-5 hours per week for each course under the direction of their district mentor in addition to coursework to satisfy their internship requirements is an excellent writer who is comfortable writing the six to seven-page essays on the compressed schedule and able to sit for portfolio defenses with little additional preparation
- Comes to the program with more than the minimum of two year’s teaching experience at the effective or highly effective level
- Is generally familiar with Florida Educational Leadership Standards (FELS)

View Program Comparison Chart

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Component	Educational Leadership M.Ed. Traditional	Educational Leadership M.ed. Leads+	Educational Leadership M.Ed. - Accelerated	Alternative Pathway to Florida Principal Certification
FLDOE Approved Certificate	Required for graduation	Required for graduation	Required for graduation	May apply after graduation
2 + years of teaching experience required at the Effective of Highly Effective level to be admitted	YES	YES	2-4 yrs. preferred	NO
Length of Term	15 weeks	15 weeks	7 weeks	15 weeks
Automatically entered into the Assistant Principal Pool (With LEADs+ participating districts only)	NO	YES	NO	NO
Courses offered online	Synchronous	Synchronous	Asynchronous	Synchronous
GRE required for admission	NO	NO	NO	NO
Mentor Needed	YES	YES	YES	During Internships
Number of credit hours to complete	30-33	30-33	30-33	Per FLDOE Statement of Eligibility

Accreditation
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Admissions Information
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Getting Started
Applicants must submit an application online per the individual program’s instructions below. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 239-745-GRAD or graduate@fgcu.edu for additional information about the application process. Satisfaction of minimum University and program requirements does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Applicants should check with the program for the most up to date admission requirements prior to commencing the application process.
The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership is the university’s state-approved certificate program and explores the functions of educational leaders and stresses the relationship between tested practice and applied theory. The program prepares students for leadership positions in educational settings and improves the performance of current leaders. Graduates are required to qualify for Educational Leadership certification by the Florida Department of Education.

The program faculty bases decisions for regular admissions on a holistic review of credentials in which the criteria listed below are used to assess the potential success of each applicant:
- Submit an FGCU Graduate Admissions Application and satisfy all applicable university admissions requirements.
- Official academic transcripts from every college or university attended.
- Earned baccalaureate degree from an institution that maintains accreditation by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting body (https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation) or equivalent foreign institution.
- A Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester hours attempted accruing to their undergraduate degree.
- A Florida professional teaching certificate or statement of eligibility from a reciprocal state DOE.
- Documentation from a current or former supervising principal that confirms the candidate has successfully completed two years of classroom teaching experience at an effective or highly effective level.
- A one-page statement about your career and personal goals connected with pursuing graduate work in Educational Leadership. This statement should explain your motivation for pursuing a master’s degree at FGCU.
- Upon acceptance for admission, candidates for the M.Ed. program will also be required to provide a sponsorship recommendation from their school principal who will also reconfirm the candidate's instructional expertise and leadership potential.
- Performance in courses taken post-baccalaureate will be taken into consideration for admission
- Immunization history form (waived for the Accelerated Program)
- International students must demonstrate English language proficiency in accordance with University regulation.
Program Requirements
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Program Requirements for the 2025-2026 Catalog Year
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
- Students must satisfactorily complete the minimum number of credits specified by the graduate degree program.
- A grade of B or higher must be earned in all required courses in the program.
- Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all coursework in program.
- Students must pass all portions of the Florida Educational Leadership Examination.
- Candidates must complete and successfully defend their final portfolio.
- The College of Education limits the transfer of coursework into its graduate programs to a maximum of 9 credits. To be considered, courses must have been completed with a minimum grade of B and no more than seven years prior to the date of entry into the graduate program and no more than ten years prior to graduation from the graduate program.
- Submit an application for graduation by the semester deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
- Students must register for a minimum of one credit during the semester in which they apply for graduation.
- Earn more than 50% of the credits toward the degree through FGCU.
Program Requirements
Required Courses in the Major (30 credits)
EDA 6061 Principles of Ed Leadership (3)
EDA 6192 Organizational Development (3)
EDA 6232 School Law (3)
EDA 6242 School Budgets&Fin Reporting (3)
EDA 6942 Field Experience Workshop (1-3)*
EDA 6948 Final Leadership Seminar (3)
EDF 6401 Data and Analysis in Education (3)
EDG 6326 Learning, Account & Assess (3)
EDG 6339 Breakthrough Thinking for Sust (3)
EDG 6391 Instructional Leadership (3)
EDS 6050 Human Resources Development (3)

*EDA 6942 Field Experience Workshop is an elective course which provides candidates the opportunity to complete missing internship hours or allows additional time to pass the FELE. Candidates must enroll in at least one-credit hour in the semester of graduation. EDA 6942 will be waived for candidates who have successfully completed 270 hours of external field experience activities prior to enrollment into EDA 6948 Final Leadership Seminar. Waiver of EDA 6942 will reduce the program of study to 30 credits.
Total Credits Required: 30 HRS
Course Descriptions
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Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search
Course Schedule
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Getting started with the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.
*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)
Learning Outcomes
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Academic Learning Compact

Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes in the areas of content/discipline knowledge and skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills
- Work collaboratively to develop and implement an instructional framework that aligns curriculum with state standards, effective instructional practices, student learning needs and assessments.
- Manage the organization, operations, and facilities in ways that maximize the use of resources to promote a safe, efficient, legal, and effective learning environment.
Communication Skills
- Practice two-way communications and use appropriate oral, written, and electronic communication and collaboration skills to accomplish school and system goals by building and maintaining relationships with students, faculty, parents, and community.
Critical Thinking Skills
- Employ and monitor a decision-making process that is based on vision, mission and improvement priorities using facts and data; specifically, use critical thinking and problem solving techniques to define problems and identify solutions.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance
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Information on Tuition and Fees is available on the Office of the Bursar website.

Financial Aid and Estimated Cost of Attendance

Contact the Financial Aid Office for information about grants, scholarships, loans, and student employment. See FGCU's Financial Aid website for information and applications. This site also has information on the estimated cost of attendance for graduate students.
Florida DOE Educational Leadership Information
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Program Course Sequence
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We're here to answer your questions!

Speak with the appropriate program coordinator to learn more about our specific program requirements, the application process, course offerings and more.

Contact

Krista Bixler

Program Coordinator, Accelerated (7-weeK) Educational Leadership M.Ed.

kbixler@fgcu.edu

Business Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:00am-5:00pm

Discover FGCU's Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership, designed to prepare candidates for leadership positions in educational settings and beyond.

Application Information

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