School Administrator Certificate: Central Office Endorsement
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The Michigan Department of Education requires all school administrators to hold a valid School Administrator Certificate, and many school districts require their central office leaders to also have a Central Office Endorsement. Students can obtain the Central Office endorsement by completing WMU’s Ed.S. or Ph.D. in Educational Leadership: K-12 Leadership concentration.
This certificate is for individuals who already have a master’s degree, and are seeking to obtain the state’s Administrator Certification: Central Office Endorsement by taking the 21 required credits beyond the master’s degree.
However, not all students want to obtain an additional graduate degree. Instead, they can obtain the Central Office endorsement by completing at least 21 credits post-MA (with such credits approved by the Michigan Department of Education). All required courses are offered fully online.
Admission requirements
Applicants to this graduate certificate must have a completed master’s degree prior to beginning the credits toward the certificate. Specific application requirements and the application link can be found on the website of the Department of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology.
Admission procedures
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Admission decisions take approximately two weeks after all materials are received.
Note: To complete many course assignments, and to have a mentor for an administrator internship, applicants must be employed within a K-12 setting OR have access to a school district setting.
To apply for this central office certificate, prospective students should apply within the WMU online application system. Below is a list of the items that will need to be included in the application.
- A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is required and must be submitted within the online application system.
- Written statement. A statement which covers the following information in a two-page, typed, double-spaced document. Present your rationale and fit for pursuing the certificate. Please note that this statement is also viewed as a writing sample.
Program requirements
A program of study consisting of 21 credits as noted below (or equivalents) is required. In addition to this WMU certificate, a student can be recommended to receive the state certification/central office endorsement.
- EDLD 6060 - Organizational Change for Complex Systems Credits: 3 hours
- EDLD 6630 - Maximizing Human Capacity with Adaptive Personnel Practices Credits: 3 hours
- EDLD 6720 - Strategic District Finance and Operations Credits: 3 hours
- EDLD 6800 - High Impact District Governance and Community Relations Credits: 3 hours
- EDLD 6810 - Law, Policy, and Ethics for District Leaders Credits: 3 hours
- EDLD 6850 - Dynamic Systems for District-level Instructional Leadership and Assessment Credits: 3 hours
- EDLD 7120 - Professional Field Experience Credits: 1 to 12 hours (3 hours needed)
Multi-Year Course Offering/Planning Tools
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