College of Education
Department of Educational Leadership
115 Armstrong Hall
507-389-1116
Educational Leadership web site
The mission of the Department of Educational Leadership is to prepare and renew leaders and to provide unique, personalized opportunities for meeting Master of Science and Specialist degree requirements. The Department of Educational Leadership provides Master of Science degrees in Educational Leadership and Experiential Education. The Department also offers Specialist degrees in Educational Administration and Educational Leadership. Licensure programs are available for principals, superintendents, special education directors, and community education directors.
Complete the general admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies and Research.
Choose 500/600 level electives in consultation with an advisor. Minimum 24 credits total must be in the Department of Educational Leadership.
(Take one of the following, unless 3 courses were included in the master's degree)
Prerequisites: Master's Degree in Special Education or Equivalent
(Take one of the following courses, unless 3 were taken in the master's degree)
It is recommended that an initial license of K-12 Principal, Director of Special Education, or Director of Community Education is completed prior to seeking admission for a program as superintendent. Individual programs will be planned to assist in completing coursework, internship experience, and the final portfolio review. If one does not have any educational administrative license in the state of Minnesota, a 30 credit program will be planned. The Coordinator of Educational Administration should be contacted.
*Plan with advisor
This is an advanced degree, which requires a master's degree for admission. This program does not lead to recommendation for administrative licensure.
Required Courses
EDLD 665 Legal Issues in Administration 3
EDLD 670 Portfolio Review 3
EDLD 671 Introduction to School Administration 3
EDLD 672 Policy and Administration 3
EDLD 673 Leadership of Special Programs 3
EDLD 674 Supervision and Administration 3
EDLD 679 Advanced School Administration and Finance 3
EDLD 682 Field Based Research 3
EDLD 684 Multicultural Leadership 3
EDLD 698 Internship in Administration 3
Additional Optional Electives - not required by the program
EDLD 635 Second License Internship 3
EDLD 667 Seminar: Advanced Legal Issues in Administration 3
Students who are pursing graduate work in more specialized fields such as higher education administration, general administration, and community education administration should consult with their advisor for designing their master's and/or specialist degree program.
The Master of Science degree program in Experiential Education at Minnesota State University, Mankato is the oldest graduate degree program in experiential education in the United States. Originally started in 1972 as a joint venture between Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University, Mankato) and the Minnesota Outward Bound School (now Outward Bound), the Master's program is now housed in the Department of Educational Leadership and has expanded its vision and developed an ever-increasing number of options for graduate students. Although there is a strong and still viable tradition of involvement in outdoor oriented activities, the department is committed to the idea that experiential education is much broader than wilderness programming.
The first fundamental assumption of the Master's program is that there is more to the knowing process than much of traditional education assumes. Graduate students in the program are encouraged, even required, to leave the classroom and develop meaningful learning experiences for themselves. Whether their interest is outdoor programming, classroom teaching, administration, psychological interventions or others, the program gives students academic credit for testing ideas. This program is designed for strongly self-directed individuals who want to experiment with new educational ideas.
The other fundamental assumption of the Master's degree program in Experiential Education is that raw, direct experience must be complemented with careful thought and reason. In this light, the core seminars are oriented toward the analysis and questioning about the fundamental theory of experiential education. In addition to core seminars, students can develop their reasoning abilities by taking graduate-level elective courses of the students' own choosing. The goal of the program is to unite practical skills with scholarly abilities in the interests of the individual student. Graduate seminars include topics such as Philosophy and Theory of Experiential Education, Experience and Nature, Trends and Issues in Experiential Education, Experiential Education and School Reform, Controversial Issues in Experiential Education, Research Problems in Experiential Education, Leadership Studies, and Ethics and Leadership.
Students choose three courses or seminars in the Department which will constitute the core requirement. Students are free to choose which courses or seminars they will take. Some courses which could serve as a core include, but are not limited to:
Choose any 500/600 level Experiential Education field-based courses selected in consultation with an advisor.
EXED 603 Experience and Education (project based)
EXED 604 Development of Experiential Education (project based)
EXED 634 Practicum
EXED 635 Internship
EXED 677 Individual Study
EXED 694 Alternate Plan Paper
EXED 695 Portfolio Development
EDLD 688 Project Demonstration
EDLD 699 Thesis
Choose 500/600 level Experiential Education, Educational Leadership, Educational Administration, or other electives selected in consultation with an advisor.
One course must be a graduate level research methods course, either within or outside the department.
EDAD 561 (2) Interagency Coordination
The course addresses strategies for trust-building among community groups, mutual goal setting, and public relations.
EDAD 633 (3) School Administration
Skills and procedures for implementing site-based management, effective school leadership, and management.
EDAD 635 (1-6) Internship
Field based experience in administration of school programs.
EDAD 652 (3) Structure, Governance, & Trends
An overview of the organization and administration of education in the United States; analysis of federal, state, and local roles in school governance; investigation and integration of trends, concepts and models which impact the role of the school.
EDAD 654 (3) Theory & Practice in Supervision
This course examines functions of supervision, knowledge, interpersonal communications, and technical skills. Supervision models are presented and communications and human relations skills are emphasized.
EDAD 657 (3) Supervision of Special Programs
This course examines the administration of special programs and activities within education. Curricular and staffing needs are included.
EDAD 659 (3) Seminar: School Administration
Emphasis on leadership and management within the school setting. Advanced topics.
EDAD 663 (2) School Business Management
This course is designed to provide the student with knowledge of school accounting, budgeting, and other business administration functions.
Prerequisite: EDAD 664
EDAD 664 (3) Public School Finance
This course is designed to provide information to help the student understand the relationship of the economy and education, several types of taxes, and several state and federal school aid schemes.
EDAD 665 (3) School Law
This course is the first of two courses designed to give students a comprehensive view of the law that governs the state school systems of America. Topics range across civil, criminal, and institutional law as they touch the student, teacher, and administrator.
EDAD 667 (3) Seminar: School Law
This course is the second of two courses designed to give students a comprehensive view of the law that governs the state school systems of America.
Prerequisite: EDAD 665
EDAD 668 (2) Human Resource Management
This course includes a comprehensive study of all aspects of human resource management for direct application to employment. Topics will be delivered within a working model of educational organizations and will range from the initial planning of personnel positions through each stage of employment.
EDAD 669 (1) Selected Human Resource Topics
EDAD 670 (1-3) Situational Observation
The process by which candidates for licensure as school administrators document and present evidence of mastery of required competencies.
EDAD 674 (3) Fiscal Administration of Higher Education
This course examines various aspects of the fiscal administration of a college or university organization.
EDAD 675 (3) Organizational Development
Sources of grant funds, design of proposals, and regulations.
EDAD 676 (3) Administration Higher Education
This course will focus on funding, organization, governance, processes, and structures of higher education.
EDAD 682 (3) Seminar: Field Study Design
This course is designed for those students involved in writing theses. It is intended to aid students in the selection and development of the field study problem, the selection of the research design, and the development of the instruments to be used in the study for data gathering purposes.
EDAD 690 (1-6) Workshop
In workshops, the principal learning takes place through interchange among class members and the facilitator. Most work is completed during scheduled workshop hours. A workshop will have a specific focus on a particular problem and occurs in a compact time period.
EDAD 692 (3) Research in Educational Leadership
This course will focus on techniques and methods for collecting and analyzing data and developing organizational surveys. The course will also focus on the writing of the alternate plan paper.
EDAD 698 (3-9) Internship
Practical experience on the job for the principal and superintendency. Focused on the development of administrative competencies.
Prerequisite: 2/3 of degree
EDAD 699 (3-6) Thesis
The thesis involves extended research resulting in a significant contribution to new knowledge. This reflects a student's ability to do individual, independent work of a creative and/or investigative type in an area of relation to the student's major field.
EDLD 634 (1-6) Practicum
Practical experience in Educational Leadership.
EDLD 635 (3) Second License Internship
This course provides students who are pursuing a second administrative license
with an experiential experience as a school administrator.
EDLD 644 (1-3) Selected Topics in Experiential Education
This seminar provides an avenue for the exploration and investigation of special study topics in educational leadership.
EDLD 647 (3) Seminar: Organizational & Systems Change
This seminar explores the dynamics of organizational and systems change in theory and practice.
EDLD 650 (3) Colloquium in Leadership
Examines leadership roles in the educational organization, including the change process, organizational theory, reform, and the effects of change.
EDLD 651 (3) Ethics in Leadership
Selected ethical/moral philosophies are studied using theoretical paradigms. Students become skilled at making ethical and moral decisions regarding every day dilemmas facing educational leaders.
EDLD 652 (3) Leadership Studies
This course examines past and current research theory and philosophy relative to leadership development in both formal and informal educational settings.
EDLD 653 (3) Women in Leadership
Surveys past and current research about women in leadership roles. The course will examine leadership through the lives of culturally diverse women who had both traditional and non-traditional roles.
EDLD 665 (3) Legal Issues in Administration
This course examines legal issues in educational settings.
EDLD 667 (3) Seminar: Advanced Legal Issues in Administration
In this course students apply advanced knowledge and skills around legal issues
in the educational setting.
EDLD 670 (3) Portfolio Review
The process by which candidates for school administration licensure document
and present mastery level evidence of required competencies.
EDLD 671 (3) Introduction to School Administration
This course provides an overview of leadership in the educational setting.
EDLD 672 (3) Policy and Administration
This course examines how political influence and governance affect school policy.
EDLD 673 (3) Leadership of Special Programs
This course develops skills in leading programs for students of special populations.
EDLD 674 (3) Supervision and Administration
The course examines the role of the school leader within the function of supervision and evaluation.
EDLD 677 (1-4) Individual Study
Individualized study in an area of leadership theory, research, or inquiry. Admission by prior application only.
EDLD 679 (1-4) Advanced School Administration and Finance
In this course students apply advanced knowledge and skills in finance and leadership in the educational setting.
EDLD 682 (3) Field Based Research
This course develops research skills in the educational setting.
EDLD 684 (3) Multicultural Leadership
This course will examine to role of school leaders in a multicultural inclusive
learning environment.
EDLD 688 (1-3) Project Demonstration
This course will present a wide range of techniques and models for developing professional academic projects, including portfolios. Students will develop and demonstrate a professional project. This course may replace or be used in addition to an APP or thesis.
EDLD 690 (1-4) Workshop
An experience where the principle learning takes place through interchange among class members and the facilitator.
EDLD 694 (1-3) Alternate Plan Paper
The alternate plan paper includes a research requirement less extensive in nature than a thesis, but significantly greater in quality and quantity than the standard graduate term paper.
EDLD 697 (3-6) Internship in Teaching
EDLD 698 (3-6) Internship in Administration
This course provides students with an experiential experience as a school administrator.
EDLD 699 (3-6) Thesis
The thesis involves extended research resulting in a significant contribution to new knowledge. This reflects a student's ability to do individual, independent work of a creative and/or investigative type in an area of relation to the student's major field.
EDLD 734 (4) Professional Development Colloquium
This course will provide doctoral students with the knowledge and skills required to become a professor or instructor in higher education settings through topics including professional development plans (PDP), professional development reports (PDR), library research, portfolio development, conference presentations, developing lines of research, and writing for publication.
EDLD 744 (4) Selected Topics
This seminar course provides an avenue for the exploration and investigation of special study topics in educational leadership.
EDLD 747 (3) Organizational Theory and Analysis
The primary framework of this course is the main theoretical perspectives and issues of organizational decision-making, organizational innovation and organizational identity. Each theory/perspective will be examined with the following questions in mind: what is/are the overarching question(s) with which the theory is concerned? What is the central unit of analysis? What are the key concepts?
EDLD 751 (3) Seminar: Advanced Leadership Ethics
Examination of ethics in Leadership which includes student research on ethics
in leadership and professional settings.
EDLD 752 (3) Seminar: Leadership Exemplars
In depth study of exemplary leaders and research into their applicability to
broader leadership contexts.
EDLD 759 (3) Influences and Assessment of Public Policy
This course is an required course for the doctorate in Educational Leadership.
The seminar is offered so student can acquire the knowledge of how public policy
is developed and the influences exerted on public policy.
EDLD 767 (4) Advanced School Law
This course is designed for doctoral students to conduct research in school districts to resolve problems that have legal implications. Completed research will be shared with the school districts as well as with fellow doctoral students.
EDLD 782 (3) Design and Method in Qualitative Inquiry
This course offers investigations into traditional and exploratory genres of qualitative research and provides the critical analysis tools necessary for doing so. Included will be aspects unique to qualitative design used for sampling, instrumentation, data collection and analysis, and report formats.
EDLD 792(3) Quantitative Research Methods for Educational Leadership
The course provides an overview of quantitative research methods, clarifies the role of quantitative methods in the research process, and provides experiences for application of quantitative methods.
EDLD 793 (3) Focused Research Investigations 1
This course offers focused investigations into a specific genre or methodology
of research. Class members will work individually or in small learning groups
in completing individually-constructed learning contracts to gain in-depth knowledge
and skills in particular genre or methodology.
EDLD 794 (3) Focused Research Investigations 2
This course offers focused investigations into a specific genre or methodology of research different than those investigated in EDLD 793. Class members will work to complete an individually-constructed learning contract to gain in-depth knowledge an skills in research.
EDLD 798 (4) Doctoral Internship in Educational Administration
This course is designed for doctoral candidates in educational leadership to
experience implementation of theory where they are given the opportunity to
create, demonstrate, and maintain effective strategies and methodologies from
leadership practices in a school or higher education setting.
EDLD 799 (12) Dissertation
The doctoral dissertation course is designed to guide the student through preparation
and defense of the dissertation proposal, assist the student in the dissertation
research and writing process and ensure focus and consistency in preparation
and defense of the final product.
EXED 590 (1-3) Workshop
EXED 603 (3) Experience and Education
An independent project-based course intended to immerse beginning graduate students into a 45-hour direct experience upon which they will complete a project and reflect on their own personal growth and learning.
EXED 604 (3) Development of Experiential Education
An independent project-based course whereby the student will design and/or facilitate an extensive learning experience for others. Designing and facilitating combined should total 45 hours.
EXED 634 (1-6) Practicum
A field experience that will further the learning of the student in Experiential Education. This course can be repeated in the degree plan of study.
EXED 635 (1-4) Internship
A field experience which typically entails working with a specific person or organization. This course can be repeated in the degree plan of study.
EXED 644 (3) Seminar: Philosophy of Experiential Education
This course examines the writings of historical and current thinkers who have made contributions to the field of e xperiential education. The philosophical underpinnings of Plato and Dewey, as well as more current experiential education literature will be discussed and examined.
EXED 645 (1-3) Seminar: Selected Topics
Courses that are routinely taught under Selected Topics include : Trends and Issues in Experiential Education, Experiential Education and School Reform, Research Problems in Experiential Education, and Controversial Issues in Experiential Education.
EXED 677 (1-3) Individual Study
A field-based course typically used for independent research or projects. This course can be repeated in the degree plan of study.
EXED 694 (1-3) Alternate Plan Paper
This course is used for students who did not complete their APP during their research class and for students who did or are planning to take their research course through another department, thereby completing the APP independently.
EXED 695 (1) Portfolio Development
This course serves as the primary assessment of a student’s growth throughout their program.
