Master of Arts in Educational Leadership Program

Marian University’s Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program is designed for those with a passion for improving the educational experience of students and families. Offered through our Academy for Teaching and Learning Leadership, this hybrid program is for licensed K-12 teachers and school counselors who want to pursue leadership positions as school principals, department heads, program directors, and other types of senior administrators.

This is a part-time, two-year program during which you'll earn a master's degree and prepare for Building Level Administrator licensure by completing coursework designed to meet the Indiana Department of Education requirements and standards.

K-12 schools and higher education institutes always have a need for educators, researchers, policy-makers, and service-minded leaders. In Marian’s educational leadership program you’ll gain the necessary skills to meet this demand!

Educational leadership Curriculum

Marian’s educational leadership program consists of an innovative 38-credit curriculum. Our hybrid cohort model includes six to seven Saturdays per semester on our Indianapolis campus, with additional coursework and live sessions completed online. The first year of the program consists of foundational courses including subjects such as:

• Adaptive leadership
• Systems thinking
• Culture for high-performing schools
• School law and management
• Transformational leadership
• Teaching, learning, and talent development
• Family and community engagement
• Leadership for student learning
• Resource allocation

In the second year of the program, students take additional leadership courses, start their internships, and begin their master’s capstone project or thesis.

Marian also offers a Catholic school concentration with differentiated courses to meet the unique needs of private school leaders, such as: call and culture of Catholic schools, law and management of private schools, and grant writing and fundraising.

You can view our sample course timeline and the graduate course catalog for course descriptions and degree requirements.

Compared to other programs where the students in your classes may change each semester, our cohort model benefits you because you’ll be part of a tightly-knit group of peers who complete the entire program together through a blended learning format. Through the connections you’ll build in your cohort, you’ll establish strong personal relationships and a professional network that lasts a lifetime.

Educational Leadership Program Outcomes

Graduates of Marian University’s Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program are leading change in schools and classrooms throughout Indiana and the nation.

Graduates are currently leading as:

• Superintendents & Associate Superintendents
• Principals, Assistant Principals, and Deans
• Heads of School
• Charter school network leaders
• University Faculty
• Program Directors  
• Department Chairs
• Instructional Coaches

Admission criteria

To be eligible for admission to this program, you must have:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00
• A current professional license for employment as a K-12 teacher or school counselor
• A criminal history check through the Indiana State Police

How to Apply

• Start at our graduate application portal.
• Send official transcripts directly to Marian University's Office of Undergraduate Admission for all previously attended high schools and colleges. For any university you attended that is not in the United States, we require a course-by-course evaluation. Evaluations must include the U.S. equivalency, a course-by-course list, and copies of the original transcripts. 
• For expedited foreign transcript evaluation service at a discounted rate, international undergraduate applicants may complete an online SpanTran Application for Foreign Transcript Evaluation.
• You may also use any other AICE-endorsed (http://aice-eval.org/endorsed-members/) or NACES-approved evaluation service (http://www.naces.org/members.html).

If your university does not provide transcripts in English, we require a word-for-word translation of the transcript. You can translate the transcript yourself, but we recommend using a third-party translator like indytranslations.com.

• Obtain a criminal history background check from the Indiana State Police – INkless. Please follow the instructions to schedule a fingerprinting appointment. This will ensure that the results are sent to Marian University.
• Provide us with two letters of recommendation from professional references.
• Participate in a phone interview during which we'll measure your leadership competencies.
• Complete a behavioral interview so that we can evaluate your leadership actions.

Marian University’s Master of Arts in Educational Leadership provides students with the skills needed to pursue leadership positions in public, charter, private, and Catholic schools. Interested in learning more?

Learn more about our Master's in Educational Leadership Program