University Catalog 2023-2024

School Administration

NCSU’s Master of School Administration (MSA) program is the top-ranked school leadership program in North Carolina and one of only six programs nationally to have been designated as exemplary by the University Council for Educational Administration. The cohort-based program prepares graduates to assume building-level leadership positions in schools (public, private, and charter) as assistant principals and principals and leads to principal licensure.

Admission Requirements

Personal statement including career goals and aspirations; transcripts; teaching experience in K-12 schools (three years preferred); resume; three letters of recommendation (one recommendation is to be from current supervisor); minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA (preferred); participate in Candidate Assessment Day.

All application materials must be submitted through the Graduate School’s online application process only. No hard copies will be accepted. Because this program is cohort-based, no deferrals of admission are permitted.

Full Professors

  • Bonnie C. Fusarelli
  • Lance D. Fusarelli

Associate Professors

  • Lisa R. Bass
  • Anna Margaret Jacob

Assistant Professors

  • Jennifer Baucom Ayscue
  • Timothy Arthur Drake

Emeritus Faculty

  • Paul F. Bitting
  • Raymond G. Taylor Jr.

Practice/Research/Teaching Professors

  • Patricia Andrews Ashley
  • Brenda D. Champion
  • William Harrison
  • Gregory Eugene Hicks
  • Henry Johnson
  • Francine Piscitelli Riddick
  • Michael Ward
  • Cathy Sue Williams

Courses

ELP 515  Education and Social Diversity  (3 credit hours)  

Overview of role of education within a culturally diverse society. Major attention to racial, socioeconomic and regional subpopulations. Issues discussed include subcultural influences on public school performances, equality of educational opportunity, social stratification and mobility, and the impact of schooling on intergroup relations.

Typically offered in Fall only

ELP 518  Introduction To Education Law  (3 credit hours)  

Relationship of constitutional, statutory and case law to elementary and secondary public school settings, particularly in areas of students, teachers and liability. Particular emphasis on N.C. and federal law.

Typically offered in Spring only

ELP 550  Principles of Educational Leadership and Empowerment  (3 credit hours)  

Examines school organization theories and critical domains of leadership (e.g., school vision, culture, management, collaboration, ethics, and environments). Develops conceptual, managerial and interpersonal leadership skills through analysis of school goals and purpose; organizational design, development and improvement; curricular and instructional leadership; and school-community relationships. Instructional activities will include lecture, seminar discussion, case and problem-based analysis. Graduate standing required.

Typically offered in Fall only

ELP 551  Context and Challenges of School Improvement  (3 credit hours)  

Examination of social, cultural, political and policy environment of schooling with emphasis on NC. Analysis of major theories of school change and development. critical examination of opportunities and barriers to strategic change efforts. Instructional activities will include lecture, sminar discussion, case and problem-based analysis.

Typically offered in Spring only

ELP 552  School-Based Planning, Management, and Evaluation in Professional Learning Communities  (3 credit hours)  

Prepares administrators to strategically plan, manage and evaluate core programs and systems for the safe and efficient operation of schools. Operational domains examined will include information systems, management systems, curriculum, instruction, student behavior and school security systems. Instructional activities include lecture, sminar discussions, case, situation and problem-based analysis.

Typically offered in Fall only

ELP 553  Organizational Management I: Human Resource Management in K-12 Education  (3 credit hours)  

Examination and application of models, theories, and research pertaining to personnel appraisal in education, including recruitment hiring, retention, and dismissal; evaluation models for professional and classified staff; use of effective professional development models to support professional growth and development.

Typically offered in Fall only

ELP 554  Organizational Management II: Resource Support and Sustainability in K-12 Education  (3 credit hours)  

Theories and practices of funding K-12 education including examination of: political frameworks and policy issues; concepts central to education finance and budgeting; purposes, designs, and uses of school budgets; procedures for generating, analyzing and interpreting issues related to education finance and school budgeting. Construct, manage and analyze school and district-level budgets; address issues of economic efficiency, equity and fiscal adequacy and their fiscal impact on the school community. Understand North Carolina's Uniform Chart of Accounts accounting structure for school budgeting.

Corequisite: ELP 553

Typically offered in Spring only

ELP 595  Special Topics  (1-6 credit hours)  

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

ELP 620  Special Problems In Education  (1-6 credit hours)  

Opportunity for graduate students in education to study problem areas in professional education under direction of member of graduate faculty.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or PBS status

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ELP 651  Internship In Educational Leadership and Program Evaluation  (1-9 credit hours)  

Utilization of participant-observer role and required participation in selected educational situations with emphasis upon development of observational skills, ability to record relevant observations by means of written journals, skills in analyzing experiences identifying critical incidents and projection of events and consequences. Required development of possible alternative courses of action in various situations, selection of one of alternatives and evaluation of consequences of selected course of action.

Prerequisite: Nine hrs. in grad.-level courses

Typically offered in Fall and Spring