Master of Arts in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
About This Program
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Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2013. Deadline to Apply is July 31, 2013.
This program is offered 100% online.
In today's challenging economic environment, opportunities have never been greater for skilled educational administrators who know how to access and make the best use of limited resources to ensure optimal outcomes for students at all levels. Also, according to a recent study, educators with advanced degrees enjoy an "advanced-degree premium" of 16 percent over the average national wage of $21.17 for educators.* Employment of elementary, middle, and high school principals is projected to grow by 10 percent from 2010 to 2020**.
CSUN's Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) program prepares graduates for success in leadership roles in K-12 through university settings. Designed for working professionals, ELPS is a two-year program taught entirely online.
Offered in collaboration with CSUN's Michael D. Eisner College of Education – the largest public college of education in the nation – ELPS blends theory and empirical research with case studies, practical applications and field work. It excels at preparing graduates for successful careers in private and public institutions in an ever-changing, multicultural world.
The ELPS curriculum was developed by the same outstanding faculty who teach in the university's residential program. Most of the instructors possess not only doctoral degrees but also considerable experience as educational administrators. Also, this program is offered in the cohort format, which maximizes interaction with faculty and fosters the development of networking relationships with fellow participants.
Coursework for the Master's Degree and Preliminary Services (Tier I) Credential is identical; however, the degree and the credential are awarded by two separate and distinct agencies, California State University and the State Credentials Office respectively. Therefore, a candidate who is pursuing both the Master's Degree and Preliminary Services Credential must apply to each agency separately, and those applications should be submitted concurrently.
To download a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential application, log in to the Credential Office web site at or contact the Credential Office at (818) 677-2586 for assistance.
The CSUN ELPS program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the California Commission for Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
College of Education educates and credentials more teachers than the entire UC system. CSUN was also one of only four U.S. universities selected to participate in the 2001 launch of the "Teachers for a New Era Initiative," an ongoing national program jointly funded by the Carnegie Corporation and the Ford and Annenberg foundations to ensure teacher preparation of the highest quality.
*Source: "Which Majors Pay Best," Wall Street Journal, on the Internet (visited April 17, 2012).
**Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals, (visited August 20, 2012).
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