The 30-credit-hour Master’s program, 36-credit-hour Education Specialist Program (with a research component), and the 21-credit-hour Graduate Certificate program, involve both coursework and an Instructional Leader Fieldwork Clinical Practice.

The pathways are standards-based – the profession’s standards (NELP), and the State of Tennessee’s standards (TILS), as well as TN Literacy Standards. As the candidates approach their Instructional Leader Fieldwork Clinical Practice, grounding the opportunities in professional standards allows them to view the experiences as the work of leadership, rather than coursework assignments. Moreover, standards-based assignments are not solely University of Tennessee defined but are a collaborative effort of the mentor, the facilitator, and the candidate. Thus, the candidate may take the lead on problem solving or constructing a response to an issue or a need at the school where they perform their fieldwork. The pathways include a fieldwork course which is taken concurrently with the candidate’s field experiences. The course is designed to help bridge the gap between theory and practice, and allows candidates to understand the skills and dispositions required to lead schools, and the standards under which they will work, while adding to their knowledge through standards-based projects.

The ELPS Online Leadership Studies program is accredited nationally by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The program has been approved to recommend students for Instructional Leadership Licenses through the State of Tennessee Department of Education and is a charter member of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA).

Program Options