Master of Education - Educational Leadership

Washington State University (WSU) offers two masters degree programs in Educational Leadership. The non-thesis Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree is designed for professional educators preparing for leadership positions in K-12 schools and other educational institutions. The Master of Arts in Education – Educational Leadership (M.A.) is a thesis degree designed for students who wish to focus on continued study and research in Educational Leadership who may pursue a doctoral degree. The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership is offered at all four WSU campuses (Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities and Vancouver) and is closely aligned with the Principal and Program Administrator Certification program. Models for delivery of the master’s program (e.g., sequencing of courses) differ slightly across the four campuses, although basic requirements for the degree are the same across the campuses. The Ed.M. in Educational Leadership requires a Master’s Final Comprehensive/Written Examination. WSU’s Educational Leadership master’s degree programs can be aligned with the Principal and Program Administrator Certification programs, for those who qualify for certification and who wish to receive Principal or Program Administrator certificates along with the master’s degree. All required graded courses for these certification programs can be applied to the master’s degree program of study. However, the master’s degree in Educational Leadership can be done without including Principal or Program Administrator Certification classes. In either option, course sequences are designed to permit students at any of WSU’s campuses to complete the master’s degree within two to three years.