Teacher Leadership (MEd)

Program of Study

Area 1 Research
EDUF 6116Educational Research Methods3
Area 1 Total3
Area 2 Teacher Leadership
EDTL 6000Teacher Leadership Program Orientation0
EDTL 6155Advocating for Positive Change3
EDTL 6156Developing Teacher Leaders3
EDTL 6157Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning3
EDTL 6160Adult Learning Theories and Strategies3
EDTL 6161Collaborating with Families and the Community3
EDUL 6129Supervision of the Learning Environment3
EDUL 6138Continuous Improvement in Schools3
Select 3 hours of advisor-approved graduate courses with the following prefixes: EDTL (preferred), EDUL (preferred), EDCI, EDHE, EDMA, EDMG, EDMS, EDMT, EDRG, EDSC, EDSE, EDSI, EDUC, EDUF, EDUT, ELEM, MAED, ONTL, SPED.3
Area 2 Total24
Area 3 Internship and Capstone
EDTL 6604Teacher Leadership Internship Capstone3
Area 3 Total3
Total Credit Hours30

Admission Requirements 

  • Earned Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in any field of study. 
  • Minimum cumulative 2.75 GPA (4.0 scale) on all undergraduate coursework for regular admission, or 2.5 GPA for provisional admission.
  • At least one (1) year of successful classroom teaching experience as a certified educator at the Induction, Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional level. Teaching experience completed while on Provisional or Waiver certification does not count toward the required one year minimum.
  • Valid, level 4 or higher Induction, Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional teaching certificate, leadership certificate, service certificate, or Life certificate, or equivalent.
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation, at least one of which must come from a system-level administrator (e.g., superintendent, assistant or associate superintendent, etc.) in the applicant’s employing school/district, or a designee of the superintendent (e.g., the principal of the applicant’s employing school).
  • Personal statement of purpose (400 words or less) detailing the applicant's interest in the program and reason for pursuing graduate study.

How to apply for the fully online program. (https://www.columbusstate.edu/admissions/graduate/)

Note for out-of-state students:

If you live outside the state of Georgia, state regulations may limit your distance education options. To find out whether Columbus State University is authorized to deliver specific programs in your state, please email your inquiry to state_authorization@columbusstate.edu. This email address is exclusively for questions regarding state approval of online offerings. Other types of questions should be sent to the academic department offering the online course.

Columbus State University's programs leading to all levels of licensure, endorsement, and professional certification are designed to satisfy the requirements of their respective Georgia boards governing licensure.  CSU does NOT guarantee that these programs will necessarily satisfy the criteria of professional boards in other states or territories. Programs with state licensing requirements may include, but are not limited to, programs in Nursing, Leadership, and Education.  Students from outside of Georgia who are considering a professional program should contact the appropriate board in their state of intended practice prior to beginning a course of study.

Use the link below to obtain professional licensure contact information by state.

  • Education Programs - visit http://www.nasdtec.net/?page=State_DIrectory

Additional Program Requirements

  • Students must earn a 3.0 GPA calculated on all graduate work attempted. "Academic Forgiveness" policy does not apply to graduate studies.
  • Students cannot graduate with a grade of "C" or below in more than two (2) graduate courses.
  • A minimum of one-third of the hours required for the degree must be earned in residence. Asynchronous (online) and distance learning courses administered through Columbus State University constitute courses taken in residence.
  • Courses with earned grades of "C" or below cannot be transferred from another institution for credit toward a graduate degree or certificate. Acceptance of courses for transfer is contingent on approval from the student’s advisor and applicable academic program coordinator.
  • Up to six (6) hours of graduate of credit earned from a completed degree program may be allowed to count toward fulfillment of a graduate degree program at Columbus State University (e.g., double-counted courses). Acceptance of double-counted courses is contingent upon a successful course evaluation demonstrating alignment with appropriate learning outcomes in the current program, at the discretion of the applicable academic program coordinator and department chair.
  • All degree requirements must be completed within seven (7) years of first enrollment.
  • All students must complete an electronic portfolio as the culminating project.

Note: For Georgia certification, candidates must satisfactorily complete the state testing requirement for Teacher Leadership; the certificate is a P-12, service field.

An active Tk20 account is a required resource for this program because selected assignments must be submitted electronically using this online platform. Tk20 is used by the university to maintain our accreditation, to demonstrate the quality of our academic programs, and to improve teaching and learning. More information about Tk20 is available at https://www.columbusstate.edu/education-and-health-professions/tk20.php