At MTSU, we take pride in bringing programs to you! If you are interested in pursuing
a Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) degree with a major in Administration and Supervision
and a specialization in instructional leader licensure or a Master of Education (M.Ed.)
degree with a major in Administration and Supervision and a specialization in k-12
Public School, you may have the opportunity to study in your community. Fulltime tenured
MTSU professors partner with practicing administrators within various mid-state school
districts to teach courses. Through enrollment in our programs, students engage in
a practical field experience (practicum) while completing a Specialist in Education
degree or a Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision. The Womack Educational
Leadership Department’s off-campus cohort programs meet students’ needs and help them
accomplish their professional goals. A cohort can be formed through an interested
student who contacts other individuals in his or her area. Click on the DEGREE tab
for more details.
Off-campus cohort programs changed professional life
Robert Vandiver’s success in MTSU’s off-campus cohort programs motivates him to recruit
teachers in his area for these convenient learning opportunities. In 1999, he was
working with the Wayne County School System at Collinwood Middle School in Collinwood
but had not yet secured his teaching license. He joined an off-campus weekend cohort
graduate program in Clifton, and with the help of Womack Educational Leadership faculty,
he completed Tennessee teacher licensure requirements and in 2000 received a master’s
degree. In August 2012, he joined an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) cohort held in Clifton
and earned that degree in 2014. Also completing administrator license requirements,
Vandiver has since held several principal positions and is currently principal at
Collinwood Middle School. His enthusiasm for the cohort programs prompts him to make
his schools available to host classes. In 2015, his wife, Jennifer, completed her
Ed.S. through a cohort group in Waynesboro. “MTSU has played a vital role in my professional
life, and I am very grateful to the Womack Educational Leadership Department and its
faculty for contributing to my professional and personal growth as an educator,” Vandiver
says.
Students can help form their own cohorts
While working as a teacher in Spencer, Jared Copeland joined an MTSU off-campus cohort
graduate master’s degree program in Livingston in fall 2013 and completed his degree
in spring 2015. With that success under his belt, he decided to pursue an Ed.S. in
administration. He was so pleased with his earlier cohort experience that in fall
2015, he recruited his own Ed.S. licensure cohort at Van Buren County High School
where he is an assistant principal. He worked diligently to recruit professionals
from surrounding areas in Eastern Tennessee such as Crossville, McMinnville, and Spencer.
Copeland’s story shows how this program meets the needs of students by making it possible
for them to take courses close to where they live and work. Faculty and administrators
are open to and encourage innovation in order to create a learning environment that
benefits students acquiring their Ed.S. and the school systems served.
Graduates from the Administration and Supervision program with instructional leader
licensure (Ed.S.) or K-12 Public School (M.Ed.) may be employed in a variety of positions.
Examples include, but are not limited to,
- Assistant principals
- Central office personnel
- Instructional leaders or supervisors
- Principals
- Superintendents
MTSU graduates are employed through various school districts throughout Tennessee
including
- Cannon County Schools
- Coffee County Schools
- Franklin County Schools
- Franklin Special School District Schools
- Murfreesboro City Schools
- Rutherford County Schools
- Tullahoma Schools
- Van Buren County Schools
- Warren County Schools
- Wayne County Schools
- White County Schools
- Williamson County Schools
- Wilson County Schools
The Womack Educational Leadership Department offers both the Master of Education (M.Ed.)
and Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) with a major in Administration and Supervision.
Administration and Supervision programs leading to an M.Ed. include specializations
in Public School K-12 and Higher Education; those leading to an Ed.S. include specializations in Instructional Leader Licensure and Higher Education.
The Instructional Leader Licensure and Public School K-12 programs are delivered through
off-campus cohorts meeting at various locations. The following gives a general outline
of how cohorts are formed:
- A student has an interest in forming a cohort.
- Student checks with others in his or her area of work.
- Student sends an inquiry to Dr. Marvin Peyton with names of interested students. Dr.
Peyton can be reached by phone (615-585-8310) or email (Marvin.Peyton@mtsu.edu).
- When enough students are interested (typically between 8 and 12), Dr. Peyton will
call an “interest” meeting to discuss all aspects of the upcoming cohort.
- Once students have decided to pursue forming the cohort, Dr. Peyton will hold an enrollment
meeting for cohort candidates.
- Then students are set to begin work on their graduate degrees!
Students will complete requirements including a foundations core, a specialized core,
and elective hours in order to develop a specialized professional knowledge base and
skills in the student’s chosen area.
Also under the Administration and Supervision major is a concentration in Agricultural Education Leadership leading to the M.Ed.
For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS button to the right.
Other graduate degrees
The Womack Educational Leadership Department offers a major in Curriculum and Instruction leading to the Specialist in Education
degree (Ed.S.) with a specialization in Culture, Cognition, and the Learning Process.
Also available are both on and off-campus cohorts.
A Master of Education (M.Ed.) with a major in Curriculum and Instruction is offered; also available is a concentration in English as a Second Language.
The major in Library Science leads to a Master in Library Science (M.L.S.).
A major in Professional Counseling includes programs leading to an Ed.S., with concentrations
also available in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling.
Professional Licensure Disclosure
The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) College of Education’s teacher licensure preparation programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and are eligible for accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Administration and Supervision with specializations in Public School K-12 and Higher Education and the Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) in Administration and Supervision with specializations in Instructional Leadership Licensure and Higher Education programs at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) are designed to meet the licensure requirements set by the Tennessee Department of Education. Students should be aware that licensure requirements vary from state to state and are subject to change. MTSU has not made a determination whether a specific program will meet all of the requirements of another US state or territory. MTSU recommends that students who plan to seek licensure outside the state of Tennessee contact the appropriate licensing agency and discuss their plans with their advisor. To obtain current information about each state’s and territory’s licensure requirements and any additional regulations, students should consult the US Department of Education’s website for state contacts at https://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html.
Graduates of MTSU teacher education programs certified to teach in Tennessee are eligible for certification reciprocity in many states. Reciprocity is not an automatic or complete transfer of certification, thus individuals should consult the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) site at https://www.tn.gov/education/licensing.html and the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) site at https://www.nasdtec.net/page/Interstate as well as the US Department of Education state contacts site for information about any additional state requirements.
Ed.S
Administration and Supervision, Instructional Leader Licensure Program Specialization, Ed.S.
Marvin Peyton, Program Director
(615) 585-8310
Marvin.Peyton@mtsu.edu
The Ed.S. in Administration and Supervision offers specializations in higher education and instructional leader licensure program (K-12 administrator license).
Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.
Admission Requirements
Admission into the Educational Specialist in Administration and Supervision with a specialization in instructional leader licensure (K-12 administrator license) program requires
- a satisfactory score on the Miller Analogies Test, the Graduate Record Examination, or the Praxis II (Principles of Learning and Teaching) or a valid Tennessee Teacher license;
- an earned master's degree from an accredited university or college;
- teacher licensure-the licensure requirements will be waived for the specialization in higher education as well as under other special circumstances.
Application Procedures
All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.
Applicant must
- submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php). Once this initial application has been accepted, the applicant will receive directions on how to enter the graduate portal to be able to submit other materials.
- submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
- submit three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's potential for completing the Educational Specialist degree in Administration and Supervision;
- submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or a copy of the teaching license.
Degree Requirements
The Ed.S. in Administration and Supervision with an instructional leader licensure program specialization requires completion of 33 semester hours.
Candidate must
- complete 33 semester hours with a minimum of 15 semester hours at the 7000 level (see Curriculum section below for specifics);
- successfully complete a written comprehensive examination or oral presentation of research project during the semester of graduation (exam may be retaken once);
- pass the Praxis School Leader Licensure Assessment.
Curriculum: Administration and Supervision, Instructional Leader Licensure
The following illustrates the coursework requirements.
Required Courses (33 hours)
FOED 6030 - School and Community Relations
3credit hours
The reciprocal relationship of the two and the skills necessary for analyzing problems and utilizing data and technical skills in planning effective school-community relations programs.
FOED 7060 - Seminar in Educational Foundations
3credit hours
Opportunities to think reflectively and critically on the historical, philosophical, and psychological foundations of education and attendant implications.
FOED 7610 - Directed Individual Educational Research
3credit hours
Prerequisite: SPSE 7010. It is recommended that this class be taken the semester following enrollment in SPSE 7010. Culmination of research sequence (FOED 6610 and SPSE 7010) which requires studying a professional educational problem through completing and presenting a research project.
SPSE 6010 - Organization and Administration of Public Schools
3credit hours
Basic concepts, principles, and practices in local, state, and federal organization and administration of education.
SPSE 6050 - Instructional Leadership
3credit hours
Research on student learning, effective teaching, and effective schools. Attention given to processes for promoting school improvement.
SPSE 6340 - School Finance
3credit hours
State, local, and federal financing of education; includes taxation trends, school funds, and apportionment; evaluation of equalization plans; state bond loan programs; development and administration of school budgets; education and economy.
SPSE 6390 - School Law
3credit hours
Legal framework within which public schools operate. Special attention given to the legal rights and liabilities of school personnel and school board members. School laws, case laws, constitutional provisions, attorneys' general rulings, and regulations of the State Board of Education emphasized.
SPSE 7010 - Educational Research Methodology
3credit hours
Designing research studies, including development of understandings, as well as skills and techniques needed in gathering, structuring, interpreting and presenting data required for educational research. SPSE 7010 is a prerequisite for enrollment in FOED 7610, which is recommended to be taken the following semester.
SPSE 7040 - Seminar in Supervision
3credit hours
Identification and investigation of the problems of supervision and research; experimentation in the use of supervisory techniques.
SPSE 7150 - Curriculum Study and Instructional Design
3credit hours
Readings in current research relative to basic and emerging ideas of curriculum development and instructional design.
SPSE 7200 - Administrative Behavior: Theory into Practice
3credit hours
An exploration of the relevant new developments in the field of educational administration, including recent concepts and research.
NOTE:
The program is offered only in the off-campus cohort format. For further information, contact Dr. Marvin Peyton in the Womack Educational Leadership Department.
Program Notes
Students taking courses for licensure renewal, add-on endorsements, or "plus 30" upgrade on teacher licensure should register as non-degree students. Students enrolling in 6000-level courses must hold a bachelor's degree, and students enrolling in 7000-level courses must hold a master's degree. Non-degree-seeking students cannot register for 7000-level courses without departmental permission.
M.Ed
Administration and Supervision, K-12 Public School Specialization, M.Ed.
Marvin Peyton, Program Director
(615) 585-8310
Marvin.Peyton@mtsu.edu
The M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision offers a concentration in Agricultural Education Leadership as well as specializations in K-12 public school, higher education, and a nonlicensure program.
Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Master of Education in Administration and Supervision with a specialization in K-12 public school requires
- a satisfactory score on the Miller Analogies Test, the Graduate Record Examination, or the Praxis II (Principles of Learning and Teaching) or a valid Tennessee Teacher license;
- an earned bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college;
- teacher licensure-the licensure requirements will be waived for the higher education specialization and under other special circumstances.
Students pursuing an M.Ed. degree must be fully admitted by the Educational Leadership Graduate Admissions Board prior to the completion of their initial semester of coursework.
Application Procedures
All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.
Applicant must
- submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
- submit official transcripts of previous college work;
- submit three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's potential for completing the Master of Education degree in Administration and Supervision;
- submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or a copy of the teaching license.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Education in Administration and Supervision with a specialization in K-12 public school requires completion of 33 semester hours.
Candidate must
- complete 33 semester hours. No more than 30 percent of the total degree hours may be dually listed as undergraduate/graduate hours (see Curriculum section below for specifics);
- successfully complete a written comprehensive examination during the semester of graduation (exam may be retaken once);
- pass the Praxis School Leader Licensure Assessment.
Curriculum: Administration and Supervision, K-12 Public School
The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements.
Required Courses (33 hours)
FOED 6020 - Educational Foundations
3credit hours
Assists educational personnel in developing contexts and concepts in which educational problems and issues may be understood through awareness of findings in humanistic and behavioral studies.
FOED 6030 - School and Community Relations
3credit hours
The reciprocal relationship of the two and the skills necessary for analyzing problems and utilizing data and technical skills in planning effective school-community relations programs.
SPSE 6010 - Organization and Administration of Public Schools
3credit hours
Basic concepts, principles, and practices in local, state, and federal organization and administration of education.
SPSE 6040 - Supervision of Instruction
3credit hours
Development and purposes of supervision involving principles and techniques for organization and facilitation of programs at the school and system level.
SPSE 6050 - Instructional Leadership
3credit hours
Research on student learning, effective teaching, and effective schools. Attention given to processes for promoting school improvement.
SPSE 6340 - School Finance
3credit hours
State, local, and federal financing of education; includes taxation trends, school funds, and apportionment; evaluation of equalization plans; state bond loan programs; development and administration of school budgets; education and economy.
SPSE 6390 - School Law
3credit hours
Legal framework within which public schools operate. Special attention given to the legal rights and liabilities of school personnel and school board members. School laws, case laws, constitutional provisions, attorneys' general rulings, and regulations of the State Board of Education emphasized.
SPSE 6400 - The Principalship
3credit hours
Organization and administration of the modern K-12 school with emphasis on current practices and problems.
SPSE 6430 - Introduction to Curriculum Development
3credit hours
Opportunity to study, discuss, and evaluate modern practices and procedures in curriculum development and reorganization in schools and school systems.
SPSE 6550 - Supervised Field Experience
3 or 6credit hours
Designed to provide direct field experience in appropriate areas of school operation which will meet specific needs related to such individual matters as career plans, position changes (principals, supervisors, superintendent, curriculum directors, librarians, etc.), or needed competencies. May be repeated up to a maximum of six hours.
SPSE 6560 - Studies in Education: Supervision
1 to 3credit hours
Individual or small group study and/or research in the area of supervision of instruction. To be based on individual needs and structured by teacher. Repeatable up to six hours.
Note:
This program is offered only in the off-campus cohort format. For further information contact Dr. Marvin Peyton in the Womack Educational Leadership Department.
Program Notes
Students taking courses for licensure renewal, add-on endorsements, or "plus 30" upgrade on teacher licensure should register as non-degree-seeking students. Students enrolling in 6000-level courses must hold a bachelor's degree, and students enrolling in 7000-level courses must hold a master's degree. Non-degree-seeking students cannot register for 7000-level courses without departmental permission.
Candidate must
- file a degree plan with the College of Graduate Studies prior to admission into the program;
- file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the semester in which the student intends to graduate.
Our adjunct faculty bring outstanding professional experience to our programs. Many are industry leaders with decorated careers and honors. Importantly, they are innovative educators who offer hands-on learning to our students to prepare them to enter and thrive in a dynamic, and oftentimes emerging, industry and professional world. They inspire, instruct, and challenge our students toward academic and professional success.
Online or Hybrid Programs at a Glance
This program is available .
For More Information or Explore Your Options
Contact your department / program coordinator or advisor for more details about the program OR work one-on-one with your advisor to explore your options.
The Online Advantage
With over 25 years of experience in online teaching and learning, MTSU Online offers students access to innovative, high-quality programs. Designed with students in mind, our courses allow maximum flexibility for those unable to participate in person.
Resources and services for online students are available from MTSU Online or contact us at distance@mtsu.edu.
