Why Pursue a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership
If you’re ready to grow your impact as an educator, the MEd in Educational Leadership is designed to strengthen your leadership skills and prepare you for opportunities to lead schools, districts and other educational organizations. You’ll study coursework grounded in real-world educational challenges while gaining knowledge you can apply throughout your career.
If you’re pursuing principal certification, you’ll receive additional support during your final semester with two free TExES State Principal Exam preparation workshops and a free practice exam.
Benefits of a 100% online master’s in Educational Leadership from UT San Antonio Online
You’ll learn from experienced faculty who maintain strong relationships with school districts, superintendents and principals. These connections give you insight into the priorities and challenges shaping today’s schools, helping you prepare for the leadership roles ahead.
The MEd in Educational Leadership is designed to help you pursue greater responsibility throughout your education career. Whether your goals include campus leadership, district administration or opportunities within other educational organizations we want to help you achieve your ambition.
You’ll expand your perspective beyond your individual courses as you come to understand the cultural, legal, organizational and community forces that influence schools and educational systems.
Learn to approach leadership decisions with a deeper understanding of how policies and practices can shape educational opportunities. You’ll be prepared to consider the needs of diverse students and communities as you lead.
Don’t just study theory, put leadership concepts into practice through experiences designed to strengthen your problem-solving and decision-making. You’ll have opportunities to connect academic knowledge with the responsibilities of educational leaders.
We know you’re busy. That’s why our programs are all 100% online, so you can move your education and career forward with the flexibility you need. The program is designed to make graduate education more accessible while you’re balancing your career, family and other responsibilities.
See What Our Students Say
When you choose UT San Antonio, you join a community of talented students being taught by award-winning faculty. See what our students have to say.
The Master of Education in Educational Leadership would be a great fit for you if you:
- Work in education and are ready to advance into leadership roles within a school, district or educational organization.
- Want to prepare for opportunities like assistant principal, principal or other school and district-level leadership positions.
- Want to strengthen your leadership skills while continuing to work, with the flexibility of a 100% online graduate program.
Don’t miss this opportunity to earn a Master of Education in Educational Leadership!
Apply for the MEd in Educational Leadership
Graduate Program Cost
$608 per credit hour. Pricing you can plan for.
No Additional Fees
Cost is all-inclusive. No on-campus amenity fees.
No Out-of-State Tuition
Pay the same price, no matter where you live.
Admission and Application Requirements
Applications are submitted through the UT San Antonio Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UT San Antonio Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UT San Antonio by the appropriate application deadline.
| Educational Leadership (Online MEd) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Required Degree | Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution. | |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours. Otherwise qualified individuals with a GPA below 3.0 may still be eligible for admission consideration. For further information, please contact [email protected]. | |
| Coursework | Completed adequate credit hours or foreign institution equivalent coursework as preparation for the program. Students are strongly encouraged to have completed Principles of Accounting I or Financial Accounting before applying. | |
| Transcripts* | Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English | |
| Credential Evaluation | Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from FCSA or any NACES-approved credential evaluation agency. | |
| English Language Proficiency | 79 TOEFL iBT / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100 For exams taken on or after January 21, 2026: We require a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 4.0. |
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| Purpose Statement | Required | |
| Resume | Required | |
| Letters of Recommendation | Optional 2 - letters academic or professional reference(s) demonstrating your attributes for successful completion of this program (you will request these through the Graduate Admissions Application; let your recommenders know of your deadline to ensure submissions are on time) | |
| *Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University. | ||
Application Deadlines
Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.
| Educational Leadership (Online MEd) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing on Admission Decision: Completed applications will be reviewed for admission on a rolling basis. Decisions generally will be made and sent to applicants within 4 to 6 weeks of receiving the application | |||
| Application Deadlines for: | Priority | International | Domestic |
| Fall | June 1 | August 1 | |
| Spring | Not Available | Not Available | |
| Summer | Not Available | Not Available | |
Career Options
We understand that many of our graduate students work full time. All of our courses run from 6 PM to 8:45 PM Monday through Thursday during the Fall and Spring Semesters. During the Summer Semester, our courses run throughout the day as many of our students are teachers and work less in the summer.
- Emphasis in educational leadership for K-12 school administrators (meets principal certification requirements)
- Emphasis in educational policy and advocacy
- Emphasis in teacher leadership
Our students and faculty use a variety of research methods: quantitative, ethnographic, discourse analysis and mixed methods. You’ll engage in studying topics like servant leadership, administrator burnout, high school social processes including organizational climate, trust, collective efficacy, principal influence and its relationship to school achievement, induction program for new teachers, what successful new teachers do to stay in the profession, issues of education law and policy, along with program evaluations of specific programs.
You’ll gain extensive theoretical knowledge of educational practices and emerging paradigms of organizational leadership. The curriculum emphasizes coursework designed to develop, analyze and evaluate educational programs, school personnel and effective system practices.
Online MEd in Educational Leadership Classes
To earn your Master of Education in Educational Leadership, you’ll take 30-credit hours.
Introduction to the strategies and design models for informing local business taxpayers and clientele about educational activities. Study of models for participation and analysis of interaction models.
Analysis of the principal’s or comparable position’s role and the requisite interaction with various referent groups. Emphasis is on administration of academic programs. Applicable to all levels of common school.
Identification and analysis of models and designs for the administration, development, supervision, and support programming of special education, guidance, vocational and technical education, and other alternative and support functions in education.
Survey of current legal basis and practices in the policy administration of education and review of significant court decisions pertaining to educational operations. Emphasis on rights and responsibilities of teachers and students and legislation related to multicultural institutional operations.
A study of impact strategies in instructional supervision and the development of communication and interpersonal skills needed for working with teachers.
The analysis and application of models of the teaching and learning process to instructional supervision. The study and application of instructional leadership theory, practices, and contexts.
Individually supervised field experience with unit-level or institutional-level educational administrators with related applied research activity. Must be taken for both principalship and superintendency certification. May be repeated for a total of 6 semester credit hours.
It typically takes 1-2 years to complete the online Master of Education in Educational Leadership
Explore the UT San Antonio MEd in Educational Leadership course catalog for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tuition for the online Master of Education in Educational Leadership is $608 per credit hour.
The program is a strong fit for educators and other education professionals who want to grow their leadership skills and prepare for greater responsibility. It can support professionals interested in school leadership, district administration or other educational leadership opportunities.
An MEd in Educational Leadership can prepare you to pursue leadership opportunities within schools, districts and educational organizations. UT San Antonio graduates hold positions ranging from assistant principal to superintendent in greater Bexar County school districts.
Students pursuing principal certification receive support as they prepare for the TExES State Principal Exam. During the final semester, Educational Leadership students can attend two free exam preparation workshops and take a free practice TExES exam.
Yes. The K-12 emphasis at UT San Antonio includes a supervised practicum that gives students hands-on experience with campus- or district-level administrators. The experience is designed to connect theory with practice through applied research and problem-solving while helping students develop their professional identity as education leaders.
Students will explore the challenges, processes and expertise involved in effective and equitable educational leadership. The program also examines how cultural, legal, community and organizational practices influence educational opportunities for students.
Students learn from UT San Antonio faculty with connections to local school districts, superintendents and principals. These relationships help connect students with perspectives from professionals working in educational leadership. The online courses are taught by the same faculty as the students who attend class in person.
Yes. The 100% online format is designed to provide greater flexibility for professionals balancing graduate school with work and other responsibilities.