In Short
Advance your career with an online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and Management from Fitchburg State. Master administration, finance, and more. Learn more.
Choosing to pursue an advanced, non-licensure degree focused on leadership and management provides several distinct advantages for your career:
- New professional opportunities. An Ed.S. signals to school boards and districts that you possess specialized expertise beyond the master’s level.
- Flexible online format. Ideal for working administrators and teachers, our format allows you to maintain your professional responsibilities while completing your coursework from anywhere.
- Cost-effective career growth. Gain the credentials to pursue roles with higher salaries and greater leadership responsibilities, without the multi-year time commitment and higher costs of a Ph.D. or Ed.D.
- Expert practitioner faculty. Our instructors bring decades of experience across educational roles, ensuring your learning remains grounded in current field realities.
Program at a Glance: Lead With Purpose
Build effective leadership skills in Fitchburg State University’s online Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership and Management program. Designed for experienced educators, this non-licensure program focuses on strategic planning, organizational change, and ethical leadership.
Earn your Educational Leadership and Management degree online and join a community of professionals committed to excellence in school administration.
Program Overview
Lead Through a Changing Landscape
The Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and Management focuses on the "how-to" of school management, including finance, law, and organizational behavior, preparing you for leadership beyond the individual classroom. You’ll build the skills to handle complex organizational challenges and develop strategies for effective personnel administration, so you can become a leader who fosters a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.
Program Length
The online educational leadership specialist degree consists of 39 credits. While you can complete the program in as few as two years, you have six years to finish it.
What Can You Do With an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and Management?
This degree opens doors to high-level positions in K-12 districts, higher education, and private educational organizations. Whether you want to lead a department, a school building, or a district-wide initiative, the Ed.S. program provides the skills and knowledge to achieve your goals.
Common career paths for graduates include:
- School Principal or Assistant Principal
- Department Head or Curriculum Director
- District-Level Coordinator
- Educational Consultant
- Director of Specialized Programs
- Higher Education Administrator
Requirements and Curriculum
The curriculum for the Educational Leadership and Management program balances theoretical foundations with executive-level management training. You’ll build managerial skills, strengthen your management abilities, and demonstrate your knowledge in field-based experiences.
Fitchburg State’s Ed.S. degree is equivalent to a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS). To find out more about specific courses, review the two-year course rotation.
The online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and Management culminates in a capstone designed to bridge the gap between administrative theory and district-level practice. This experience ensures you can measure the tangible impact of your leadership decisions and provides the real-world experience to pursue advanced roles.
Completed applications are reviewed on a rolling admission basis. Admission requirements are as follows:
- Official transcript of a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Three letters of recommendation
- Professional resume
- Graduate application and fee
- An essay, no more than one page in length, in response to one of the following questions:
- Tell us about a positive situation in which you helped a person and made a significant difference in that person’s life.
- What are the most important factors in establishing a long-term working relationship with students, friends, etc.?
- Tell us about a significant event that involved you in a teaching or helping mode.
- Describe the situation as it occurred at the time.
- What did you do in that particular situation?
- How did you feel about the situation at the time you were experiencing it?
- How do you feel about the situation now?
- What would you change, if anything?
Fitchburg State University remains committed to providing high-quality education at a competitive price point. Our online graduate programs are among the most affordable in the region, ensuring a strong return on your investment in your future.
Still have questions? We're here to help!
We know you're busy, so we've given you a few different options to conveniently get the answers you need. You can…
- Email an enrollment counselor gce@fitchburgstate.edu or call 978.665.3182
- Attend an Information Session
- Watch a Webinar