Can I Earn a Degree in Educational Leadership Online?

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Teachers who want to advance their education without quitting their jobs often choose to earn a degree in educational leadership online. The online programs allow candidates to earn degrees in the comfort of their homes at their convenience. Education leadership is a growing field that offers many career opportunities. Earning the degree online can make it easier to get an education without having to sacrifice their current jobs. Here is some information on different educational leadership online degree programs.

Bachelor’s Degree

The majority of the educational leadership programs are offered at the graduate level. However, this field is also offered as an undergraduate degree in many colleges and universities. The bachelor’s degree program typically takes four years to complete. Online students can complete it in anywhere from three to six years. The time it takes to complete this online degree depends on the number of credits the student already has and the workload they can handle.

A high school diploma or GED is required for admittance into the program. Students will have courses like:

  • Leadership in Practice
  • Effective Teaching Strategies
  • Human Resource Management
  • Organizational Management in Early Childhood Education

Graduates of the educational leadership degree can pursue leadership jobs as preschool owner Head Start coordinator and early childcare facility director.

Master’s Degree

The master’s degree is the level most often chosen by students who wish to earn a degree in educational leadership. Students in these programs are usually already working as teachers or educators. They’re interested in finding leadership positions. It usually takes about two years to complete this program, which requires completing from 30 to 45 credits.

The master’s degree program is often taken as a Master of Education with the choice of several concentrations, such as:

  • educational leadership
  • learning design and leadership
  • educational leadership and administration

However, the program is also offered as a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership. Upon graduation, students are eligible for certification and endorsement. Although it’s offered as an online degree, some schools may require the students to meet at the campus a couple of times a year.

Doctoral Degree

The online doctoral degree program in educational leadership prepares students to handle the challenges often found in today’s complicated and diverse educational setting. This program, which usually takes three to four years to finish, is based on both theory and practice. Applicants must already have a master’s degree and should have some teaching experience. They must complete about 60 credits to earn a doctoral degree.

Areas of concentration may include:

  • policy
  • leadership
  • classroom management
  • ethics
  • organizational theory
  • diversity
  • research

Research is a big part of the doctoral degree program. The students are required to:

  • do an independent research study
  • write a dissertation based on the research found
  • defend the dissertation publicly

At the end of the program, the students must pass a comprehensive examination.

Related Resource: Top 20 Most Affordable PhD in Educational Leadership Online

An education leadership degree can be a valuable educational pathway for candidates interested in becoming:

  • principals
  • superintendents
  • deans

U.S. News & World Report indicates that online education offers students flexibility and convenience. It can also save them money. Earning a degree in educational leadership online can put an individual in a great position for obtaining leadership positions while still teaching and helping to shape young minds.

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