Master of Science (MS) Program in School Leadership, Management, and Administration

Program Overview

The Master of Science degree in School Leadership, Management, and Administration (SLMA) reflects the College of Education’s historic mission and commitment to preparing leaders for P-12 schools. The Department of Leadership Studies offers a performance-based, 30 credit hour degree program for building and curriculum/program administrators. The program utilizes a variety of future ready technologies, authentic assessments, and personalized internships.

The SLMA program is a fully online program and uses a combination of online synchronous and asynchronous instruction (a virtual classroom). Candidates enjoy direct and individualized contact with their professors in small class settings.

While we welcome any out of state candidates, completion of any program, other than an initial licensure program, may not lead to licensure or endorsement in Arkansas or in the state in which you reside. It is your responsibility to check with your state’s department of education to determine if the license or endorsement requirements are met through the program of study. If you are a potential out of state candidate, please contact the program coordinator directly. 

Offered through the Department of Leadership Studies, graduate programs in school leadership are designed for individuals seeking Arkansas licensure as building administrators, curriculum administrators, or program administrators for special education or gifted-talented education. These programs are aligned with both state and national standards. The program is part of UCA’s Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accreditation and is approved by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council. The program is designed to prepare school-based leaders who are (1) strong educators with a focus on students’ and adults’ needs and learning, (2) moral agents and social advocates for the children and communities they serve, (3) effective communicators with students, colleagues, and members of the community, (4) effective leaders of change, and (5) effective integrators of technology into the educational environment. The program is delivered online. An internship is required. Instruction and training is online for interns and mentors; however the internship is conducted in the field.

The professional degree, Master of Science (MS), is designed to meet the needs of professional educators for preparation as building level leaders and administrators as principals, vice principals, assistant principals, or curriculum/program administrators. Candidates may choose one of the two tracks for their master’s degree work: Building Administrator or Curriculum/Program Administrator. Both tracks require completion of a minimum of 30 hours of approved coursework that includes an internship. To be recommended for the related licensure endorsement, the candidate must present a satisfactory score on the Arkansas Department of Education mandated examination.

Program Outline

Retention is contingent upon making satisfactory academic progress toward the degree and holding a current and valid teacher’s license. Serious violations of the state ethics mandates for P-12 educators, and/or serious violations of UCA student academic conduct policies may result in suspension or dismissal from the program.

Students must complete the Graduate School requirement of at least 24 hours in residence. All requests for transfer work including courses from previous completed graduate degree/certificate programs must be submitted to the department and program coordinator. To be considered for transfer, the semester hours must have been awarded by a state and regionally accredited institution and must complement the student’s approved program of study. The number of hours transferable to the SLMA degree program is dependent upon the currency of the course work and the appropriateness of the course work to the program. Only courses in which a grade of B or above will be considered. Internship and portfolio hours are not transferable. Acceptance of transfer credit does not reduce the minimum residency requirement.

College of Education graduate students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment throughout their program of study until achieving program completion. Specifically, College of Education graduate students are expected to be enrolled in at least two of the three semesters in a given calendar year (Spring, Summer I or II, and Fall). If a student must take a time-out, the student is expected to notify his/her home department. If a student fails to register for more than one semester out of three in a given calendar year, he/she may be ineligible for readmission unless granted by the home department.

To be recommended for a degree, candidates must meet the following requirements:

1. Complete all required coursework with at least a 3.00 GPA (maximum of nine hours of “C” grades may be counted toward degree).
2. Complete satisfactorily all student assessments required as part of the state and CAEP accreditation process.
3. Complete satisfactorily the program’s required culminating experience.

Courses for the MS Degree (limited flexibility allowed)

Candidates (Building, Curriculum, and Program Administrators) will take the following:

• LEAD 6321 Research Methods
• SLMA 6311 Leadership and the Community
• SLMA 6313 Ethics, Law, and Leadership
• SLMA 6315 Leadership for Education Equity
• SLMA 6319 Instructional Leadership I: Cultivating Teacher Leaders
• SLMA 6321 Instructional Leadership II: Teacher Leaders & Evidence-based Practices
• SLMA 6323 Instructional Leadership III: Evidence-based Student-Centered Learning
• SLMA 6325 Visionary Leadership: Building a Culture of Trust and High Expectations
• Appropriate Internship (3 credit hours) see below

Building Administrator

• SLMA 6317 Leadership of Operation and Management Systems
• SLMA 6V27 Internship P-8 & 5-12 (3 credit hours)

Curriculum/Program Administrator

Appropriate Graduate-level Specialization Courses (up to six credit hours)

• SLMA 6V29 Curriculum Administrator Internship (3 credit hours)
• SLMA 6V31 Program Administrator (SPED) Internship (3 credit hours)
• SLMA 6V33 Program Administrator (G/T) Internship (3 credit hours)