This degree provides a strong foundation in leadership, management, and supervisory practice; educational strategies for learners of all ages; communication, creativity, and personal coaching skills; today’s diversity issues; and current trends in ethics and law. Students develop strategies for becoming effective change agents within an organization.

This degree opens career opportunities in:

1. higher education administration
2. administration in private, parochial, and charter schools
3. dean of students, administrative intern, team leader, or athletic director and
4. organizational trainers and developers or chief learning officers.

Students can apply for admission to master degree programs at any time during the year. Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and maintained an overall grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale. Applicants must demonstrate the language proficiency necessary for successful graduate coursework.

Applicants must submit:

1. A completed application and the non-refundable application fee
    
2. An official transcript issued to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota from the institution posting the applicant’s completed bachelor’s degree.
    
3. A one/two page personal statement which includes:
   
   1. brief description of the applicant’s background, training, and experience
       
   2. statement indicating current licensure and/or content area; the career goals of the applicant and his or her reasons for seeking admission to the program
       
   3. description of the areas the applicant considers to be his or her strengths and areas in which the applicant wishes to develop greater strengths and abilities
       
   4. personal information the applicant wishes to share
4. Two letter’s of recommendation that verify professional and/or volunteer experience and academic ability
   

All applicants whose native language is not English and/or who submit a transcript from a country other than the U.S. must provide evidence of successfully completing a university approved English language assessment exam such as the TOEFL. The TOEFL is not required if the applicant has a bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or has successfully completed the English Language Proficiency certification program.

Transcripts from countries other than the U.S. must be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by an academic credential evaluator. Evaluations will be accepted from either World Education Services, or Educational Credential Evaluators , and be deemed equivalent to accredited U.S. university standards. Students are responsible for having their transcripts evaluated, as well as associated costs.