School Administration

The M.S.A. program is a nationally recognized and accredited leadership preparation program that prepares individuals to lead schools and other educational organizations. Most MSA graduates move into leadership positions at a school site, while others assume influential roles within state, regional, or national organizations that focus on educational professional development, research, or policy-making. Completion of this program leads to eligibility for licensure as a K-12 Principal from the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction and qualifies one for principal licensure in most states.

There are two MSA strands that a student studying on campus may follow. The first course of study involves two years of full-time study. The second strand is a part-time strand that allows students to pursue on-campus study by enrolling in one or more courses per semester until his/her study is complete. Both strands integrate coursework and significant field-based activities in initial courses. Each strand requires that the student complete a full year leadership/school executive internship. Full-time students engage in a full-time, paid internship and internship seminar. Part-time students engage in an unpaid part-time internship and seminar.

The course of study is aligned with the UNC School of Education's conceptual framework; the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Standards for School Executives; the 21st Century Skills standards; the Interstate Leaders Licensure Consortium standards; the Educational Leadership Constituent Council and National Professional Board for Educational Administration standards. The program is fully accredited by the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The program is fully authorized by the University of North Carolina system's General Administration.

The MSA program is housed within the Educational Leadership Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. US News & World Report ranks UNC’s Educational Leadership offerings in the top 10, or top 5%, of similar degree granting programs nationwide---the only ranked leadership program, whether public or private, in North Carolina. North Carolina’s school superintendents have consistently ranked UNC’s educational preparation programs #1 over the years. Recent revisions in the MSA program led the UNC system schools’ General Administration to commend the revisioned program for the innovative approach that it has taken to the preparation of school executives.

As the centerpiece of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Educational Leadership programs, the courses and field experiences of the M.S.A. reflect the stated mission of the Educational Leadership faculty.

The Master of School Administration program includes 21 hours in educational leadership courses, six hours in instructional leadership courses, and 18 hours in a paid, field-based internship and associated internship seminar.

Full-time students complete their academic course work (27 hours) during the first academic year. During their second year, students complete the full-year, full-time, paid internship in a public school setting and also participate in a year-long internship seminar with their cohort.

Students seeking North Carolina licensure also complete a series of artifacts that are aligned with the state's school executive standards. These artifacts are compiled to form an electronic portfolio that is submitted to the state's licensure division for review.

At the end of a candidate's program:

1. The Educational Leadership faculty and other assessors will formally review the candidate's portfolio. If the portfolio is deemed proficient according to the NC School Executive Preservice standards, the assessors will submit their recommendation for licensure to the UNC licensure office;
2. The UNC licensure office will communicate the licensure recommendation to the NC Department of Public Instruction, which will then formally assess the portfolio according to established criteria;
3. Upon determination of candidate proficiency, the NC Department of Public Instruction will issue the desired license;
4. Each student must apply for licensure through the UNC licensure office. The above process does not replace the requirement of an individual application for licensure.

Prospective applicants in either strand must hold a B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited college or university and provide official transcripts of all undergraduate study. An undergraduate GPA of 3.2 is desirable.

Most M.S.A. candidates do not have administrative experience, nor have they completed prior graduate study in educational administration. Admission is competitive. Successful applicants typically are currently employed, have a minimum of three years of school-based professional experience and possess a state license/certification.

Students are selected on the basis of their academic preparation, professional experience and intellectual and leadership potential. An interview may be required.

• School of Education online application
• Application fee (non-refundable $85)
• Transcripts (complete, not selected courses)
  • One unofficial transcript from each university attended must be uploaded within the application. Please do not mail transcripts as part of your admission application; we only accept unofficial uploads for application evaluation. If you are offered admission, one official transcript for each university attended will be required prior to the first day of the term.
• Current letters of recommendation
  • The email address of three recommenders will be required within the application for electronic submission. Additional recommenders can be added to the application prior to submission.
• Statement of purpose
• Resume/CV
• International applicants must submit official TOEFL or IELTS standardized test scores.

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Scholarships

School of Education Graduate Assistantships

Graduate student assistantships are paid positions offered on the basis of skills and qualifications of the applicant. Students may hold assistantships in the School of Education or in other schools and departments of the University. Each assistantship is separately administered by the funding school/department. Students may be enrolled full- or part-time during the term of the award.

Qualified graduate students may be considered for assistantship positions by program coordinators, faculty committees or principal investigators of grants. At present, only a limited number of assistantships in the School of Education are available.

Please contact your program coordinator for information on available assistantships. The Office of Student Affairs does not have information about specific jobs.

Teaching Assistantships

The recommended criteria for students obtaining a teaching assistantship are the following:

1. a major in the content area;
2. knowledge of the public school systems and how they function;
3. ability to communicate clearly and effectively with students in an instructional role; and
4. three years of experience in teaching with an emphasis in the particular area of methodology (for student teaching supervision).

Research Assistantships

Students awarded research assistantships possess the following characteristics: an ability to work with a research team; an interest in research and evaluation; knowledge of research methodology; and knowledge of and skill in the use of computers. Students work in one of two areas during their assistantship: research and evaluation in teacher education or on specific research grants.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistants are chosen for possessing the following qualities: the ability to learn procedures quickly in an office setting; skill in typing, filing, and other general office tasks; good communication skills and ability to communicate well with faculty, students, staff, and the general public; and, for some positions, knowledge of and skill in computer use and applications and editing and proofreading skills.

This type of assistantship consists of more general office work. Some possible positions include general assistants for program or project offices.

School of Education Fellowships, Scholarships & Awards

• Anne and Wilson Brown Award
• Barbara Holland Chapman and John Franklin Chapman Graduate Fellowship