M.A. in Educational Administration, Policy and Leadership
We invite you to visit the website (in Hebrew) of the M.A. in Educational Administration, Policy and Leadership where you will find current messages and updates in addition to the material here.
Introduction1
The program in Educational Administration, Policy and Leadership imparts advanced academic knowledge, skills and qualifications in the areas of administration, policy and leadership in education, and to train its graduates to fulfill central management and training roles in the Israeli educational system and in non-formal education frameworks. The program aims to enable students’ professional development by providing a broad view of the areas of knowledge, presenting varied theoretical approaches, and raising issues concerning management and administration relevant to position holders in these frameworks.
Target audience
The program is intended for a varied audience: principals, vice-principals, inspectors and other managerial position holders, and teachers in the formal and non-formal education systems, as well as those qualifying themselves for these positions. The program is open to students with undergraduate degrees in various disciplines.
Study Tracks
The program of study is offered in two study tracks:
-
Applied track (without a thesis)
-
Research track (with a thesis)
There are three clusters of courses
-
Educational Policy and School Climate
-
Management
-
Teaching and Assessment
Admission Requirements
Candidates with an undergraduate degree in various disciplines from a recognized academic institution (B.A. or B.Ed.) who completed their studies with a grade point average of 80 or above may apply. Admission is subject to the decision of the departmental Master’s degree admission committee.
Candidates with undergraduate degrees in an area other than Education or Educational Administration, as well as those without background in statistics will be required by the admission committee to take qualifying courses before beginning the program. The required qualifying courses will not exceed 18 credits. Students required to take qualifying courses will be accorded “probationary” status. Students will be admitted as degree candidate if their average grade in the qualifying courses is 80 or above. The nature of the qualifying courses depends on the student’s prior study background. The qualifying courses will usually include one or more of the following: (a) Introduction to Statistics for Students of Social Sciences I (30111), (b) Philosophy of Education (10765) or Sociology of Education (10485), (c) Organizational Behavior (10430).
Students accepted into the program are expected to be proficient in basic computer applications such as Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Internet (working with browsers and e-mail), as such skills will be necessary throughout the studies.
Students with probationary status who are required to take only one qualifying course will be allowed to take one of the required courses in the program while concurrently taking the qualifying course. Continuation of their studies is conditional on approval of their transfer from “probationary” to “degree candidate” status.
Transfer from “probationary” to “degree candidate” status
Students with probationary status who are required to take qualifying courses will be eligible for “degree candidate” status if they pass all qualifying courses with a grade of 80 or above.
Accreditation of Prior Studies
Students who took courses relevant to the program in the past as part of a graduate program at a recognized academic institution (but were not included in a degree awarded by that institution) may be granted accreditation for up to 20 credits. Students who wish to receive accreditation for prior studies should consult an advisor before beginning their studies. Additional details can be found in the Regulations Pertaining to Graduate Studies.
Program of Studies
|
a. Required courses - 34 credits |
Credits |
|
4 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
Education Policy: Education for Democracy in Democratic Societies (12007)2,3 |
3 |
|
4 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
Law and education7 |
4 |
|
One of the following courses:4 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
One of the following seminar courses:4 |
|
|
Choice in Education: Schools and Alternative Processes (14001)2,3 |
4 |
|
4 |
|
|
b. Electives – 7-14 credits (depending on study track) |
|
|
In the applied track, three courses, two from one cluster and one from another. At least two courses must be graduate level courses (3 or 4 credits). Students may take one 6-credit undergraduate course if they have not taken it in the past. |
|
|
■ Educational Policy and School Climate Cluster |
|
|
Distance Teaching Universities: The Democratization of Higher Education (14014) |
4 |
|
Teachers in a Changing World: Trends and Challenges (14019)6 |
4 |
|
Reform in Educational Systems Worldwide7 |
4 |
|
Professionalism in Educational Systems7 |
4 |
|
6 |
|
|
Class, Gender and Ethnicity in Education: A Sociological Perspective (10376)8 |
6 |
|
6 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
■ Management Cluster |
|
|
3 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
■ Teaching and Assessment Cluster |
|
|
4 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
Varieties of Learning Technologies: Principles and Applications (14016) |
4 |
|
4 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
From Search for Information to Construction of Knowledge in Technology-Rich Environments (14015) |
4 |
|
6 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
c. Seminar papers |
|
|
Students in both tracks must submit two seminar papers, of which at least one is based on an empirical study. |
|
Study Tracks
Studies are offered in an applied track (without a thesis) and in a research track (with a thesis). Only outstanding students can choose the research track, and their number is limited and depends on the availability of faculty specializing in the relevant areas.
Applied track
Students in this track must accumulate 44 credits in fulfillment of the following requirements:
-
34 credits (9 required courses)
-
At least 10 credits (three electives)
-
Submit two seminar papers
After completing the courses, students must submit a final project or take a final exam.
The final project should deal with a topic in the area of educational administration, education policy or educational leadership and may be an empirical study or a theoretical paper. In an empirical study, students must demonstrate the ability to integrate and apply the theoretical and practical principles dealt with at all stages of their studies in order to examine an issue (such as implementing change in school). A theoretical paper will examine an issue in a way that connects theory with practice, but without the need for data collection. In planning and carrying out the project, students are required to demonstrate ability to synthesize, mastery of relevant bodies of knowledge, and the ability to make decisions, solve problems and write a scientific paper according to accepted academic standards. Students who choose to do a final project must find a faculty member who is authorized and willing to supervise the project.
The final exam aims to examine students’ ability integrate the materials studied in various courses. Students are expected to apply the theoretical and practical principles they learned at all stages of their studies in order to deal with issues that relate to relevant areas of knowledge in the cluster they chose. Students must demonstrate the ability to critically analyze case studies or scientific papers, implementing what they have learned. Students who take the exam may not register for a final project or for a thesis, irrespective of whether or not they passed the exam.
Research track
Only outstanding students (GPA 90 or above) who completed six courses including Research Methods in Education (14009) and Theories of Learning and Instruction (14003) and submitted an empirical seminar paper may apply for the thesis track. Students who apply for the thesis track must find a faculty member who is authorized and willing to supervise the thesis. The departmental Master’s degree committee will consider each application and inform students whether their application has been approved within two months of its submission.
Students in the research track must accumulate 41 credits in fulfillment of the following requirements:
-
34 credits (9 required courses)
-
At least 7 credits (two electives)
-
Submit two seminar papers
After completing the courses, students must submit a thesis.
All students in the thesis track are required to choose a research topic and to formulate an empirical research question. In planning and carrying out the research, and writing the thesis, students must show their ability to conduct empirical research, in which they integrate and apply the research methods and the theoretical and practical principles studied. In planning and carrying out the research, students are required to demonstrate independent and creative thinking and the ability to make decisions, solve problems and write a scientific paper according to accepted academic standards and scope.
Study Method
-
Studies are based on a combination of reading materials (books, collections of articles, and study guides), face-to-face meetings, and educational technologies. Much of the study activity is through the course websites on the Internet.
-
In some of the courses, the meetings may be mandatory.
-
The number of study groups and their distribution depends on the number of students enrolled in each course.
-
Most courses in the program are not offered in the summer semester.
-
At this point, the program is not open to students abroad.
Duration of Studies
Students are required to complete their studies within 7 years of beginning their studies (not including qualifying courses). Students who have not completed their studies within this period may apply to the departmental Master’s committee for an extension. The committee will approve the request in exceptional cases, and subject to the requirements in force at that time.
Degree Eligibility
Students will be awarded a Master’s degree (M.A.) if they have fulfilled the following conditions:
-
They have passed all the qualifying courses with a grade of above 80 (if required)
-
They have successfully completed all the courses in their program of studies
-
They have written a thesis or a final project, or passed a final exam
Final Degree Grade
The final degree grade is weighted as follows:
Applied track (with final project): 50% – average grade in all regular courses; 20% – average grade of two seminar courses; 30% – grade on final project.
Applied track (with final exam): 60% – average grade in all regular courses; 20% – average grade of two seminar courses; 20% – grade on final exam.
Research track: 40% – average grade in all regular courses; 20% – average grade of two seminar courses; 40% – grade on thesis.
|
1 |
The details below are subject to the Regulations Pertaining to Graduate Studies. |
|
2 |
Students can only write a theoretical seminar paper in this course. |
|
3 |
In this course, 2 additional credits are given for the seminar paper. These credits are not relevant for students in this program and will not count among the required credits in the program. |
|
4 |
Students may choose a second course among the courses listed in the “Educational Policy and School Climate Cluster” below. |
|
5 |
Students who took Leadership and its Applications in Education (10528) may not take this course, and must take Management and Organizational Behavior (13004). |
|
6 |
The requirements for this course include writing a seminar paper. Empirical seminar papers may be written in courses marked with this note. |
|
7 |
This course is not yet being taught/ |
|
8 |
This is an undergraduate course, which can be chosen as an elective in the applied track. |