Master of Science in School Leadership (MSSL)
Prepare to face challenges in school systems by sharpening your school leadership skills with an online degree in educational leadership.
Earn Your Online Master’s in Educational Leadership
Get ready to lead students, faculty, and staff into the future of education with an educational leadership master’s degree.
A master’s in educational leadership from Baker University prepares you to face issues and challenges in modern school systems by sharpening your leadership, organizational, administration, and communication skills.
With an online master’s in educational leadership, you’ll be ready to guide educators and schools to effect positive change for their students.
Our online master’s in educational leadership program will help you secure a PK-12 building administration license in Kansas or a certificate in Missouri.
In this fully online program, you’ll participate in weekly virtual meetings with instructors and classmates so you can ask questions and build connections.
Our academic advising team acts as your partner in earning a graduate degree, helping you plan your courses to efficiently complete your master’s in educational leadership.
Program Information
Online
Graduate School of Education
Graduate
Master of Science (MS)
Start Your Future Now With a Master’s in Educational Leadership
Learning doesn’t have to happen in a classroom. You can earn a Baker educational leadership master’s degree without relocating or leaving your full-time job.
• 100% online—earn your degree from anywhere.
• Weekly classes held year-round.
• No GRE needed.
• Designed for working professionals.
Start the journey toward your master’s in educational leadership by taking the first step in the admissions process.
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Program Highlights: Master’s in Educational Leadership
A Baker degree in educational leadership connects you with experienced faculty who lead courses that go beyond traditional lectures. You’ll experience inclusive group discussions, impressive guest speakers, and open Q&As with instructors.
Here’s what else you can expect from your degree in educational leadership:
Experienced and knowledgeable faculty. You’ll learn from educators and administrators who deeply understand the issues and challenges you’ll face in the field—and they can coach you through these obstacles as you earn a master’s in educational leadership.
Course flexibility without compromise. Baker’s graduate degree in educational leadership can be earned fully online and is supplemented with one-on-one and small-group interactions with instructors and classmates that keep you engaged and motivated.
Real-world application. Your master’s in educational leadership will culminate with a directed field experience, giving you hands-on opportunities to work alongside a practicing school administrator.
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What Can You Do With a Degree in Educational Leadership?
Highly qualified school administrators are in demand now more than ever.
Baker’s online master’s in educational leadership program prepares you for building-level licensure and job titles like these:
- Alternative school administrator
- Assistant principal
- Associate principal
- Athletic or activities director
- Coordinator of special services
- Dean of students
- Instructional coach
- Principal
- Special education coordinator or director
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, elementary, middle, and high school principals saw a median pay of $98,420 in 2021.
Employment of education administrators is projected to grow by 8 percent by 2030.
Exceptional Experiences: Master’s in Educational Leadership
What can you achieve with a degree in educational leadership?
Become an accomplished school leader. More assistant principals in Kansas schools have earned their master’s degrees from Baker than from any other university. And Baker is among the top four Kansas universities chosen by principals employed in public schools in Kansas.
Earn a degree while you continue working. You can fit graduate studies into your already-busy schedule by taking year-round classes online one night a week.
Create your own path forward. Students can obtain building licensure in Kansas. Students outside Kansas should check with the Department of Education in their state to see whether licensure is accepted
Financial Aid for Master’s in Educational Leadership
Learn how affordable your degree in educational leadership can be. You’ll find the return on investment you’re looking for in Baker University’s highly ranked online programs.
In fact, Baker offers the highest return on investment of private colleges in Kansas, according to Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2022).
Examples of Online Master’s in Educational Leadership Courses
A degree in educational leadership from Baker equips you to help your students, families, staff, and other teachers thrive.
Gain knowledge and skills through educational leadership master’s courses:
- Curriculum and Instruction for Administrators: Develop instructional leadership to evaluate, create, and implement coherent systems of curriculum and instruction consistent with your district’s mission.
- Inquiry and Research: Conduct and interpret your own research along with the research of others to create sustainable school environments.
- Organizational Health and Performance: Build the leadership skills needed to manage, maintain, and evaluate a healthy organization. Develop an understanding of the organizational cultures and strategies that result in collaborative and professional learning climates.
- School Personnel: Gain expertise to select, supervise, evaluate, and empower school personnel while enhancing interpersonal communication skills.
The master’s in educational leadership program culminates with a leadership capstone project—a directed field experience that gives you hands-on opportunities to work alongside a practicing school administrator.
Related Programs at Baker University
Considering a career path beyond where an educational leadership master’s may take you? Take a look at other programs designed for professional educators:
- Master of Arts in Education: Looking for a degree with a teaching focus? Our program helps practicing classroom teachers develop skills to become exemplary educators and increase earning power.
- Master of Science in Special Education: Are you passionate about helping children with adaptive learning needs? Get the skills and licensure you need to prepare for this in-demand career.
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Requirements & Curriculum
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What We Need From You
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- 2.75 cumulative undergraduate GPA
- Teaching certificate
- A minimum of one year of experience in an accredited PK-12 school
Apply Now by Submitting the Following
- Completed application form
- $20 application fee
- Copy of teaching certificate
- Official transcripts* from all undergraduate institutions attended
- Official transcript* indicating a bachelor’s degree conferred from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75
- Three professional references (submit as part of your application)
- For International Students, contact us for more information at education@bakerU.edu
*How to send transcripts to Baker.
**If you already have a master’s degree, we require only your master’s transcripts.
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33 Credit Hours of Core Leadership Courses
- Foundations of Educational Administration (this course is a prerequisite to all other core leadership courses)
- Organizational Health and Performance
- School Personnel
- Curriculum and Instruction for Administrators
- Student Services, Climate and Programs
- School Planning, Operations and Finance
- Legal and Ethical Issues in School Leadership
- The Ethical Building Leader
- The Principal as Assessment Leader
- Inquiry and Research
- Educational Leadership: Technology in Support of Teaching and Learning
Capstone Project – 4 Credit Hours of Directed Field Experience
The capstone project in the Master of Science in School Leadership program consists of Directed Field Experience (DFE). The DFE is similar to a practicum and provides you with hands-on experience as you work alongside a practicing school administrator.
Portfolio
During the MSSL program, you will also compile a portfolio and submit it to the faculty. See portfolio tab.
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- Completion of the approved 37-credit-hour MSSL curriculum
- A minimum graduate grade point average of 3.25 with no more than one course completed with a grade of C (D and F grades are not acceptable.)
- Completion of all coursework within six years of the date of initial enrollment
- A minimum composite average of 8.0 on the Professional Skills Survey
- A minimum of three years of experience in an accredited K-12 program by completion of the MSSL degree
- Completion of a program portfolio
- Submission of intent to graduate form six months before anticipated degree completion
- Payment of all tuition and fees
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An electronic portfolio consisting of educational artifacts from your MSSL coursework is a requirement for program completion. The portfolio accomplishes the following:
- Showcases artifacts that demonstrate your skills as a potential building administrator
- Provides evidence that you have met or made significant progress toward the program objectives
- Provides evidence of your growth during the program
- Demonstrates your ability to use reflective construction
Your portfolio is in an electronic format, compiled online with TaskStream.