Certificate Offered: Public School Leadership
Program Description
The MSA and Certificate (Add-on) programs are designed to go beyond minimal standards for compliance and licensure. Our intention is to take you on a personal journey to the heart of leadership. Through self-reflection, critical examination and application, candidates will become reflective leaders, conscious of their responsibility to serve others and committed to uplifting the human condition through virtuous action.
Required Standardized Test
GRE General Exam or Milers Analogy Test (MAT)
Minimum Admissions Requirements:
- Hold or be eligible to hold a North Carolina Class A teaching license or a comparable license from another state.
- Satisfactory GRE scores on the verbal and math portions and the writing portion (preferred 800 and above). Alternatively, applicants may submit a Miller’s Analogy Test score (preferred 30th percentile). There is no expiration date for when the test was taken.
- Have three years of successful teaching or equivalent experience in the public school setting. Pre-school teachers may include private sector experience.
- Obtain three satisfactory letter of recommendation (preferred at least one from current administrator)
- CERTIFICATE ONLY - Hold a Master’s Degree in education or a related field, OR
MSA ONLY - Satisfactory undergraduate GPA, preferably 3.0 or higher
Candidates not meeting preferred criteria may be admitted on a case by case basis and must meet additional criteria for provisional admission. Provisionally admitted candidates can expect to take a special topics seminar prior to full admission.
Additional Admissions Criteria:
Graduate School Application Application fee ($40) Official Transcripts GRE/MAT score Three (3) Letters of recommendation (we prefer one reference be from your current supervisor –principal or superintendent.) District Verification of licensure, employment for 3 years, health certificate and background check
The District Verification Form must be completed by the county personnel director or his/her representative. After completion, the form should be printed, signed by the official, returned to the candidate, and uploaded as a PDF file to Apply Yourself in the “Additional Documents” section.
After completing your application process in Apply Yourself, please contact the admissions coordinator, Pam Buskey, at pbuskey@email.wcu.edu.
Application Deadline
Cut-off dates for completed application to be considered for admission:
Fall - July 1 Spring - November 15 Summer - April 15
Prerequisites: None
Principal Add-On License
The program leading to the add-on license in School Administration for the Principalship in North Carolina requires the following: a master's degree in related area of education from a regionally accredited institution, a current teaching license and three years of P-12 teaching experience, admission to the Graduate School, and completion of selected graduate courses. See departmental website below for more details.
Number of Graduate Faculty: 12
Number of Students: 60 MSA students and 90 principal add-on license students
Location of Course Offerings: Online
Graduate Program Director:
Mrs. Pamela Buskey
MSA/Principal Add-On Pre Admissions Coordinator
Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations
828-227-7415
pbuskey@email.wcu.edu
Dr. Frederick Buskey
MSA Program Director
Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations
828-227-7108
fbuskey@email.wcu.edu
Departmental Website: School Administration - M.S.A.