M.S.Ed. FAQs

"Prepare individuals to be highly-effective educational leaders, scholars, and advocates who make a positive impact on the state of education that results in more equitable opportunities for students, schools, and communities."

We currently offer A500, A510, A515, A608, A624, A629, A635, and A695 every term. For students admitted in Summer 2021, A695 is taken over two consecutive semesters for three credits each term. Students must complete A500, A608, A635, A510, and A624 prior to enrolling in A695. Students may enroll in A695 while also taking A629 and A515 as these courses require access to a school site.

Yes, students who are pursuing the MSED and licensure should take courses in a prescribed sequence, provided course capacity allows. Following this sequence allows students to complete the program in five semesters.

Typically, a student will complete their coursework in the sequence provided below, provided course capacity allows. Students may take A515 and A629 while taking A695. Course assignments require access to a school site.

Suggested Course Sequence:

Students may also extend their program by one semester by taking their strand courses at the end of the program.

The program allows students to select three courses (9 credits) in order to acquire focused training in a specific area. We call these courses your strand.

The program offers three in-house strands to students. One focuses on School Law and requires students to take A615, A675, and A710. The other focuses on School Improvement and requires students to take A600, A671 and Y501. Both of these strands lead to an additional graduate certificate, which requires a separate application. A third strand, Policy Studies, requires students to take A630, A631 & A560.

School Improvement Strand: A671 will be offered online in the Fall 2022 semester and A600 will be offered online in Spring 2023 semester for those in this strand or who are seeking the Improvement Science Certificate.

School Law Strand: A710 is offered in the summer, A675 is offered in the fall, and A615 is offered in the spring. These courses will now also be offered in the summer as intensive 6-week courses. Also, students who choose the law strand could also apply for the Education Law Certificate as A608, A710, A675, and A615 (or other courses upon ELC advisor approval) can also satisfy the requirements for the Certificate program. The application fee is waived and you can transfer most materials from your Masters degree application to the Certificate application. You will just need to write a new or amend the existing personal statement to reflect your interest in education law. Therefore, to earn the Education Law Certificate, you must apply and be accepted into the certificate program in addition to being enrolled in the M.S. program.

HESA Strand: The three HESA strand courses are only offered in the summer. The courses are C565, U544 and U556.

Learning Sciences Strand: P540 is offered online every semester. P507 and P574 are offered online typically just once a year. These three courses do not require authorization and will fill quickly. Students need to try to add these courses on their registration appointment dates.

You can also create your own strand by working with your advisor. Students often do this when they want to use transfer credit.

None of our strands will be listed on your transcript. However, they can be listed on a professional resume.

The online courses that are offered through the School of Education are primarily asynchronous and thus allow you to participate whenever it is most convenient for you. The online classes are structured with clear expectations for every week of the course. Many instructors use videos and narrated PowerPoint presentations to increase engagement with the course material. The syllabus for the courses outlines what is expected from the student and describes what you will do during the semester. We encourage our students to contact the course instructors to see what additional requirements might exist. The online classes follow the same guidelines and semester schedule as that of the on-campus classes.

Students are advised to take 2 courses per semester. This is considered a full load for a student working full-time. Students may take additional courses, particularly their strand courses, when seeking to accelerate their program. Students should expect to spend at least 120 hours for each class on outside readings and assignments. Students describe course instruction as “demanding” and the learning required as “rigorous.”

It is possible to transfer up to 9 credits from another master’s program with approval of the MSED Program Coordinator. Courses cannot be more than seven years old by the time you graduate and must be equivalent to the courses that we offer at IU. Thus, you should supply a syllabus of the course from the other institution to the MSED Program Coordinator when seeking to transfer credit. (see Transfer of Graduate Credit Form and rules here)

Yes. About 90 percent of our students are currently classroom teachers or teacher leaders who would like to become school principals. On rare occasions, we do accept students into the program with no prior teaching experience. Students in this program must be able to connect with schools, youth serving organizations, or community-based non-profit organizations in order to fulfill some course requirements.

You cannot earn a license to become a school principal in the State of Indiana without prior classroom teaching experience.

No, our MSED does not require the GRE for admission.

Students must submit their program of study using the electronic Program of Study system developed by the School of Education. The system will require you to list your major requirements (e.g., A500, A624, A510, A608, A635, A515, A629, and A695) in addition to three courses for your strand. Your Program of Study is due no later than the end of your second semester in the program.

Students should check this page for the exact cost at the time of registration.

Although our program is completely online, a student may have the opportunity to take a face-to-face or hybrid course, if the student chooses to do so. Students might also develop a strand of interest (9 credits) that includes some face-to-face or hybrid courses. It is up to the student to locate face-to-face or hybrid courses.

Yes. Students who choose the School Improvement/Improvement Science strand should apply for the Improvement Science Certificate as A600, A629, A671, and Y501 also satisfy the requirements for the Certificate program. The application fee for the Improvement Science Certificate is waived and you can transfer most materials from your Masters degree application to the Certification application. You will just need to write a new or amend the existing personal statement to reflect your interest in school or district improvement. For those of you who choose the school improvement strand in the master’s program, you do not need to take any additional courses.

To earn the Improvement Science Certificate, you must apply and be accepted into the certificate program in addition to being enrolled in the master’s program. Please note that you must complete the Improvement Science Certificate BEFORE earning your master’s degree or at the same time you complete your master’s degree. You cannot graduate with a master’s degree and then return to IU for this certificate and transfer courses in. IU has a policy that credits from a higher degree can’t transfer to a lower degree.

Yes. Students who choose the law strand could also apply for the Education Law Certificate as A608, A710, A675, and A615 (or other courses upon ELC advisor approval) can also satisfy the requirements for the Certificate program. The application fee is waived and you can transfer most materials from your Masters degree application to the Certification application. You will just need to write a new or amend the existing personal statement to reflect your interest in education law. Therefore, to earn the Education Law Certificate, you must apply and be accepted into the certificate program in addition to being enrolled in the M.S. program. Please note, however, that you would either need to complete the Education Law Certificate program BEFORE earning your master’s degree or at the same time you complete your master’s degree. In other words, you can’t graduate with a master’s degree and then return to IU for this certificate and transfer courses in. IU has a policy that credits from a higher degree can’t transfer to a lower degree. For those of you who choose the education law strand in the master’s program, you would not need any additional courses.

Yes, principal licensure courses are embedded in our master’s program. Please note that if you are employed in another state, it is up to the student to determine if the license will be accepted in that state. IU makes no guarantees that it will transfer.

According to the 2022 U.S. News and World Report, we are currently ranked #5 for Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration Programs.

Students must complete A500, A624, A510, A608, and A635 prior to enrolling in A695. For students admitted in Summer 2021 and after, A695 is taken over two consecutive semesters for three credits each term. Students must complete A500, A608, A635, A510, and A624 prior to enrolling in A695. Students may enroll in A695 while also taking A629 and A515 as these courses require access to a school site.

Yes. All master’s students must apply online to graduate. If you are in the licensure only program, you do not need to apply. The student is responsible for submitting this form before the required deadlines.

Many students with the degree will go on to become deans, instructional coaches, vice principals, principals and other leaders in the school building. This degree is also important for someone who wants to improve their overall leadership capacity.

Candidates who complete the program may, at that time, take the assessment required by the State of Indiana to earn building-level licensure. Students from other states should check with their state’s licensing requirements.