Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Research

Thomas DeVaney, Department Head

Purposes

The purposes of the Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Research are:

To provide the best possible curricula and instruction to enable students to complete requirements for the degree(s) and/or certifications they are seeking at the University.
To develop the knowledge base of students to prepare them for leadership roles in schools and communities, and professional practice in the field of counseling.
To provide opportunities for personal achievement and the development of professional competence, technological expertise, integrity, intellectual curiosity, self-discipline, and ethical conscientiousness.
To help the student understand the place of the individual in a pluralistic society.

Educational Leadership Program Overview

The Southeastern Louisiana University Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership is a nationally recognized program designed to provide the essential foundation for educational leaders to assume the role of instructional leaders for effective school improvement. The program has been accredited by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) and meets the Educational Leader certification requirements of the Louisiana State Department of Education.

Cohort Design

Upon admission to the program, applicants will be assigned to a cohort. The applicant will remain with the cohort for the duration of the program to ensure the validity of the networking and collaboration built into the program design and approved by the State. Students will not be permitted to change cohorts for personal convenience. If a student misses a term of study, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the Program Coordinator for reassignment to an existing cohort to complete the course of studies for the program.

Admissions Requirements

Admission to the Educational Leadership program is highly selective, and prospective students must meet all admissions criteria prior to admittance. Students will be allowed to enroll in courses in this degree curriculum only after formal admission to the program. To be considered for admission for a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership, an applicant must initially satisfy all the Southeastern Louisiana University graduate admission requirements.

Application Process: The prospective student must submit a completed application to study at Southeastern Louisiana University and satisfy all University graduate admission requirements including a completed immunization form, non-refundable fee, and official copies of transcripts. The University application must be submitted online at: http://www.southeastern.edu/apply/graduate/index.html.

Applicants for Regular Admission must have a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average on the undergraduate degree, verified by official transcripts. Cumulative grade point averages below a 3.0 will be considered on an individual basis and may receive Provisional Admission.

In addition to the grade point average requirement, applicants must submit the following documents through the University application portal:

Copy of valid teaching certificate.
Verification of a minimum of one year of teaching experience in either public or private schools.
Completed Recommendation Form from a school official who can attest to the applicant’s leadership potential and likelihood of success in the program.
Mentor Information Form from a school official who will supervise the on-site field experiences.

Applicants who work in a district that does not have a standing Memorandum of Understanding must submit a completed Memorandum of Understanding Form signed by the designated school officials. The completed and signed form must be sent to the Program Coordinator. See the department website for the list of school systems with standing Memorandums of Understanding.

Admissions Decision: Admission to the Educational Leadership program is selective and requires a favorable evaluation by the Leadership Admissions Committee and is contingent upon the receipt of all required application documents. When all admissions requirements have been met, the Program Coordinator will complete the necessary notification/acceptance papers for graduate admissions.

Requirements for Completion

To receive the Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership, a student must:

Successfully complete all courses stated in the degree plan with grades of “B” or better in all course work. No grade below “B” will be accepted for graduate degree credit.
Successfully complete all field-based experiences and internship.
During the last semester of study, satisfactorily complete a comprehensive examination, to take the form of completion and defense of an electronic portfolio before the Leadership Faculty.
Successfully complete the School Leaders Licensure Assessment.
Receive a favorable recommendation for the degree from the Educational Leadership faculty and the program coordinator.

Louisiana’s Certification Structure for Educational Leadership

The Southeastern Louisiana University’s Master of Education in Educational Leadership degree program is recognized by the Louisiana Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Louisiana Board of Regents as an approved Educational Leader preparation program for the Graduate Degree Pathway for Educational Leader Level 1 certification. The program is aligned with the following state and national standards:

The Standards for Educational Leaders in Louisiana
National Policy Board for Educational Administration’s Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL).
The National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards for Advanced Programs in Educational Leadership, the standards used by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for the university program reviews.

Certification Levels

Teacher Leader Endorsement: The teacher leader certificate is an option for a teacher to be identified as a teacher leader and is not a state required credential for a specific administrative position.

*Candidates will be eligible for the Teacher Leader Endorsement upon completion of the first 6 credit hours of the master’s degree program.

Educational Leader Level 1: The educational leader level 1 certificate is an entry-level certificate for individuals seeking to qualify for school and/or district leadership positions such as assistant principals, principals, parish or city supervisors of instruction, supervisors of child welfare and attendance, special education supervisors, or comparable school/district leader positions.

Educational Leader Level 2: An individual advances from a level 1 to a 2 certificate after successfully meeting standards of effectiveness for three years pursuant to Bulletin 130 and R.S. 17:3902 and completing the required years of experience.

Educational Leader Level 3: The level 3 certificate qualifies an individual for employment as a district superintendent.

(See Louisiana Department of Education website and Bulletin 746: Louisiana Standards for State Certification of School Personnel for additional information and requirements.)

Counseling Program Overview

The Counseling Program at Southeastern Louisiana University is designed to prepare graduates for professional practice in the field of counseling. There are three program concentration curricula in the Counseling Program (School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling). All program concentrations are nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Graduates of all concentrations meet the current academic requirements for state licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Counseling master’s degree program an applicant must:

Initially satisfy all Southeastern Louisiana University graduate admission requirements (Consult the Southeastern General Catalog for admission requirements).
Complete nine (9) hours of undergraduate or graduate study in behavioral studies (e.g. psychology, sociology, social work, etc.).
Acquire an undergraduate cumulative GPA or a last 60-hour GPA of 2.8 (inclusive of graduate work).
GRE scores are required for applicants who have earned less than a 3.0 GPA (cumulative or in their last 60 hours of coursework).
Submit a completed application portfolio to the Counseling Program Admissions Committee by the specified due date, which includes the following:
1. A current resume including full name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, academic experiences, prior related work experiences, degrees held, honors, awards, special interests, and other appropriate information.
2. Three (3) reference forms from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic abilities and potential for success as a professional counselor. At least two references should be professional references (past or current employer, supervisor, former or current instructor).
3. An autobiographical narrative showing evidence of life experiences and personal maturity indicating appropriateness for the counseling field.
Upon evaluation of program application portfolios by the Counseling Program Admissions Committee, selected applicants will be invited to participate in a mandatory one-day Admissions interview. (At the discretion of the Admissions Committee, international students, or individuals residing in distant states may be afforded a video interview in lieu of participation in the one-day on-campus interview.)

Program Application Admission Deadlines

The application portfolio submission due date for consideration for admission to the counseling program in the summer or fall semester of each year is April 1. The submission due date for the application portfolio for program admission in the spring semester of each year is November 1. All materials must be received by the Graduate Coordinator by these dates in order for the applicant to be considered for the admissions interview.

Admission Notification

Admission to the counseling program and each program concentration is selective and requires a favorable evaluation by the Counseling Program Admissions Committee. Within two weeks after participation in the program admission interview, applicants will be notified that they are either accepted for admission or not accepted for admission.

Guest Student Policy

Enrollment in counseling courses (i.e., COUN, MCFC, or SAC) is typically limited to those formally admitted to the Counseling Program. Those who fall in the following categories are also eligible to take classes if enrollment for the course has not reached maximum capacity.

Graduates of Southeastern’s Counseling Program (clinical and non-clinical courses)
Graduates of other CACREP Counseling Programs (non-clinical courses only)
Graduates of Non-CACREP Counseling Programs who are certified school counselors, LPCs, or PLPC/PLMFT Interns (non-clinical courses only)
Counseling students currently enrolled at other universities (non-clinical courses only). Students from other programs need a letter of good standing from their program coordinator or advisor.

Those not meeting the requirements above, and/ or wishing to take clinical courses, may petition the Department Head for consideration.

Students seeking play therapy instruction and continuing education for special topics may be allowed to take COUN 6270 - INTRODUCTION TO PLAY THERAPY, COUN 6290 - ADVANCED PLAY THERAPY, and COUN 6700 - SPECIAL TOPICS IN COUNSELOR EDUCATION. Prospective students must be licensed, provisionally licensed, or currently enrolled as a master’s student in a mental health program. Currently enrolled students get preference for enrollment. For the purposes of interprofessional collaboration, these requirements may be waived by the counseling faculty in the case of an arrangement agreed upon between other disciplines.