For those educators with a talent for leading their peers, educational leadership degrees in Florida provide a great opportunity to study the inner workings of the typical school and school district, giving teachers the authority they need to advance into roles ranging form assistant principals to head principals and eventually superintendents if they continue their education. Degrees in this area focus on everything from effective discipline of students to studious oversight of district budgets and school needs, giving future administrators the resources they need to maintain a stable and encouraging environment for students and educators alike. With a wide range of problems available online and off, these degrees can fit into any teacher’s already hectic schedule.
Argosy University
College of Education
Argosy University is one of the leading distance education providers in the United States, though the institution also maintains campus in several western and Midwestern states for students that might need the assistance of an on-campus tutor, professor, or classroom environment. Because of its online structure, Argosy’s College of Education is consistently ranked as among the best for working educational professionals and is also known as a great value in comparison to other private, online programs offered around the country. Argosy’s faculty is primarily comprised of professors with doctoral degrees and extensive experience in the educational administration industry, making them valuable resources for students who might wish for advice, consultation, or extra help with graduate-level assignments.
Featured Programs
Master of Arts in Educational Leadership
Though many who pursue the M.A. in Educational Leadership at Argosy University do so with the goal of becoming an assistant or head principal in their existing school district, courses offered by the College of Education make it possible for graduates to pursue leadership roles at the state or federal level as well. The courses offered include advanced studies of student discipline and behavior, issues relating to school funding and budget development, community relations, district leadership, and the interaction of federal and state policies on the district and school levels. Students in this program will take classes that simulate real-world environments through virtual offices and videoconferences with fellow classmates, giving them a sense of the decision-making process in today’s public and private schools, district offices, and governmental departments.
Contact
Argosy University
College of Education
2233 West Dunlap Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85021
Phone: (866) 427-4679
Website
Barry University
Adrian Dominican School of Education
Barry University’s School of Education is typically regarded as one of the best in Florida, thanks in large part to the unique focus of its courses for undergraduates and graduate students alike. The school primarily wants to craft educators who understand their social and cultural responsibilities, as well as the impact that they have not only on students, but also on entire communities and the broader educational profession. The school values experience and requires practicums of virtually all students, largely to guide them toward successful job placement after they complete the program. The school offers different tracks for those who wish to pursue a doctorate or simply earn a “regular” master’s degree, with research being the foremost component of the doctoral preparation track.
Education Leadership / M.S.Ed
All students in the Barry University program will take classes that teach educational decision-making and how to lead different types of offices. Students will learn the unique considerations to be made as an assistant or head principal, and they’ll learn how to make decisions for schools, districts, or larger regions that depend on state funding. They’ll learn the structure of state and federal education agencies and how they can use that structure to the advantage of their school’s students and long-term funding. All students in the M.S.Ed. program will be required to have at least one practicum experience, and will be required to conduct at least a little of their own research. Those aspiring to a doctorate in education will need to write and defend a thesis prior to graduation, while others will instead take capstone cultural courses focusing on the education industry at large.
Contact
Barry University
Adrian Dominican School of Education
11300 NE 2nd Ave.
Miami Shores, FL 33161
Phone: (305) 899-3719
Email: education@mail.barry.edu
Website
Clearwater Christian College
Department of Graduate Studies
The Department of Graduate Studies at Clearwater Christian oversees a broad program in educational leadership that primarily prepares graduates for roles in numerous school departments and administrative roles. The program emphasizes ethics and leadership responsibilities, and gives graduate students the skills they need to make quick, sound decisions that are in the best interest of their students. Depending on whether or not they wish to pursue a doctorate in education in the future, admitted students can opt either for a fully defended thesis or a practical internship in a leadership role throughout Clearwater as they complete the program. Both options provide excellent support for students immediately prior to, and after, graduation.
Master of Education in Educational Leadership (MEd)
Clearwater’s Educational Leadership degree is centrally concerned with the legal issues and ethics of leading a school or academic department in today’s world. With an increasing focus on budget shortfalls, test score proficiency, and interaction with parents and the community, these issues rightly take center stage. All students start with a course in ethical educational leadership, and follow that course with studies in educational law, educational finance, program development, strategic management, and more. These classes give graduates the skills they need to be effective leaders, while the required internship or thesis prepares students to either enter the administrative workforce or pursue even more education via a doctorate in education.
Contact
Clearwater Christian College
Department of Graduate Studies
3400 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd.
Clearwater, FL 33759
Phone: (727) 726-1153
Website
Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University
Department of Educational Leadership and Human Services
Florida A&M is distinguished as the largest historically black university in the United States, and has long prided itself on offering educational degrees that focus not only on leadership, but also on the role of diversity and diverse populations in delivering an effective, affordable education to students of all backgrounds. That’s where the Department of Educational Leadership and Human Services really excels. With divers backgrounds themselves, professors guide students toward a better understanding of educational leadership and diversity, while emphasizing practical experience, groundbreaking research, and professional networking designed to last well after graduation.
Master of Education / Master of Science
Because the Master of Science in Educational Leadership at FAMU is focused on diverse populations and successful student outcomes, a great deal of the coursework focuses on how educational leaders can help students in urban or extremely rural settings. Coursework for this reason focuses on the issues of underfunded schools, or those that exist well outside the reach of metropolitan centers. Students learn how to make decisions that benefit rural students and their typically cash-strapped districts, and they learn more about the issues affecting urban education in today’s society. Significant time is devoted to public financing, charter schools, student lotteries, and delivery of a high-value education to all students regardless of initial resources or regulatory hurdles imposed by state education departments.
Contact
Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University
Department of Educational Leadership and Human Services
Tallahassee, FL
Phone: (850) 599-3000
Website
Florida Atlantic University
College of Education
Florida Atlantic is one of the fastest-growing schools in Florida and easily one of the most prestigious for students of education. The FAU College of Education has an extensive investment in scholarly research, and has been working in recent decades to study the impact of culture on education, the impact of funding cuts on educational quality and test scores, and the impact of test scores on the classroom and teaching environments faced by today’s educators. All of these research interests combine at the graduate level, where students both learn about recent educational developments and conduct their own scholarly research alongside one of the school’s seasoned professors. With required clinical experience and an optional thesis, this program is built to be durable for those seeking immediate leadership employment and doctoral program admission alike.
Master of Education: School Leaders Program
A significant focus of the FAU Master of Education program is scholarly research. Beyond merely researching current issues in education, however, the program also works to give future leaders the tools they need to perform research on state funding formulas, new developments in standardized tests or teacher evaluations, and any resources that might benefit a school’s faculty as they seek to comply with ongoing changes to state and federal education laws. Alongside this focus on research, students are taught the professional knowledge they need to make good decisions for individual schools, entire districts, or state government departments. This involves discussing educational law, finance, ethics, and delivery, in in-depth classroom or online discussions. All students must seek a clinical experience in leadership, while those looking to continue on to their doctorate must complete and defend a thesis.
Contact
Florida Atlantic University
College of Education
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone: (561) 297-3624
Email: admissions@fau.edu
Website
Florida Gulf Coast University
College of Education
Florida Golf Coast University has been expanding its enrollment as well as its graduate programs in recent years and, as a result has become more selective and more highly ranked by major publications. The College of Education oversees what might be the most unique educational leadership program in the state of Florida, since it actively encourages students to devote half of their credit hours to selecting a concentration outside of the M.Ed. curriculum. This gives students the ability to combine educational leadership skills with content knowledge or business expertise, which might just be the deciding factor when they begin interviewing for school districts who need a new perspective on how to handle the challenges of modern public or private education.
Educational Leadership (M.Ed.)
A common core unites all students who enroll in the FGCU educational leadership program, regardless of their external concentration. This core is focused on academic research, deision0-making for schools or districts, the legal issues, financial hurdles, and ethical debates of modern education, and strategic management of larger organizations. Beyond these core requirements, students then pursue elective coursework in another graduate department. Many seek courses in their area of undergraduate content knowledge, ranging form math and science to humanities and language. Some students opt for concentrations in business administration, accounting, finance, or economics. These fields carry added weight for educational leaders, who typically oversee development and execution of budget plans as part of their larger role after graduation.
Contact
Florida Gulf Coast University
College of Education
10501 FGCU Blvd S
Fort Myers, FL 33965
Phone: (239) 590-1000
Email: coecontact@fgcu.edu
Website
Florida International University
College of Education
In just 50 years, Florida International University has grown from a new, smaller college, to a global leader in graduate education that awards some of the best degrees in the world. This is certainly the case within the College of Education, which typically ranks among the top 10 percent of comparable education schools across the country. That top ranking comes from compelling core courses, a strong elective program, and a commitment to scholarly research that has helped move the education industry forward in Florida and throughout the United States. Though competitive, admission to the program permits students the chance to take rigorous classes, enjoy clinical leadership experiences, and build a history of research that will follow them to doctoral studies in the future.
Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Educational Leadership
The core of the M.S. in Educational Leadership at FIU teaches students the fundamentals of leading today’s schools and school districts. This means they’ll learn about ethical leadership, the historical and philosophical nature of leadership positions in academia, and the psychological foundations of being both a teacher and a leader in educational environments. Elective coursework will then open students up to a wide array of relevant topics, including strategic management, managerial communication, school funding economics, and scholarly research. Internships are required of students who are not pursuing a thesis, while those who wish to study at the doctoral level will need to complete a thesis and defend it to a faculty panel prior to graduation from the program.
Contact
Florida International University
College of Education
11200 SW 8th St.
ZEB Building
Miami, FL 33199
Phone: (305) 348-2665
Email: cistonep@fiu.edu
Website
Florida State University
College of Education
Florida State is one of two universities vying for the title of Florida’s public “flagship,” and ranks as one of the best public schools in the country. The high degree of research activity includes the College of Education, where graduate students are encouraged to conduct their own research and develop a thesis as part of their program. Professors guide students toward topics that enhance their understanding of education and leadership within the industry, all while giving them practical insight into the leadership field and numerous on-campus networking events with leaders in public education and government policy.
Master’s in Educational Leadership / Administration
The 36-hour curriculum at FSU is largely pre-selected, with few opportunities to add electives to the mix. Students will extensively study the most common leadership positions using dedicated classes, including those on principalship and the assistant principal position. They will also learn about educational law and finance, budgeting and decision-making. As part of the program, all students must pursue a practicum either in an on-campus research lab or an off-campus leadership post. Those who pursue research will do so as a means to craft a graduate thesis, which they will be responsible for presenting successfully before they can obtain their master’s degree.
Contact
Florida State University
College of Education
600 W. College Ave.
Tallahassee, FL 32306
Phone: (850) 644-8176
Email: coe-elp@admin.fsu.edu
Website
Jacksonville University
Department of Leadership and Learning
Small and private, Jacksonville University is home to just over 500 graduates students and therefore offers individual instruction that has become its primary selling point. Though the university does not have a great amount of research activity, students enrolled in the Educational Leadership program will still learn a great deal about what it means to lead a school or district, and how their knowledge of management can help create better learning environments, a better financial picture, and a healthier school system overall.
Educational Leadership (EL)
The coursework at JU is pretty unique in comparison to many other Florida programs. The university focuses on self-assessment, data-driven decision-making, and the laws and ethics of modern education. Enrolled students are required to pursue at least one internship off campus, though many pursue added experiences as they complete the program in order to boost their chances of being hired upon graduation. Research is minimized as a component of the program, largely in favor of more in-depth instruction regarding leadership roles, government structure, and the cultural nature of sound leadership in modern public and private schools.
Contact
Jacksonville University
Department of Leadership and Learning
2800 University Blvd N
Jacksonville, FL 32211
Phone: (800) 225-2027
Website
Public and private school systems across the country have struggled in recent years with funding cuts, standardized test scores, and personnel problems. The best way to resolve these issues in favor of teachers and their students is to make sure that well-educated leaders and administrators are in place to handle common problems and make good decisions on behalf of their communities. The excellent educational leadership degrees in Florida make sure tomorrow’s leaders are equipped to handle these challenges in the best way possible for everyone involved.
For more information on Education Leadership degree programs in Florida, please see:
Educational Leadership Degrees in Florida (L-S)
Educational Leadership Degrees in Florida (U)