Note: this program will prepare graduates for Principal 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.
Required Coursework
Principal (K-12) Licensure – 27 Credit Hours
Leadership Core – 12 Hours
Additional Coursework – 9 Hours Minimum
Field-Based Learning - 6 Hours Minimum
Educational Leadership Master of Arts (MA) – 30 Credit Hours
Educational Leadership Courses – 27 Hours
- Complete the same coursework listed for Principal (K-12) Licensure.
Research – 3 Hours
Educational Leadership Educational Specialist (EdS) – 30 Credit Hours
For those who already have a master’s degree and would like to obtain the principal
license with an advanced degree. Coursework earned in the EdS may be applied toward
a terminal degree.
Educational Leadership Courses – 27 Hours
- Complete the same coursework listed for Principal (K-12) Licensure.
Research – 3 Hours
One of the following courses, determined by group consensus:
For full details, see the official program listings in the UNC Graduate Catalog:
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 in an educational setting.
-
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.
Online Delivery – Eligibility by State
At this time, UNC can serve online education to students from every state, the U.S.
Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. However, we are not currently accepting students to
our online programs who reside in the CNMIs. Due to how fluid these agreements can
be at the state or federal level, we recommend checking our Eligibility by State page for details.
International Student Eligibility
For the Fully Online Delivery
International students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply
to our online programs. Applicants for online programs must demonstrate English proficiency
in order to be considered. Possible ways to demonstrate proficiency:
- Qualifying test scores: TOEFL iBT: 80, IELTS: 6.5, PTE: 60
- Completion of a degree in the U.S., or from an English speaking country (parts of
Europe, Canada), within the last two years.
Students in completely online UNC programs are not required to come to the United
States. You will not need student Visas or receive any immigration documentation, and do not need to provide
financial documentation during the application process.
For Colorado Hybrid Delivery Options (If Available)
Though international students can attend many UNC Extended Campus programs, this delivery
of this program is not well-suited for international students due to U.S. immigration
requirements concerning the ratio of credit hours that international students must
take in the classroom setting compared to how many credits are taken in online courses
(immigration counts partially online courses as online).
International students may also be interested in the on-campus delivery of these Educational Leadership degree and licensure options.
Transferring Credit
Applicable graduate credit with a grade of A or B from a regionally accredited university may be able to be applied towards this academic program. Master's
and post-master's specialist degree students must complete a minimum of 24 credits
at the University of Northern Colorado. All work counted in a degree program must
be completed within five years for a master's degree and six years for a specialist
degree. The time limit is calculated from the beginning of the first class transferred
in and counted in the degree program. See the full Graduate Transfer Credit Policy.
Students must submit an original transcript to their advisor for review. Student and
advisor then complete a Transfer of Credit form to submit along with the original transcript to the Grad School for review and final
approval.
Tuition
This is an Extended Campus program, which means:
- A flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state)
- There are no student fees – they are incorporated into our flat tuition rate
- Certain courses may carry specific course fees for additional services and materials
Program tuition for the 2020-21 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer
terms) is $600 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2021-22 academic year will be determined
mid-June 2021.
Financial Aid
Master of Arts and Educational Specialist Students
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 FAFSA priority filing date for each academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle
which begins each August) is June 1, although the form is now available by October
1 of the previous year and requests tax information from the year prior. For example,
the FAFSA form for aid for the 2021-22 school year is released on Oct. 1, 2020, and
is based off of 2019 tax return information.
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.ed.gov/sa/fafsa
Licensure-Only Students
Licensure-only (non-degree seeking) students aren't eligible for aid through the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Details about the federal aid program
are available at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/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, Extended Campus students may contact Lisa Schuller in Financial
Aid: schedule a meeting or email her at OFA.Extended@unco.edu. You can also reach the Office of Financial at 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.