UMD School Improvement Leadership Certificate

The UMD School Improvement Leadership Post-Baccalaureate Certificate (PBC) is a 18-credit graduate program which leads to Maryland Administrator I certification. This fully on-line program provides a part-time, state-wide cohort-based professional learning experience which supports teacher leaders who aspire to become school leaders in meeting the requirements for state certification.

See this overview to learn more about the UMD School Improvement Leadership Post-Baccalaureate Certificate with Administrator I Certification.

UMD is now accepting applicants for the next state-wide cohort of Admin 1 candidates. The Application Deadline for the next cohort, which starts in Fall 2022, is June 10th, 2022.

If you were unable to attend one of our Information Sessions, please download and watch

this pre-recorded session

to learn more about the program and the application process.

Please be in touch with Dr. Jean Snell, Program Coordinator, for more information about becoming a member of the next cohort at: jsnell@umd.edu.

Program Features

3-semester (+summer) cohort program = 16 months from start to completion
5-course leadership development sequence, including leadership for continuous improvement, instructional leadership, family and community engagement, and school operations management
Integration of the tools of Improvement Science throughout coursework, including Problem of Practice, Fishbone Diagram, and Driver Diagram
6-month supervised Internship, w/faculty advisor
Emphasis on equity-driven leadership throughout program
Culminating Leadership Portfolio

Course Schedule

Semester	Courses	total credits
Fall 2022	-EDUC 640 Introduction to Educational Leadership -EDUC 670 Learning Communities	6
Spring 2023	-EDUC 646 Leading Instructional Excellence -EDUC 645 Leading Instructional Improvement	6
Summer 2023	-EDUC 671 Education Law, Finance, and Policy -EDUC 689 Practicum/Internship	4
Fall 2023	-EDUC 689 Practicum/Internship	2

Program Costs

To see the UMD Graduate School tuition and fee rates for 2021-22, please click here. To learn more about alternative financial aid and loan options for the UMD Admin 1 Certificate program, please click here, or to learn more about the UMD monthly tuition payment plan, please click here.

Eligiblity

All candidates should be experienced and highly qualified teachers who meet all of the UMD and state driven eligibility requirements:

Minimum 4 years of classroom teaching experience in a Maryland public school system
A current Maryland state teaching license (at any level, and in any content area)
Completion of a Master’s degree in education
Proven teacher leadership roles or responsibilities
Active support of school administration
A minimum of 3.0 UG GPA, and a 3.5 graduate GPA

Admissions

To apply to the UMD "School Improvement Leadership PBC/Admin 1 Program, please follow the "Step by Step" guide to applying to the UMD Graduate School linked here.

Please apply to the Z138 online Certificate program (not Z052)!

All candidates will need to provide copies of their transcripts from all institutions through which a degree or certification has been conferred. For candidates who do not hold a degree from a U.S. Institution, or a university from one of the approved English-speaking countries, the TOFEL is required. Please see UMD's English proficiency requirements in full detail here.

Applicants are required to submit a personal statement and a current resume which indicates their active certifications and earned degrees. Additionally, all applicants must provide a letter of recommendation from their current principal through which they indicate their full support for the candidate's pursuit of Admin 1 certification and their commitment to mentor them through the Internship.

No GRE, Praxis, SLLA, or other test scores are required to apply to this Certificate program.