2025-2026 Graduate Catalog Educational Administration and Foundations

Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate for Superintendent Endorsement in Educational Administration, Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate for Chief School Business Official.

The CSPA Master of Science degree offers three options:

Option I—Capstone Seminar

This 42-hour option requires:

• 36 hours: EAF 410, EAF 428A01, EAF 461, EAF 462, EAF 463, EAF 464 (taken twice), EAF 466, EAF 467, EAF 473, EAF 482A01, and EAF 413
• 6 hours: electives

Option II—Comprehensive Exam

This 36-hour option requires: 

• 30 hours: EAF 410, EAF 428A01, EAF 461, EAF 462, EAF 463, EAF 464, EAF 466, EAF 467, EAF 473, and EAF 413 
• 6 hours: electives

Option III—Thesis

This 36-hour option requires: 

• 30 hours: EAF 410, EAF 428A01, EAF 461, EAF 462, EAF 463, EAF 464, EAF 466, EAF 467, EAF 473, and EAF 413 
• 0-2 hours: electives 
• 4-6 hours EAF 499 
• Successfully defend a thesis

Principal Sequence (M.S.Ed.)

This 36-hour sequence requires:

• 30 hours: EAF 430, EAF 431, EAF 432, EAF 433, EAF 434, EAF 435, EAF 436, EAF 437, EAF 438, EAF 439 
• 6 hours: EAF 498 
• Candidates will prepare an individual student portfolio documenting that all requirements established in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations Assessment System have been successfully met. This documentation includes multiple measures of knowledge, performance, and disposition standards. A current listing of portfolio requirements can be obtained from the department.

Principal with a Director of Special Education Concentration

This 42-hour concentration requires:

• 36 hours: EAF 430, EAF 431, EAF 432, EAF 433, EAF 434, EAF 435, EAF 436, EAF 437, EAF 438, EAF 439, SED 502, SED 517
• 6 hours: EAF 498
• Notes:
  • Candidates must have a bachelor's degree and license as a Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS1), Low Vision and Blindness (LVB), and Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH).
  • Depending upon coursework completed, candidates may need to complete additional course(s) (e.g., method's course such as SED 422) or equivalent to meet the Illinois State Board of Education professional license endorsement requirements for the Director of Special Education endorsement.
  • Candidates will prepare an individual student portfolio documenting that all requirements established in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations Assessment System have been successfully met. This documentation includes multiple measures of knowledge, performance, and disposition standards. A current listing of portfolio requirements can be obtained from the department.

Doctoral sequences in Higher Education Administration and Leadership, Equity, and Inquiry are offered along with a doctoral concentration.

P-12 applicants with an Ed.S. degree from an accredited institution and proof of at least five years of building- or district-level administrative experience within the last eight years may transfer up to 30 hours of doctoral level coursework (not including dissertation hours). Concentrations are not listed on transcript. Suggested coursework follows:

Higher Education Administration Sequence (Ph.D.)

This 66-hour sequence requires:

• 15 hour PhD core: EAF 415, EAF 509, EAF 582, EAF 583, EAF 594 
• 9 hours: EAF 411, EAF 510, EAF 511, EAF 512, EAF 515 
• 15 hours: EAF 468, EAF 469, EAF 561, EAF 563, EAF 564, EAF 570, EAF 573, EAF 578 
• 6 hours: EAF 521, EAF 525, EAF 526
• 6 hours:   Chosen among remaining Research, Higher Ed, and Foundations courses which must include EAF 592 Doctoral Comps Preparation
• 15 hours: EAF 599 
• A doctoral examination 

Other university requirements for Ph.D. degrees are listed elsewhere in this catalog.

Leadership, Equity, and Inquiry Sequence (Ph.D.)

This 66-hour sequence requires:

• 15 hours from: EAF 415, EAF 509, EAF 582, EAF 583, EAF 594
• 9 hours from: EAF 410, EAF 411, EAF 508, EAF 510, EAF 512, EAF 513, EAF 515
• 15 hours from: EAF 469, EAF 521, EAF 523, EAF 525, EAF 526, EAF 526A03, EAF 526A04, EAF 592
• 6 hours electives: any grraduate level course approved by the program.
• 6 hours cognate courses: any graduate level course that meets foundations requirements approved by the program.
• 15 hours: EAF 599, Dissertation Research

Requirements for Ph.D. Candidacy

A Doctor of Philosophy student will be admitted to candidacy after 1) a Degree Audit (formerly Plan of Study) has been submitted to the Graduate School and approved; 2) the comprehensive/preliminary examination has been successfully completed and reported to the Graduate School and 3) the research tool requirement has been met (see EAF additional requirements below); and 4) the dissertation proposal has been approved by the dissertation committee and reported to the Graduate School.

EAF Research Methodology Requirements: To qualify for candidacy, the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations requires a Ph.D. student to demonstrate proficiency in two research methodologies selected from the following options:

1. statistical research methods;
2. qualitative research methods;
3. assessment and/or program evaluation-based research methodologies; and/or
4. other research methodologies (e.g., legal research, policy analysis).

Ed.D. CPED P-12 Concentration

The Department of Educational Administration and Foundations is a Phase III member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) seeks to build sustainability and capacity in education leaders by integrating school improvement research into training for aspiring P-12 leaders.

This 75-hour concentration requires:

• 21 hours: EAF 415, EAF 508, EAF 510, EAF 521, EAF 582, EAF 583, EAF 594
• 27 hours: EAF 548, EAF 576, EAF 580, EAF 584, EAF 585, EAF 586, EAF 587, EAF 598 (6 hours)
• 3 hours: selected from: EAF 411, EAF 511, EAF 512, EAF 513, EAF 515
• 9 hours: electives selected from EAF 473, EAF 484, EAF 500 (1-3 hours), EAF 523, EAF 524, EAF 525, EAF 526, EAF 563, EAF 575, EAF 579, EAF 596
• 15 hours: EAF 599, dissertation research
• A doctoral examination
• Other university requirements for Ed.D. degrees are listed elsewhere in this catalog.

This program is not currently accepting applications. For candidates currently enrolled, no general administrative endorsement shall be issued after August 31, 2014, pursuant to Illinois School Code Section 25.335.

The course of study for this Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate meets the requirements for the Superintendent Endorsement. Required for admission is documentation of P-12 leadership experience, Type 75 certificate, and possession of a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. For these 36 hours program, the following courses (3 credit hours each) are required: EAF 508, EAF 513, EAF 525, EAF 548, EAF 576, EAF 583, EAF 584, EAF 585, EAF 586, EAF 587, and (six credit hours) EAF 598.

The course of study for this Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate meets the requirements for the Chief School Business Official Endorsement. Required for admission is documentation of possession of a Type 75 certificate, a master’s degree, and P-12 leadership experience. Applicants with a master’s degree in Business or Accounting do not need the Type 75 certificate. For this 36-hour program, the following courses (3 credit hours each) are required: EAF 508, EAF 521, EAF 548, EAF 575, EAF 576, EAF 579, EAF 580, EAF 584, EAF 585, EAF 586, EAF 587, and EAF 596.