Educational Leadership Graduate Degrees

Including Programs Aligned to Administrator Licensure and Principal Licensure

Choose from multiple online graduate program options, all designed to align with the Colorado Department of Education and State Board of Education. Students from other states should check to see what standards and reciprocal agreements will apply in your state.

You will take courses with other current and future educational leaders, but with the benefit of matching your program coursework and outcomes based on your own goals and previous degrees/licensures.

Principal (K-12) Licensure: a licensure-only program.
Educational Leadership Master of Arts (MA) degree: can be completed without licensure, or with Administrator Licensure, Principal Licensure or both.
Educational Leadership Educational Specialist (EdS) degree: for those who already have a master's degree; EdS students can add Administrator Licensure, Principal Licensure or Director of Gifted Education Endorsement.

Most students choose to pursue the degree program options because those programs only require one additional course, and degree-seeking students are eligible for federal financial aid (licensure-only students are not).

You'll Develop In-Depth Understanding About...

Leadership roles and responsibilities
Working with external environments
Policy development
Organizational behavior
Contemporary educational issues

Designed for Working Educators

These programs feature intensive instruction, innovative scheduling for busy professionals, and internship opportunities scheduled during the school year so that you can apply projects to your work goals. Earning an Educational Leadership degree or licensure from UNC will enable you to develop the vision and skills to successfully lead K-12 educational organizations. You will study with other professionals and share ideas, problems, and successes with individuals who face everyday challenges similar to yours.

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Credits Required:

MA or EdS degree (with licensure options): 30-39
Principal licensure-only: 27

Time to Completion:
Approximately 18 months

Tuition:
$722/credit hour

Delivery Option & Start Term:
Online: start any term

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Select from the tabs below for more program information.

Delivered Fully Online

These programs are delivered fully online, with field-based learning experiences completed in your area, so that you can attend from anywhere. To see a typical list of courses by term, visit an example Current Students page for this program.

Note: licensure-related programs will prepare graduates for licensure in Colorado. Residents of other states may be eligible for reciprocal recognition or your advisor will work with you on state-specific licensure requirement needs.

Synchronous Online Sessions

Each online course will include synchronous learning sessions where the professor and students meet online at the same time approximately one weeknight per week during the academic terms.

Program Choices to Fit Your Goals

Choose the program that fits your career goals and academic background. For full program requirement and outcome details, view each program in the UNC Graduate Catalog.

Principal (K-12) Licensure – licensure-only program; 27 credit hours.

Educational Leadership Master of Arts (30-39 Credit Hours)

Educational Leadership Educational Specialist (30-39 Credit Hours)

The Educational Leadership EdS is an advanced degree for those who already have a master's degree.
You can incorporate Administrator Licensure or Principal Licensure into your program outcomes.
If you choose the Educational Leadership EdS with Director of Gifted Education Endorsement program, you can pursure both that endorsement and a licensure outcome.
Coursework earned in the EdS may be applied toward a future terminal degree.

Admission Requirements

MA Degree or Licensure-Only Applicants

Possess (or be in the process of finishing) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (on a 4.00 point scale) for the most recent degree earned or current degree in progress.
If you are still completing your bachelor's degree at the time you apply, admission will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional requirements as defined by the academic program that must be met within one calendar year to remain enrolled at UNC.
If you have completed a master's degree, or at least 18 credit hours towards a master's degree, the GPA of your master's work will be used.
Two years of experience as a licensed teacher or special service provider.
Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for this program.

EdS Degree Applicants

Possess (or be in the process of finishing) a master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (on a 4.00 point scale) for the most recent degree earned or current degree in progress. If you are still completing your master's degree at the time you apply, admission will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional requirements as defined by the academic program that must be met within one calendar year to remain enrolled at UNC.
Adequate academic background and two years of experience related to educational leadership.
Prerequisite: completion of SRM 600 Introduction to Graduate Research (3) or equivalent.
Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for this program.

Eligibility by State

At this time, the University of Northern Colorado can provide postsecondary distance education in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all major U.S. territories. We are continuing to monitor requirements in all U.S. jurisdictions and seek clarification from government agencies when needed. If you have questions about whether UNC can offer distance education where you are located, please contact us and we will gladly assist you.

Certain distance education activities that occur outside of Colorado may have additional state approval processes or requirements. This most commonly occurs for experiential learning placement activities such as practica, internships, student teaching, and healthcare clinicals. Please review the State Authorization (SARA) page for additional information on UNC’s ability to offer distance education across state lines and a list of activities and states where approval may be required. For additional information or questions, please contact jake.henderson@unco.edu.

Licensure Eligibility by State

All UNC professional licensure programs are designed to lead to Colorado licensure. However, since each state has their own educational preparation requirements, UNC's programs may or may not meet these requirements in each state. For a complete list of states where UNC has determined that this program will or will not fulfill educational requirements for licensure, please visit the UNC Licensure page.

UNC encourages all students entering a professional licensure program to understand licensure requirements in the state where they intend to seek employment. Please review the State Licensure Boards page to find contact information for licensing agencies in each state.

International Student Eligibility

International students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply to our online programs. Applicants for online programs must demonstrate English proficiency, or enroll in the UNC Intensive English Program, in order to be considered.

Students in completely online UNC programs are not required to come to the United States. You will not need a student visa or receive any immigration documentation, and do not need to provide financial documentation.

Please visit the International Students Admission Requirements page for details about English proficiency requirements and applying as an international student.

Transferring Credit

UNC graduate school accepts applicable graduate credit with a grade of C or higher from accredited institutions. Please note that if your chosen program has a higher grade minimum for any program coursework, that minimum would apply to transfer requests for those courses. Graduate program faculty are responsible for reviewing any proposed transfer credit to ensure that course content and objectives match program content.

Students must complete at least 50% of their graduate program credits at UNC, not including research, capstone, seminar, internship/externship/practicum, thesis, dissertation proposal, dissertation and any credits graded with S/U (P/F).
Courses requested for transfer must not be more than five years old for master's degree credit or six years old for specialist degree credit, and cannot have been used to fulfill requirements for a previously awarded degree. See the full Graduate Transfer Credit Policy.

Tuition

This is an Extended Campus program, which means:

We charge a flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state).
There are no added student fees or technology fees. However, certain courses may carry specific course fees to support additional services and materials.

Program tuition for the 2025-26 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer terms) is $722 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2026-27 academic year will be determined mid-June 2026.

Estimates of additional costs: For the purposes of determining financial aid, UNC follows Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and federal guidelines to develop an estimated, average Cost of Attendance (budget) for different student classifications. For your personal tuition estimates, we recommend using the program-specific tuition information above. But UNC's official Cost of Attendance/Student Budgets page can help you identify other estimated expenses for which you may be responsible while completing your program.

Financial Aid

Master of Arts and Educational Specialist Students

Degree-seeking students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The UNC FAFSA/financial aid page for graduate students has key dates and support, including the release date and deadline for each academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August).

Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration as soon as you enroll for your first courses. Depending on the time of year, you may be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority application for the following academic year.

Master's and Educational Specialist degree students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time enrollment is based on 9 credits per term.

To apply for federal financial aid assistance

Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Licensure-Only Students

Licensure-only (non-degree seeking) students aren't eligible for aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Your program coordinator may be aware of your eligibility for any discipline or campus-based aid if available.

All Students

For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.

Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish and Braille.

Student Health Insurance for MA/EdS Students

The University of Northern Colorado offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to all degree-seeking students who enroll in courses on our main UNC Campus, an Extended Campus Center, or Online.

Degree-seeking graduate students enrolled in 6 or more credit hours will automatically receive this benefit each term. SHIP premiums will appear on your semester bill. If you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage, you must opt out of this plan each Fall via an online waiver process.

Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information about the insurance plan.

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