Students in the William Woods Specialist of Education in Administration program may complete Missouri certification requirements for elementary or secondary principalship by taking three additional courses at the master’s level.  This page addresses several issues involved with that option.  If you have questions, please contact the Ed.S. program advisor, Dr. Tom Frankman, at tom.frankman@williamwoods.edu or (573) 592-1166.

Which additional courses are required for principalship certification?

The courses needed for principalship certification in addition to the Ed.S. program requirements are:

EDU 535 (or 536)               Elementary (or Secondary) Administration

EDU 545 (or 546)               Elementary (or Secondary) Curriculum

EDU 598 (or 599)               Elementary (or Secondary) Field Experience

The first two courses are part of our Master of Education - Administration program of study.  Sections of the Field Experience are coordinated by program advisors, the Field Experience director and the Registrar's office.

How do I register for these courses?

You can request a list of upcoming sections of the Administration and Curriculum courses by sending an email to Dr. Tom Frankman, the program advisor.  You may take these courses in either order.  If you have been accepted into the Ed.S. program, you may send an email to Dr. Frankman and he will get you registered for those courses.

Since most of our MED and EdS courses are offered on Wednesday evenings, you may find it most convenient to take the three principalship courses after completing your Ed.S. program.

When can I take the field experience course for principalship certification?

You are required to take the field experience (EDU 598 or 599) after finishing the field experience course in your specialist program (EDU 697).  The primary reason for this is that you will be meeting the state’s other principalship certification requirements through the rest of the specialist program’s courses.  The field experience is designed to be the final course of that certification sequence.  We encourage you to take the ISLLC after your field experience so that you will have addressed all of the competencies before you take the examination.

Does taking principalship certification courses affect the date my degree is conferred?

Will financial aid cover these additional courses?

If you choose to graduate with your Ed.S. cohort, any principalship courses you took after then would likely not be eligible for federal financial aid.  This is because the three courses would not be considered part of a degree program, a designation necessary for federal financial aid eligibility.

 You have the option of changing your William Woods degree program to Specialist with Principalship Certification and graduating after you complete the principalship courses.  Which route you take reflects your needs and priorities.   Some students wish to have the specialist degree at the earliest possible date for professional and/or financial (i.e., salary scale) reasons.  Others prefer to wait so that they can take advantage of the additional financial aid options for the principalship courses.

Who can I talk to about my financial aid options?

Michelle Payne, our financial aid coordinator, can provide additional information on this subject.   She may be reached at mpayne1@williamwoods.edu or at 573-592-4215.

I am in the Specialist of Education program in Curriculum Leadership.  Can I pursue this option?

No.  The Curriculum Leadership sequence is not aligned with the state’s principalship certification requirements.