All students are required to meet the general university admission requirements.

Additional Requirements

• Valid state-issued teaching license
• Approximately three years of teaching experience

Additional Documentation

Your application must include the following:

• Statement of objectives: State your academic objectives in one to two pages and include the following information:
  • career and professional goals and aspirations and how being accepted to the program will specifically benefit your goals and aspirations
  • description of relevant professional experience within education or a related field
  • future professional plans
  • resume/curriculum vitae
• Official transcripts from each college or university where you received your bachelor’s degree(s) and completed any post-baccalaureate coursework or degrees
• Two letters of recommendation from college or university educators and/or colleagues or supervisors who are qualified to address your professional skills and your potential for success in the graduate program
• A completed Admissions Standards Self-Survey (located within the application). A score of level 3 or higher is required for admission.

Graduates of the educational leadership program typically serve in administrative roles, such as principal or assistant principal, within K-12 public schools. Our graduates are recognized as having the technical capacities and cultural humility required to lead effectively in varied settings — from large urban centers to small rural communities.

The following course sequence is designed to meet the requirements for the Kansas building-level leadership license.

Leadership Core (9 credits)

• EDLEA 801 - Ethical Dimensions of Educational Leadership (3 credits)
• EDLEA 810 - Historical and Philosophical Analysis of Leadership in Education (3 credits)
• EDLEA 836 - School-Community Relations (3 credits)

Student Learning Needs (6 credits)

• EDLEA 886 - Leadership for Special Populations (3 credits)
• EDLEA 886 - Seminar in Research for School Leaders (3 credits)

Leadership Operations (21 credits)

• EDLEA 819 - Introduction to Education Finance (3 credits)
• EDLEA 831 - Educational Law (3 credits)
• EDLEA 835 - The Principalship (2 credits)
• EDLEA 855 - Administrative Leadership in Curriculum (3 credits)
• EDLEA 865 - Administrative Leadership in Staff Development (3 credits)
• EDLEA 885 - Technology Leadership for Administrators (3 credits)
• EDLEA 889 - Practicum in Educational Leadership (1 credit)
• EDLEA 910 - Educational Human Resource Administration (3 credits)

ANNOUNCING: Beginning August 2025, the curriculum drops to these 30 credit hours

• EDLEA 801 - Ethical Dimensions of Educational Leadership (3 credits)
• EDLEA 810 - Philosophical Analysis of Leadership in Education (3 credits)
• EDLEA 819 - Introduction to Education Finance (3 credits)
• EDLEA 820 - Data Literacy/Data Informed Decisions in Educational Leadership (3 credits)
• EDLEA 831 - Educational Law (3 credits)
• EDLEA 835 - The Principalship (2 credits)
• EDLEA 836 - School-Community Relations (3 credits)
• EDLEA 855 - Leadership in Teaching and Learning (3 credits)
• EDLEA 860 - Inclusive School Culture in Educational Leadership (3 credits)
• EDLEA 870 - Educational Professional Learning/Human Resource Administration (3 credits)
• EDLEA 889 - Practicum in Educational Leadership (1 credit)

The master's in educational leadership is designed to meet coursework requirements for the Kansas Building Leadership initial license. Upon completion of these requirements and the state licensure exam, a KSDE application must be completed.

To apply for the license, please contact the College of Education licensure officer Di Murphy at dim@k-state.edu or 785-532-5524. More information about licensing can be found on the Licensing and Endorsement Assistance webpage. In addition to the program coursework, you will also need to meet the following KSDE licensing requirements:

• Completion of the Praxis exam for the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (i.e., Building Leadership). Visit the PRAXIS: Kansas Test Requirements website for registration information. To have your score sent to K-State, enter code #6334 when registering.
• Master’s degree (It is permitted, but not necessary, to include the required courses as part of the master’s degree.)
• 3.25 GPA in graduate coursework
• Minimum of five years accredited teaching experience under a valid professional teaching license
• Recent teaching experience or coursework (i.e., at least one year of teaching or 8 credit hours within the last six years)