Strategic Educational Leadership, Graduate Certificate
The Certificate in Strategic Educational Leadership is for candidates with an accredited bachelor’s degree and a career aspiration to earn a graduate credential in Educational Leadership. The Certificate in Strategic Educational Leadership seeks to develop the program candidate’s graduate-level knowledge and skills in Leadership Theory & Practice; Curriculum Design and Data Fluency; Cultural Proficiency in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Resource Use in Education. The program offers a wide range of elective course choices from NLU’s broad array of professional disciplines, enabling candidates to customize and personalize their advanced leadership credential. Completion of this program enables program completers to document a certificate-level graduate leadership micro-credential on their resumes.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Upon completion of the Strategic Educational Leadership certificate, candidates will demonstrate mastery of the following forms of knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
PLO-1 Content Knowledge. Candidates acquire specialized content knowledge in leadership to understand learning communities and organizations with educational components within their missions.
PLO-2 Leadership Dispositions in Action. Candidates show understanding of leadership dispositions to articulate and model cognitive habits of mind and social-emotional habits of heart to promote safe and stimulating learning cultures for learners, staff, faculty, and community stakeholders.
PLO-3 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Capacities. Candidates comprehend concepts of diversity, educational equity, inclusion, and social justice through development of cultural proficiency.
PLO-4 Engagement and Networking. Candidates recognize an organization’s need for development of collaboration among stakeholders to develop effective learning communities and promote academic success.
PLO-5 Scholarly Proficiencies. Candidates articulate scholarly habits as they apply theory, research and practice to their coursework and leadership project.
PLO-6 Self-Directed Learning. Candidates develop and meet one or more personalized learning objective/s tailored to achieving the individual’s professional goals and a one term leadership project related to program pursuit at the certificate level.
Program Details:
- Requires minimum of 12SH for completion
- Maximum of one course may be transferred with approval from the Office of the NCE Dean
Note: The Strategic Ed Leadership certificate courses may be applied to the M.Ed. and Ed.S. degree programs in Educational Leadership with major in Strategic Ed Leadership. Please speak to your Academic Advisor about the details.
Required Courses
Strategic Educational Leadership - 12 SH
Foundational Courses - 8 SH
| EDL 517 | Leadership Concepts and Applications in Education | 2 |
| EDL 520 | Leading Diverse Schools | 2 |
| EDL 525 | Decision-Making for Educational Systems and Organizations | 2 |
| EDL 526 | Realizing Vision through Technical, Human, and Financial Resources | 2 |
Leadership Project - 2 SH
| EDL 573 | Educational Leadership Project | 1 TO 4 |
Note:
EDL 573 must be completed for 2 SH.
General Elective Options 2-5 SH
Choose 2-5 SH of NLU graduate courses listed below in consultation with the Academic Advisor.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
| CIL 531 | Cross Cultural Education | 3 |
| EDL 523 | Navigating School and Special Education Law | 2 |
| EDL 527 | Guaranteeing a Differentiated and Coherent Curriculum | 2 |
| LSE 530 | Designing Learning Experiences: Cognition in Socio-Cultural Contexts | 3 |
| OBD 551 | Diversity and Inclusion in the Organizational Culture | 3 |
| PPA 532 | Gender, Race, and Culture in the Public Sector | 3 |
Resource Use in Education
| ECE 510 | Child, Family and Community | 3 |
| ECE 515 | Financial and Legal Aspects of Early Child Care Management | 3 |
| ECE 525 | Strategies for Supervision and Staff Development | .5 TO 3 |
| ECE 542 | Public Relations and Marketing of Early Childhood Programs | 2 |
| EDL 521 | Building School Community Partnerships | 2 |
| HRM 521 | Talent Acquisition and Retention | 3 |
| HRM 541 | Employment Law and Regulations | 3 |
Leadership Theory and Practice
| BUS 576 | Entrepreneurship, Creativity, and Innovation | 3 |
| BUS 577 | Small Business Management | 3 |
| BUS 598 | Entrepreneurship Laboratory | 3 |
| DTE 500 | Strength-Based Leadership | 3 |
| DTE 501 | Innovation through Empathy | 3 |
| DTE 502 | Ideation and Communication | 3 |
| ECE 521 | Writing and Effective Communication for Early Childhood Education Administrators | 1 |
| ECE 527 | Organizational Theory, Group Dynamics, and Leadership Applications | .5 TO 3 |
| ECE 538 | The Early Childhood Administrator: Individual and Organizational Perspectives | 2 |
| ECE 540 | Grant Writing and Fundraising for Early Childhood Programs | 2 |
| ECE 544 | Early Childhood Environments: Design and Facilities Management | 2 |
| EDL 512 | Communication and Technological Skills for Education Leaders | 3 |
| EDL 522 | Leading Student-Centered Schools | 2 |
| LSE 575 | Leading Learning Technologies and Instructional Design with Shared Vision | 3 |
| OBD 515 | Training and Development | 3 |
| OBD 533 | Organizational Effectiveness and Development | 3 |
| OBD 550 | Culture of Learning Organizations | 3 |
| PJM 520 | Project Management Applications | 3 |
Curriculum Design and Data Fluency
| EDU 504 | Assessment and Curriculum Differentiation in Early Childhood Setting | 2 |
| EDU 505 | Educational Inquiry and Assessment | 3 |
| EDU 513 | Frameworks for Data Driven Instruction | 1 TO 3 |
| HRM 520 | Performance Analysis and Measurement | 3 |
| LSE 500 | Introduction to the Learning Sciences and Technology | 3 |
| LSE 505 | Data Literacy | 3 |
| LSE 520 | Introduction to Design-based Research | 3 |
| LSE 525 | Designing Digital Age Learning Environments | 3 |
| LSE 588 | Constructing Curriculum for Engaging the Whole Learner | 3 |
Other (Teaching and Learning)
| EDL 529 | Improving Instruction through Teacher Evaluation and Professional Development | 2 |
| LSE 511 | Human Learning and Development in Instructional Contexts | 2 |
| LSE 535 | Instructional Design Foundations for Digital Age Learning Environments | 1 TO 3 |
| LSE 540 | Social Emotional Learning in Cultural Contexts | 3 |
| LSE 541 | Cognition and Instruction | 2 |
| LSE 542 | Digital Tools for Teaching, Learning and Assessment | 3 |
Note: Additional 500- and 600-level courses may be accepted with faculty advisor approval.