Master’s in Educational Leadership (M.S. Ed.)

A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required.

If you have a foreign degree, it must be validated by World Educational Services, Center for Educational Documentation, Inc., or other appropriate agency. The decision to accept the degree is made on a case-by-case basis by the UMF Director of Graduate Programs in Education.

To apply for the M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership, submit an online application and email completed forms to gradstudies@maine.edu.  Note: The online application is not yet optimized for mobile devices. For the best experience, please complete and submit your application using a desktop or laptop computer. You will need to provide the following:

1. Transcripts – Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (undergraduate and graduate). They must be sent directly to UMF’s Division of Graduate and Continuing Education. If you attended a University of Maine System school, UMF can obtain your transcript for you.
2. Essay (1000 word limit) –We are looking for educators with the potential to become leaders, who would benefit from a program designed to build these skills and characteristics. Write a brief (1000 word limit) essay in which you:
   1. Identify two areas of strength from the Teacher Leader Model Standards (included on the application form). Please provide examples and evidence of your successes as a teacher leader.
   2. Identify two areas you wish to develop from the Teacher Leader Model Standards (included on the application form). Please articulate how the M.S.Ed. program at UMF will support your development in these areas.
3. Recommendation Forms (2 required) –Two recommendation forms are required: One from a current administrator or supervisor and one from a professional colleague of your choosing. Must use the official fillable recommendation form.
4. Teaching Certificate-You will need to provide us with a copy of your Teaching Certificate.
5.  Supplemental Information for Individualized Concentration: If requesting an individualized concentration, you’ll also need to submit the following additional materials in one document:
   • Propose a title for the focus of your concentration.
   • List the courses you have taken that you are requesting for transfer. Include course prefix, title, institution, and grade received. (Official transcripts and syllabi are required for final decision regarding transfer of credit.)
   • List the courses you may take at UMF or other institutions to complete the concentration (refer to UMF’s graduate catalog for UMF courses).
   • Provide a brief (500 word limit) description of the focus. Include: What knowledge and skills do you hope to obtain? How would this focus promote your growth as a teacher leader?

If you are requesting that graduate-level coursework be transferred from another institution into this UMF Master’s program, in addition to your transcript you must submit the syllabi for each course you would like considered for transfer. Transfer decisions are made at the time of admission.

A student, with the approval of the Admissions Committee, may transfer up to 9 graduate credits from another institution into his/her academic program; only 3 of these credits may be in the core of the program.

These credits must have been earned from a regionally accredited institution, within 5 years prior to admission, and with a minimum grade of B (or equivalent). Graduate credits applied toward any previous degree cannot be used toward the Master’s degree.