Required Courses

ESAS 722: School AdministrationThis course emphasizes the organizational and administrative practices involved in operating a modern school. Theories pertaining to leadership, organization, communication, change, and sustenance of existing systems as they relate to managerial, human, and technical skills and how they are applied to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of existing systems are introduced. 

ESAS 757: School SupervisionThis is a core course and must be taken prior to taking the preliminary examination and being advanced to candidacy. This course emphasizes the nature of organization, human relationships, and techniques involved in supervision. Particular emphasis is placed on the application of a mixture of skills, recent research, and dynamics of group behavior in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the organization, individual schools, and specific department and grade levels.

ESAS 731: School Curriculum DevelopmentThe purpose of the course is to help students of school administration develop their rational powers on the role of the school principal in managing the curriculum. The management skills involve the ability to analyze, categorize, generalize, hypothesize, synthesize, deduce and make inferences about curriculum practices. Skills will be honed by involving students in activities and exercises that require the application of curriculum design theory to practice in a culturally diverse K-12 educational environment. In addition, students will be required to garner familiarity with the Curriculum Reform Standards published by such organizations as The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, The International Reading Association, the Association of Childhood Education International, etc. 

PSYC 739: Dynamics of Group BehaviorThis course studies the behavior of personnel in various situations. This course considers individual motivation, perception, and sensitivity as factors of behavior. The theoretical research basis for these areas and such related concepts as status, roles, systems, and interpersonal relations are examined. The course is designed to assist teachers, administrators, managers, and curriculum workers.

ESAS 727: School LawThis course is designed to make legal matters understandable to non-lawyers by appraising the laws under which teachers and administrators are employed; or delve into legal principles underlying statutes and court decisions; to provide answers to questions, which involve individuals and institutions, and the process of negotiating. The course is intended to give better understanding of an area that affects their professional environment.

ESAS 855/858: Practicum I & Practicum II in Administration and SupervisionThis course provides an on-site, instructional supervisory experience within a school setting under the leadership of an appropriate, competent professional. Supervised practice and simulated learning experiences are planned to enable the aspiring administrator or supervisor to consolidate knowledge, observe others at work, apply skills and techniques, and organize a philosophy. The course makes provisions for practicum experiences for students in K-6 and 7-12 settings. This course must be taken during the last six hours of the degree program and the student must have been advanced to candidacy and have completed the comprehensive examination.

ESAS 704: School and Community RelationsThis course is designed to consider the interactions of populations such as school personnel, pupils, parents, businesses, the general public, and representatives of social institutions and governmental agencies. The questions students are asked to resolve focus on how the schools may best use their internal resources and the resources external to them to support and enhance their goals, programs, and missions.

ESAS 706: Introduction to ResearchThis course is designed to provide the graduate student with an understanding of the various kinds of behavioral research and to develop an understanding of various research designs appropriate to education and the behavioral sciences. Use of basic statistical techniques and methods research appropriate to these designs is included. By visiting the data analysis website and the methods research webpages for solving problems, students will see these techniques and methods.

ESAS 724: Public School FinanceThis course includes analysis and discussion of current public and private local, state, and national sources of revenue for the support of public education. In addition, the students study school financial practices including detailed analysis of budgetary processes. Principles of sound management of income and expenditures, bonding procedures, accounting, and auditing are also examined.

Elective Courses

EDUC 501: Learning and TeachingThis course is designed to (1) provide a review of effective teaching based on an understanding of human development and the nature of learning, (2) explore the topics of learned behavior, reinforcement, motivation, interest, retention, and concept formation, (3) consider the analysis and interpretation of significant research in the various disciplines which have contributed to the knowledge of learning and teaching, (4) emphasize the factors which facilitate learning, and (5) identify the role for the teacher in the learning environment.

EDUC 505: Recent Issues in EducationEmphasis in this course is placed upon the analyses of selected recent issues in education for critical study. It further includes emphasis upon broad reading of the research and literature in order to appraise current issues in terms of the need of children and society.

ESAS 713: Curriculum Change and Instruction MethodsThis course emphasizes strategies for change in the school curriculum with respect to (1) methodologies of teaching, (2) personalized instruction, (3) curriculum designing, and (4) teacher roles.

ESAS 720: Problems and Techniques in Contemporary Education ManagementThis course is designed to assist the student to prepare for management of educational organizations and programs. Emphasis will be placed upon identifying specific problems and developing specific techniques by which to solve them. The student will gain an understanding and application of system analysis as it applies to leadership. Organizational systems, communication, and change and sustenance of existing systems; human management; and technical skills will be emphasized. Major topics to be explored will be accountability, mainstreaming, teacher stress and burn out, alternative approaches to discipline, drugs and alcohol, special needs populations, politics, federal, state, and local mandates, declining enrollment, and alternative methods for evaluating teachers and students. The student will be afforded the opportunity for input and to suggest other specific topics of interest.

EDU 539: Curriculum Materials and AppraisalThe course emphasizes an appraisal of the concepts and principles of new curricula, kindergarten through grade 12, with consideration given to content, teaching methods, and materials of current curriculum projects and published materials.

EDUC 544: Principles and Techniques of Reading InstructionThis course is designed to broaden and deepen each student's knowledge and understanding of the reading process and its development at the various levels of schooling. Special attention is given to the development of competencies required for diagnostic/prescriptive instruction in reading in classroom situations. Students are given the opportunity to explore the use of computers and reading instruction.

Culminating Courses (Required)

ESAS 825/828: Seminar I & Seminar II in Administration and SupervisionThis seminar has four main purposes: (1) to assist the student in completing the seminar paper requirement, (2) to review major topics in the area of concentration, (3) to achieve an in-depth exploration of major issues and trends in the area of administration/supervision, and (4) to identify related problems and engage in action research.