Education Specialist in School Leadership: Building and District Level Emphasis

Graduate Studies’ Admission Procedures EDSAdmission Requirements Appeal of Graduate Admission

EDS Transfer Residency Requirement EDS Academic Policies EDS Degree Requirements

The University of North Georgia offers an Education Specialist in School Leadership degree. The program is designed for educators who are preparing for leadership positions in public schools. Visit the program website for additional information.

Quick Facts

• Four semesters, 32 semester-hour program, for candidates with leadership certification.
• Five semesters, 38 semester-hour program, for candidates without leadership certification.
• Qualifies candidates for Georgia PL-6 certification as school building leader or school district leader.
• Candidates entering program must have L-5, NPL-5, NL-5 certification OR must successfully complete two, online prerequisites the summer term prior to fall cohort start date.
• Candidates must have a current leadership role or position at the building or district level.
• Location alternates between Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Cumming campuses.

Graduate Studies’ Admission Procedures

Application materials may be obtained from Graduate Studies or from the Graduate Studies website, www.ung.edu/graduate/EDS. Applicants must pay a one-time, non-refundable application fee. When all application materials have been received by Graduate Studies, notification will be sent to the applicant and a copy of all materials will be forwarded to the program. Upon review, notification will be sent from the College of Education Graduate Office to the applicant verifying acceptance or denial.

Students who are admitted, but do not enroll within three semesters following acceptance must reapply through Graduate Studies. Students who were previously enrolled but have not been in attendance within the last three semesters must also reapply. All documents and materials submitted to fulfill the application requirements for entry to a program at UNG become the property of the university and will not be returned. Materials are kept for one year for incomplete application files and for three years for complete application files.

EDS Admission Requirements

The following documents must be received prior to admission:

1. Graduate Studies application.
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. Official transcripts from a regionally accredited institution where a master’s degree in a teaching field was earned. Official international transcripts must have a foreign course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and state a cumulative grade point average.
4. Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Only those scores that are less than six years old will be considered.
5. Recommendation from principal which includes a brief description of leadership role/position.
6. Three years of teaching experience. Not required of those with service certificates (Media Specialist, Counselor, etc).
7. If applying for in-state tuition, proof of lawful presence in the United States.
8. Before registration, a student must submit a UNG Certificate of Immunization showing proof of immunizations as required by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The immunization form should be submitted to Graduate Studies, grads@ung.edu.

Regular Admission

To qualify for regular admission, individuals must have:

1. Hold an earned master’s degree in a teaching field from a regionally accredited institution with at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 (4.0 scale) at the master’s level, calculated in accordance with Graduate Studies’ admission procedures. For all non-doctoral programs, the number of completed grade point average credits is the total of completed units taken at the collegiate level for which students received a letter grade A-F or WF (plus and minus points are not used). If a student repeated a course, both attempts are used for the purpose of calculating the graduate admission grade point average.
2. Have achieved a score of no less than 305 on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) (verbal and quantitative sections combined) if taken on or after August 1, 2011 (1,000 prior to August 1, 2011) or have achieved a score of no less than 400 on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Only scores less than six years old will be considered.
3. Have L-5, NPL-5, or NL-5 certification. Candidates without L-5, NPL-5, or NL-5 certification are required to complete two, online prerequisite courses.
4. Have three years of teaching experience (not required of those with service certificates; Media Specialist, Counselor).
5. Be employed in a leadership position that requires L-5 certification or that the system designates as a leadership position (subject to change based on PSC rule).
6. Submit letter from principal stating leadership role/position with a brief description of position and recommendation for program.

Provisional Admission

Applicants who do not meet regular admission requirements for grade point average or test scores stated above may be granted provisional admission pending a successful admission appeal (see Appeal of Graduate Admission).

• Students admitted provisionally may register for no more than a total of six hours of graduate credit.
• Student status will be reviewed to determine eligibility for regular admission following completion of six hours.
• Provisional students who earn a grade less than a “B” in any graduate course taken during the provisional period will not be allowed to continue in the program. Students who have been removed because of a deficient grade may reapply for admission after a period of one year from the date the student was removed by submitting a new application to Graduate Studies with a letter to the Dean of Education requesting readmission.
• Provisional students are not eligible for financial aid.

Non-Degree Admission

Students may not enroll in EDS courses as a non-degree student.

Transient Student Admission

Students may not enroll in EDS courses as a transient student.

Appeal of Graduate Admission

A candidate whose application is denied has the right to appeal the decision. Appeals must be submitted to:

Graduate Studies
University of North Georgia
110 South Chestatee Building, Room 348
Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001
grads@ung.edu

• Appeal letter should clearly state the grounds for appeal.
• Students whose appeals are accepted will be admitted as provisional students.
• Provisional students are not eligible for federal financial aid.
• Students may not appeal for regular admission.

EDS Transfer Residency Requirement

To be awarded an Education Specialist in School Leadership degree, students must earn a minimum of 26 semester hours of graduate degree requirements in residence. The College of Education Graduate Office must approve all transfer credit. A maximum of six hours of transfer credit may be approved. Transfer credit will not be given for any course in which a grade of C or lower was earned.

EDS Academic Policies

Incomplete Grades

The EDS program adheres to the uniform grading system in the Academic Information  section of the Graduate Catalog. Non-academic Incompletes must be finished by the beginning of the second semester after which the Incomplete was awarded.  No degree will be conferred on a student who has an unresolved incomplete grade remaining on his/her transcript.

Academic Standing Policy

An EDS student whose academic performance is unsatisfactory will be subject to the following:

1. Probation – Student will be placed on probation for any of the following reasons:
   a. Student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0.
   b. Student any grade of C or lower.
   
   No student may be a candidate for the degree while on probation due to a grade point average below a 3.0. Probation will be removed when the student’s grade point average reaches 3.0 or higher. In cases where the student is placed on probation due to grade(s), probation will be removed when the course(s) is/are repeated and the grade is B or higher, and the overall grade point average is 3.0 or greater. Students who are on probation may not register until advised.
    
2. Suspension – Student will be placed on suspension for any of the following reasons:
   a. Student earns two grades of C or lower.
   b. Student has already served three consecutive semesters on academic probation.
   
   No student may enroll in graduate courses at UNG while on suspension. Courses taken at another institution during the period of suspension will not be recognized for transfer credit. After serving a suspension period of three semesters, a student seeking to reapply must submit a new application to Graduate Studies and a letter written to the Dean of the College of Education presenting a rationale for readmission. A student will be readmitted only upon approval of the Dean of the College of Education and the College of Education Graduate Office.

Academic and Professional Integrity Policy

At the end of each semester, the program faculty or the College of Education Graduate Office may intervene to establish a plan of action for any student in the program whose competency is in question, for reasons including unprofessional, disruptive, or unethical behavior in the classroom or applied setting. The student and the program advisor should sign the plan with copies forwarded to the College of Education Graduate Office.

Academic Integrity

The University of North Georgia recognizes honesty and integrity as being necessary to the academic functioning of the university. UNG graduate students are expected to uphold the university regulations addressed in the Student Code of Conduct, Article 3, Rule 2.

Professional Integrity

The Education Specialist program adheres to the university’s definition of professional integrity as described in the Academic Information  sections of the Graduate Catalog.

EDS Degree Requirements

Graduation requirements for the Education Specialist in School Leadership degree include:

1. Completion of 32 designated semester hours of study with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher with no grade below a B or
   Completion of 38 designated semester hours of study with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher with no grade below a B (required for students without leadership certification, L-5, NPL-5, or NL-5).
2. Completion of at least 26 semester hours of graduate degree requirements in residence with no more than six semester hours of transfer credit.
3. Completion of all degree-related course requirements, including any transfer credit, within a six-year period.

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Program Contact

Dr. Catherine Rosa, Coordinator
crosa@ung.edu