What Sets UM-Flint's Education Specialist (Ed.S.) Program Apart?

Focus:

• UM-Flint’s Education Specialist degree is a post-Master’s program designed to prepare in-service teachers and educational leaders to assume greater professional roles in their building and/or in administration and supervision.

• The program offers concentrations in central office Curriculum and Instruction leadership or in executive level Educational Leadership. If you are an educator seeking to pursue a post-Master’s experience, but not yet a doctorate, this program was specifically designed for you.

• Encompassing 30 credit hours over 20 months, students work within a cohort, focusing on applied learning and preparation for executive leadership assignments.

Flexibility:

• Students in the Education Specialist program enjoy a unique blend of online coursework coupled with on-campus classes one Saturday per month.

• Two cohorts are available:  one that meets on-campus in Flint or one that meets in Utica Community Schools (Sterling Heights, MI) one Saturday per month

• The Education Specialist program is a 20-month, part-time program

Resources:

• The cohort structure within the program emphasizes team-based project work and enables students to develop a stronger support network for personal and professional development.

• UM-Flint is part of the world-renowned University of Michigan system, making it possible for students to tap additional resources at the Dearborn and Ann Arbor campuses.

Results:

• UM-Flint’s Education Specialist degree program is designed to benefit K-12 educators looking to build upon their background and skills, teachers and administrators with an ultimate goal of a doctoral degree, and those interested in administration or curriculum roles in Higher Education.

• The program is also designed for teachers who want to be more effective in the classroom, undertake building-level curriculum leadership assignments, or who aspire to be curriculum directors at the K-12 level.

• The Education Specialist program prepares administrators at the building level who are interested in a Central Office position in Human Relations, Finance, Curriculum, or Superintendent.

Admission Requirements

• Completion of an MA or MS in an education-related field from an accredited institution

• A minimum overall graduate school grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, 5.0 on a 9.0 scale, or equivalent

• At least 3 years of work experience in an educational setting

Application Process

To be considered for admission, submit the following to the Office of Graduate Programs, 251 Thompson Library:

• Application for Graduate Admission

• $55 application fee (non-refundable)

• Official transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) from colleges and universities that issued your bachelor and master’s degrees

• An essay of at least 250 words describing your reason for seeking admission to the program

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Copy of teaching certificate or equivalent proof of work experience in an educational setting

• Educational Leader Evaluation, which should be completed by a person who has been your supervisor at some point during the last three years

• Three letters of recommendation, at least one of which is from a professor in a class taken at the graduate level, addressing your potential for success in the program

• International students must submit additional documentation. Visit www.umflint.edu/graduateprograms/admissions/international-students.page for details.

Application Deadlines

The program has rolling admissions and reviews completed applications each month.  To be considered for admission, submit all application materials to the Office of Graduate Programs on or before the application deadline:

• Fall (early deadline*) – May 1
• Fall (final deadline) – June 1

* You must apply by the early deadline to be eligible for scholarships, grants, and research assistantships.

Catalog Description:

Julie Brown

Graduation Year: 2012

Hometown: Fenton, MI

What sets the Ed.S. program apart from others is the demand to challenge students to think. I use real-world examples combined with coursework to come up with ideas, solutions and questions that further my knowledge and understanding about the educational world.  Completing this program will impact my professional success by training me to be a better consumer of information.  Too often, educators jump to trust what they read and hear. I have learned to question what I read and hear, as well as to seek out the varying viewpoints of others.