Chloe Widener
208.467.8688
gradeducationinfo@nnu.edu
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: PRINCIPAL
The M.Ed. Educational Leadership: Principal program is designed for those seeking formal educational leadership roles such as building-level principals, assistant principals, or instructional team leaders.
- 100% online
- Program utilizes set courses to plan schedules ahead of time.
- Students may complete this 36-credit program in 21 months.
- Completion leads to M.Ed. with Pre-K-12 School Principal endorsement on an Administrator Certificate.
About Educational Leadership: Principal
NNU’s Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership: Principal program is designed for those seeking formal educational leadership roles such as building-level principals, assistant principals, or instructional team leaders. This online program emphasizes the administrator as an instructional leader and a transformational leader. Students are presented with skills appropriate to goal setting and maximizing human potential, the unique aspects of an organizational structure, and the management tasks of an administrator.
degree details
Master of Education
Offered Online
$555 per credit, $150 per semester technology fee
Program Design
Designed to fit the schedule of a working professional, NNU’s M.Ed. in Educational Leadership allows the educator to complete a master’s degree while teaching full time. The online program utilizes set courses which allow students to plan their schedules ahead of time. Degree completion takes approximately 21 months, including the nine-month internship.
A significant expectation is that each student will identify a specific topic or problem of interest and will work on a project related to such topic. Each student will also complete a nine-month (2 semester) administrative internship in a school setting under the supervision of a qualified building principal. The internship assignment may be completed primarily in the building in which the student is teaching and must be approved by the school district and the NNU program director.
Accessible professors and staff allow for support in each course. Your professors at NNU are educational leaders themselves and provide you with the knowledge you need to succeed as a building administrator.
Application Requirements
The following requirements must be received by Admissions a minimum of one week before classes start and are online, mailed, or emailed as indicated. Recommendation forms and essay guidelines are available online within the application portal.
For mail:
Northwest Nazarene University
Attention Graduate Admissions
623 University Boulevard
Nampa, ID 83686
For email: gps@nnu.edu
- Online: Application and $50 non-refundable application fee.
- Mail, or email from a digital service such as Parchment or the National Student Clearinghouse: Official transcripts from a regionally accredited institution(s) where the applicant received a bachelor’s degree.
- Email or mail: A copy of the applicant’s teaching certificate.
- Online: Two online recommendation forms completed by professional colleagues.
- Online: One Educational Leadership Evaluation form from the applicant’s current building administrator.
The two recommendations and one leadership evaluation must be completed by three different individuals. - Online: Evidence of writing competency, preferably from a research paper or other document completed during master’s courses.
Admission Requirements
Candidates must have the following:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- A cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the baccalaureate program.
- Certification/Licensure as a classroom teacher, school counselor, or school psychologist based on a recommendation from a state-approved higher education preparation program.
- Four (4) years of full-time certificated/licensed experience working with students while under contract in an accredited school setting before M.Ed. degree completion.
- Approval by the Graduate Education Admissions Committee.
Program Start Dates
Classes begin every 8 weeks, and new students may join throughout the year.
Required Courses
EDUC8000 Orientation: Graduate Education (0)
EDUC7511 The Learning Process (3)
EDUC7553 Curriculum, Assessment and Collaboration (3)
EDUC7554 Innovative Instruction (3)
EDUC7555 Mixed Methods Research (3)
EDUC7556 Conceptual Statistics and Applications for Educators (3)
EDUC7566 Educational Values (1)
EDUC7575 Legal and Financial Issues in Education (3)
EDUC7579 Special Education Law for Administrators (2)
EDUC7581 Instructional Supervision and Leadership (3)
EDUC7584 Data Driven Decision Making (3)
EDUC7585 Administering Human Resources (3)
EDUC7596III Internship/Principalship (6)
EDUC7596IIIB Building Administrator Internship Portfolio Binder (0-1)
Total Credits: 36 semester credits required.
NOTICE OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS
Since this is a program that leads to professional licensure, prospective students should review important information about NNU’s participation in the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and Professional Licensure about this program. Individual states often have different expectations for professional licensure, so it is in a prospective student’s best interest to investigate whether NNU’s degree program will help them achieve licensure in their home state.
CAEP ACCREDITED PROVIDER
Northwest Nazarene University’s College of Education meets the requirements for accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
COLLEGES OF DISTINCTION
Northwest Nazarene University received the 2023-2024 Colleges of Distinction Award in Education.
career paths
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area occupational employment and wage estimates for the Boise area are sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Meet Our Faculty
Lisa Amundson, Ph.D.
Professor of Education; Exceptional Child Program Director
Robin Gilbert, ED.S.
Associate Professor of Education; Educational Leadership Program Director
Michelle Van Beek, PH.D.
Assistant Professor of Education; Graduate Chair
Jackie Schober, BA
Program Coordinator, Educational Leadership Programs
Related Programs & Degrees
Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation
Master of Education
Elementary Education
Master of Arts in Teaching
Secondary Education
Master of Arts in Teaching
