Educational Leadership Degrees in Connecticut

Educational leadership degrees in Connecticut prepare you for working in advanced positions within the education field. Though other programs prepare students for working with students in public and private schools, these unique programs teach students the importance of leadership skills. You will learn how to lead both small and large groups, how to ensure that others follow your directions and how to make others listen to you as you communicate with them. Connecticut is home to hundreds of schools all across the state, and if you hope to one day teach in one of those schools, enroll in one of these programs.

Albertus Magnus College

The Dominican Sisters of Saint Mary of the Springs purchased a large piece of land in the early 1920s in the hopes of building a new college for women. Students originally attended classes in a mansion that the Sisters bought, but as enrollment grew, the school needed to build and acquire new buildings. This unique campus now boasts a number of older mansions and homes where students live and work every day. The college added its first graduate program in the early 1990s, which helped the school increase its enrollment once again, and thousands of students now take classes at Albertus Magnus College.

Master of Arts in Leadership

When Albertus Magnus College introduced The Master of Arts in Leadership program, it did so with the belief that anyone could become a good leader with the right training. Founded on the idea that good leaders look at individuals and make rational choices, the program teaches students critical skills, including how to make decisions, look at relationships with an objective eye and take into account the viewpoints of others. Designed for students planning to work in leadership positions, the program asks that students take the skills that they learn in the program to determine the type of leaders they want to be. This 33 credit hour program involves the completion of courses on corporate governance, competitive microeconomics, technology management and decision strategy. Students can successfully work in a variety of fields later, and many students use their degrees to gain advanced positions in large corporations and companies.

Accreditation
State of Connecticut’s Board of Governors for Higher Education

Contact
700 Prospect Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06511
(800) 578-9160
adults@albertus.edu
Website

Central Connecticut State

School of Education and Professional Studies

Founded in 1849, Central Connecticut State University is one of the state’s oldest colleges in the state. In the history of the school, the college closed for just two years as a result of some political problems. Though it originally opened as a state normal school and prepared teachers for working along the East Coast, the university now offers a large number of degree programs. The education department ranks as one of the top departments on campus, and that department offers low class sizes and a low ratio of students to professors. More than 2,000 of those students enroll in its graduate programs.

Master of Science in Educational Leadership

Superintendents handle a number of tasks every day, and the Master of Science in Educational Leadership prepares students for working as school superintendents. Superintendents are responsible for balancing budgets, hiring new teachers and ensuring that those working for the district meet the minimum requirements of the job. They also impose new standards for students and make sure that students graduate with high grades and pass any state required tests. This 36 credit hour program asks that students take 18 credit hours of core classes, 12 credit hours of educational leadership courses and six credit hours of electives. Those core classes include contemporary educational issues, principles of curriculum development, history of American education and the politics of education. Students can specialize in either educational leadership or curriculum leadership, which determines which 12 credit hours they take. The school also offers a program designed for those entering educational technology leadership positions.

Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.

Contact
1615 Stanley St.
New Britain, CT 06053
(860) 832-3200
retelleelm@ccsu.edu
Website

Southern Connecticut State University

The history of Southern Connecticut State University dates back to 1893 when the school first opened as a teaching college. Its abundance of educational programs and its reputation for producing qualified teachers helped the school grow in its early years. Though the school now has a number of different programs, it still has a fantastic education program. Out of the more than 11,000 students enrolled in classes, a large number take one or more education classes. Located in a picturesque and historic village, Southern Connecticut State University offers a number of activities for students both on and off its campus.

ED.D./Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

The E.D.D./Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies ranks as one of the only doctoral level educational leadership programs in the entire state. Since launching the program, the university strove to provide students with access to a wide range of information. Professors working in the program come from diverse backgrounds. They worked for public elementary schools, private high schools, public and private colleges and in the private business sector. As a part-time program, the school designed it to meet the needs of people working for schools and in different industries. All students enrolled in the program take courses on a part-time basis, and most students take four years or longer to earn a degree. Students have the chance to do internships, work in immersion settings and earn credits through other interactive programs. Prior to graduating from the program, the school requires that all students complete a dissertation based on those experiences.

Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education Standards for Accreditation (NEASC)

Contact
501 Crescent Street
New Haven, CT 06515
(203) 392-SCSU
Website

University of Hartford

College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions

The University of Hartford considers its foundation date as 1877, but the school itself didn’t exist until the 1950s. Prior to the formation of the university, college students living in the city studied at the Hartford Art School, The Hartt School or Hillyer College. Though The Hartt School still exists and trains performing arts students, the three schools merged to form the University of Hartford. Best known for its performing arts programs, the school boasts an enrollment of more than 7,000 students. Those students can join hundreds of different organizations while living on the beautiful campus, which covers more than 300 acres.

Doctorate in Educational Leadership

Enrolling in the Doctorate of Educational Leadership program at the University of Hartford requires a strong commitment on your part. The university offers two summer sessions and begins the new program every year in June, and students must agree to take classes during that session. Students typically take two courses during the two summer sessions, two courses in the spring and two courses in the fall. It takes three years for students to complete the required courses, which include instructional development, higher education law, academic publishing, organizational theory and change and foundations of higher education. Many students choose to take an internship during their last semester in the program and work in a local school. The last requirement of the program is the completion of a doctoral dissertation. Students take the skills they learned and experience they gained in the program to write a large paper worthy of publishing.

Accreditation
Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
200 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117
(860) 768.4100
uofhart@hartford.edu
Website

Western Connecticut State University

Graduate Studies

The Danbury Normal School opened in 1903 in Danbury, Connecticut. Its first few students graduated with teaching certificates, but the school later granted those students degrees. After adding programs that didn’t focus on education and teaching, the college became Western Connecticut State College and later Western Connecticut State University. The university now has two campuses, and students can travel back and forth between those campuses via a large shuttle system. Divided into five separate colleges or departments, the university sees a yearly enrollment of nearly 6,000 students, but less than 100 of those students take graduate level courses.

Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership

Western Connecticut State University offers just a handful of graduate programs, but its graduate school does offer a Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership. Fewer than 20 colleges in the country offer such a program, and this program ranks as one of the best in the nation. Students complete a minimum of 60 credit hours of courses, which include the time they spend working on their dissertations. Students take 18 credit hours of core and foundation courses, including foundations of instructional leadership, emerging instructional technologies and learning, cognition and teaching. They also take 18 credit hours of specialization courses. You choose the area that you want to specialize in, and the program will let you customize those courses to fit your needs. The remaining 24 credit hours of courses cover research and methodology classes that teach you how to research your dissertation. Students must also take five dissertation classes before working on their dissertation.

Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.

Contact
181 White Street
Danbury, CT 06810
(877) 837-9278
graduateadmissions@wcsu.edu
Website

Do you wish that you could make others stand up and listen when you talk? Do you enjoy the idea of working with others and helping lead them to victory and success? Students earning educational leadership degrees in Connecticut gain the skills that help them work for public and private schools and colleges and in leadership positions within major companies.