USCA School of Education adds master's program

(AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA) — This fall, the University of South Carolina Aiken will offer a new master’s degree program in educator leadership. The online distance education program will allow participants to pursue principal certification, supporting local teachers who wish to move into leadership roles while increasing the pool of qualified candidates for local schools.

While the School of Education currently offers a master’s degree that allows educators to gain additional teaching certifications through the S.C. Department of Education, the new M.Ed., Educator Leadership: Principal Certification, adds qualifying coursework for certification in elementary and secondary principalship and supervision. 
 
The program has been approved by the S.C. Commission on Higher Education and is awaiting final approval from the Department of Education. It will be entirely web-based and fully aligned with South Carolina certification requirements for principals.

According to School of Education Dean Judy Beck, the principal certification program will significantly benefit teachers and school districts in the Central Savannah River Area. USCA’s program will provide a more convenient avenue for local educators to advance to leadership positions, with the education they receive focused on the needs and challenges of local school districts.

“This program provides a way for area educators to move into administration within a school district,” Beck says. “Because we work with the school districts in the area for our undergraduate teacher preparation programs, we are more in tune with the needs of the school districts and the challenges they face. We are also right here in the event they want to meet with faculty face-to-face or utilize in-person services on the USCA’s campus.”

Local teachers desiring to move into administrative roles often pursue their education out of state through online programs or in neighboring Georgia. Retired Aiken County Public Schools Superintendent King Laurence has been a vocal supporter of USCA’s program, which is expected to increase the district’s pool of qualified candidates through its convenient access to South Carolina-based education. 

“A master’s degree program on the USCA campus will better prepare our future leaders for South Carolina’s educational landscape,” Laurence says. “A South Carolina-based program with emphasis on our school regulations, finances and laws will give them a leg up in how they approach the job and goes a long way toward future success and satisfaction.”

Applicants may be admitted to the program after completion of a bachelor's degree. Master’s degree candidates will complete at least 36 graduate credit hours focused on educational leadership, including six internship credit hours. The program will be staffed by current faculty and funded solely by tuition.

The university anticipates adding 10 new participants to the program each year. With 41 public schools in Aiken County in addition to those in neighboring districts, Laurence believes the program will maintain a significant participant base. He estimates that Aiken County has three to seven principal openings each year resulting from the turnover that comes with the high-stress job.

He says, “Having teacher leaders ready is critical to our success in the future. The availability of a quality educational leadership program at USCA will bolster the applicant pool and provide our community with the next generation of school leaders.”

For more information, contact USCA Marketing & Communication at news@usca.edu.