MEd in Educational Leadership & Administration or Licensure-Only Pathway

Program Overview Why get a master’s in educational leadership & administration at SNHU?

Gain the skills needed to become a New Hampshire licensed principal or curriculum administrator through Southern New Hampshire University's Master of Education (MEd) in Educational Leadership & Administration degree program — or through SNHU's modified licensure-only pathway. No matter what route you choose, your courses will help you develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to effectively lead learning organizations, cultivate thriving professional cultures and support the success of all students.

Skills you’ll learn:

Instructional leadership
Ethical stewardship of resources
Law & education policy

Facilitating the change process
Designing effective systems
Finance and facilities management

Person typing at a desk with a computer in a cozy, well‑lit living room workspace.

Courses & Curriculum Prepare to be an innovative and visionary leader

The MEd in Educational Leadership & Administration degree program is offered 100% online in close connection with SNHU's campus programs. In your online courses, you’ll explore content across a wide range of leadership roles and responsibilities aligned with the licensure area you're pursuing. You'll walk away with a clear idea of what it means to actively engage as an impactful leader in the field.

While much of the coursework in this program is asynchronous, you'll also attend 4 required virtual synchronous sessions during each 10-week term. These sessions are designed to connect you with your cohort peers and instructors. Together, you'll explore the most pressing topics of modern education, collaborate around projects and assignments, and receive additional support as needed from your instructors.

Featured Faculty

Learn from instructors with industry experience

Our faculty members bring with them decades of knowledge and experience, which informs the development of SNHU’s courses and curriculum. They look forward to supporting your journey both in the classroom and as you work toward a career in your field.

Audrey Rogers

Position
Associate Dean, Graduate Education Programs

Joined SNHU
2007

Education

EdD in Leadership and Learning from Rivier College
MA in History from the University of New Hampshire
MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Massachusetts Lowell
BA in History from Tufts University

Dr. Audrey Rogers is the associate dean for graduate education programs and a professor of education at Southern New Hampshire University. She holds New Hampshire licensure as a social studies educator (grades 5-12) and digital learning specialist (K-12). She's past president and a current member of the NH IHE (Institutions of Higher Education) Network, a consortium of all NH educator preparation programs. Her recent research focused on competency-based education and assessment literacy in preservice educators.

To learn more about SNHU faculty, visit our campus faculty page.

Major Courses

Campus major courses

In the fully virtual MEd program, you'll study alongside a cohort of classmates from across the state while learning from educational leaders with years of real-world experience. In your core courses, you'll build the foundation of educational leadership, then tailor your course plan to prepare you for licensure in your area of choice.

As you near the end of your program, you'll also complete a required 20-week, 150-hour practicum experience. This hands-on component gives you the opportunity to apply your learning directly in the field. You'll work alongside a practicing administrator (mentor) and SNHU Clinical Supervisor, document your hours and chart your progress toward meeting the required performance standards.

Upon program completion, you'll have knowledge and skills that directly align with the New Hampshire Department of Education Standards — making you a strong candidate for state licensure.

Courses may include:

Effective Management of Schools

Course ID: EDU 508

This course offers a study of the leadership, management, and safe operations of school facilities and an understanding of school finances as it relates to the teaching and learning process. Leaders will learn how to facilitate and engage school board members in a discussion about how school finance and facilities relate to student achievement. Students will examine various tools and methodologies that support the school process and how to engage and connect the community members in the budget building process. This course aims to make leaders better managers and consumers of financial information rather than budget officers; students will better understand the real world implications and consequences of how they allocate funds based on the process and decisions they make.

The Development of a Mission, Vision and Goals

Course ID: EDU 554

This course will focus on the knowledge, skills, abilities and dispositions educational leaders need to facilitate the process of developing a school's vision, mission, and goals. Students will discuss how to meet personalized state expectations, state standards, the community and school expectations, and the needs of faculty and students through an inclusive process. Different processes for meeting the demands of the articulated vision, mission, and goals will be researched and discussed. Individuals will have the opportunity to create a process to simulate how they would engage various stakeholders in the development of a clearly articulated vision, mission, and goals; as well as the evaluation systems for analyzing a school's progress toward meeting those goals and overarching vision.

Process and Communication Skills

Course ID: EDU 590

This course will present aspiring educational leaders with concepts, skills, and abilities that foster effective decisions and communication protocols to actively engage with the community and other stakeholders. Students will discover how leaders decide which processes to leverage during specific situations that arise throughout an academic year. It will also provide insight and opportunities for students to learn how school leaders select the best communication devices that are most effective for specific situations.

Leading a Collaborative School

Course ID: EDU 604

This course requires students to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities of an educational leader to facilitate a process within a learning organization that is highly collaborative and inclusive of all staff members. Building leadership capacity in both teachers and staff is imperative to the collaborative environment. Having all stakeholders understand why we are doing things, what we will do, and how we will accomplish goals through this process is important to the success of each initiative in a collaborative environment and positive culture. Students will engage in deep conversation about the collaborative process and create opportunities to work collaboratively in real time situations.

Ethics and School Law

Course ID: EDU 610

The primary goal of this course is for the student to develop awareness of ethical, professional and legal issues pertinent to educational settings. These issues include, ethical decision making processes, legal mandates related to education and special education, professional relationships, confidentiality, supervision, conflict of interest, boundaries and diversity. Additionally, we will discuss obstacles that relate to the provision of educational services in the school and with children and their parents in general.

Reflective Leadership Skills

Course ID: EDU 656

This course will allow aspiring educational leaders to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities to reflect on their behaviors and learn how to match appropriate leadership behaviors to successfully process and implement new programs or goals. It will also allow students to reflect on their current dispositions and how their current behaviors will either positively affect their success or how their behaviors must change in order for them to be effective educational leaders.

Leading Creativity and Innovation

Course ID: EDU 670

This course will support the development of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of a school leader to engage individuals and groups in work that is both creative and innovative to improve student academic success and behaviors. The course will offer leaders an opportunity to develop their innovative skills as leaders in ways that foster improvement and how we approach learning in our schools.

Teacher Support, Monitoring, and Accountability

Course ID: EDU 680

This course will guide educational leaders through a process to create a teacher improvement model that is a formative process. This process builds on the leader's ability to work with teachers to create support for specific goals and monitor the implementation strategies for those goals. Next, we will examine the continuous process necessary to move the goals forward and collect data on the process of change. Lastly, we will examine the variety of accountability systems for leaders to use in their schools and how to ensure the system is working to improve instruction and therefore student achievement.

Details about the major courses for this program will be available soon.

Licensure-Only Pathway

Admission Requirements

MEd in Educational Leadership & Administration

Conferred undergraduate transcripts with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.
The following minimum years of experience for the specific licensure area:
- Principal: Minimum of 2 years of experience as a teacher, instructional specialist, educational specialist, or education administrator
- Curriculum Administrator: Minimum of 2 years of experience as a teacher
Currently certified in NH within the required teacher, instructional specialist, educational specialist, or education administrator area
Letter of recommendation from a current educational administrator
Acknowledgement of the required Criminal History Record Check and Fingerprinting clearance

Licensure-Only Pathways

Principal Pathway

Conferred Master of Education degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
Minimum of 3 years of experience as a teacher, instructional specialist, educational specialist, or education administrator
Currently certified in NH within the required teacher, instructional specialist, educational specialist, or education administrator area
Letter of recommendation from a current educational administrator
Acknowledgement of the required Criminal History Record Check and Fingerprinting clearance

Curriculum Administrator Pathway

Conferred Master of Education degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
Minimum of 3 years of experience as a teacher
Currently certified in NH within the required teacher area
Letter of recommendation from a current educational administrator
Acknowledgement of the required Criminal History Record Check and Fingerprinting clearance

Criminal History Record Check and Fingerprinting

For both the MEd in Educational Leadership & Administration as well as the Licensure-Only Pathways, accepted students are required to complete the state-mandated Criminal History Record Check and Fingerprinting. The university’s Office of Educator Preparation provides guidance and resources for this requirement. Additional information for this state requirement can be found on their Credentialing HelpDesk site.

Can't wait? You don't have to! 

Whether you’re looking to continue your education locally or traveling across the world to experience SNHU, you can apply now. We can’t wait to meet you!

Have questions? Contact Dr. Ron Pedro (r.pedro@snhu.edu)

Apply Now

Request Information

Career Outlook What can I do with a master's in educational leadership & administration?

Graduates of SNHU's MEd in Educational Leadership & Administration program are equipped with the skills necessary to effectively lead schools and districts.

Whether you're looking to become a high school principal or select middle school course materials as a curriculum coordinator, you'll feel empowered to make a positive impact on the students you serve. Upon successful completion of the program, you'll have a degree and recommendation for licensure in hand — plus the confidence to pursue the next chapter in your career as an educational leader.

Career paths include:

Principal
Assistant principal
Instructional coach
Curriculum administrator
Curriculum coordinator

$104,070

Median annual salary nationally for elementary, middle and high school principals in May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).¹ Statistic not based on wage data for SNHU graduates.

Understanding the numbers
When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors—like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not on SNHU graduate outcomes, and do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

Hear from us

We offer a dynamic range of programs designed to support your career advancement through transformative educational experiences. Our offerings provide practical, hands-on learning, professional networking opportunities and a strong sense of community fostered by our cohort model.

Audrey Rogers, Associate Dean, Graduate Education Programs

Accreditations

SNHU is accredited by the institutional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The university also carries specialized accreditations for some programs.

Your dream school is waiting

Apply now or schedule a visit today.