Christian Brothers University

What you'll study

The curriculum covers school leadership theory and practice, management, supervision, teacher development, law, family/community engagement and research methods. Required courses listed by code and title include:

• LEAD 605 Policy Perspectives for Educators
• LEAD 610 Exploring School Leadership
• LEAD 615 Strategies for Whole School Renewal
• LEAD 620 Supervision and Teacher Development
• LEAD 625 Managing the Modern School
• LEAD 648 Law for School Leaders
• EDFD 607 School, Family, and Community
• EDFD 640 Master Educational Research
• EDFD 675 Capstone (requires completion of all prior courses)

Practical leadership experiences are required through:

• LEAD 661 Leadership Practicum I
• LEAD 662 Leadership Practicum II
• LEAD 674 Administrative Internship

Entry requirements

Applicants must hold a practitioner or professional Tennessee teaching license and document at least three years of teaching experience. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is required as shown on official transcripts. The application package includes the online MSEL application, three references (two peers and one supervisor), and a confidential application portfolio containing a resume, three years of evaluation documents (or verification of administrative experiences), a professional development plan with three improvement areas, evidence related to improving student achievement and coaching, evidence of curriculum/instruction/assessment knowledge, evidence of collaborative work with stakeholders, a personal statement detailing career goals and how CBU’s program will help, a philosophy of instructional leadership, and an autobiographical sketch.

Applicants must complete the Star Administrator Pre-Screener and email results to graduateadmissions@cbu.edu. If not employed by a Tennessee public school district, a recent background check (fingerprinting via IdentoGO with CBU ORI TNCC79123) is required. After application review, candidates are interviewed by the Graduate Education Admissions Committee.

International applicants must submit transcripts (with a 3.0 undergraduate GPA), a provisional certificate, passport copy, resume/CV, a philosophy of instructional leadership essay, a course-by-course NACES evaluation, two recommendation letters (one from a current supervisor and one from a colleague/mentor), bank statement, CBU affidavit of sponsorship, and meet minimum English proficiency scores (TOEFL PBT 520, TOEFL iBT 82, PTE 59, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 115). International students must also complete health/immunization requirements and contact International Student Services and the designated school official for immigration matters.

Career prospects

The program is explicitly intended to prepare participants for roles such as principal, assistant principal, school supervisor or facilitator. Graduates should expect a combination of managerial, instructional leadership and community-engagement responsibilities in K–12 school settings.

Scholarships & funding angle

The course page does not list specific scholarships or assistantships. Prospective students should contact Christian Brothers University's Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid offices to inquire about available funding, tuition assistance, employer reimbursement, and any program-specific support.