• After you complete the Add-on Certification, you will only need to take an additional three courses once admitted into the program.
• Criteria for admission include:
  • Currently employed in a school leadership position
  • Submit a passing score on the GACE assessment.
  • A copy of current L-5 (or in the future, NL-5) certification from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
  • A copy of current Teacher Certification.
  • Submit a target score of 900 on the verbal and quantitative sections and a target score of 4.0 on the analytical/writing section of the GRE.
  • A current vita or résumé
  • Two official copies of all transcripts of academic work showing a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.
  • Three official letters of recommendation; one of these must be from a school system supervisor, documenting that you do have a job in school leadership.
  • A $30 application fee (waived for current Mercer students).
  • Participation in a required interview with program faculty.
  • A signed and dated narrative of career and academic goals to be mailed in with the application.
  • A signed and dated writing sample to be completed at interview.

Admission to Ed.S. Candidacy 

Ed.S. in Educational Leadership
DEGREE-ONLY OPTION

Mercer University now offers a degree-only option for candidates who complete their add-on educational leadership certification with Mercer University and who are not currently employed in a leadership position. This option differs from the Performance-Based Ed.S. in that candidates are not required to be employed in a leadership position and do not complete a year-long, performance-based internship. Instead, these candidates complete an advisor-approved elective in lieu of the internship and are awarded the Education Specialist degree. Mercer University does not recommend these candidates for the PL-6. However, candidates are eligible to upgrade their L-5 to an L-6 based upon completion of the Ed.S. degree.

Admission Requirements: Ed.S. in Educational Leadership (Degree-Only Option)

All persons who wish to enter the Ed.S. degree-only option program in educational leadership must have a master’s level teaching certificate and must have completed the add-on program through Mercer. To be admitted to the Ed.S. degree-only program, an applicant must submit:

• An application to the Ed.S. degree-only option
• A copy of current L-5 certification from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
•  A copy of current Teacher Certification
• A score on the Graduate Record Examination (target score of 900, quantitative and verbal) and a target score of 4.0 on the analytical/writing. 
•  A current vita or résumé
• Two official copies of transcripts from all colleges/universities previously attended showing a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5
•  Three official letters of recommendation.
• A signed and dated narrative of career and academic goals to be mailed in with the application.
• A signed and dated writing sample to be completed at interview.
• A $30 application fee.

After submission of all materials, applicants are required to participate in an interview with the program faculty.  A signed and dated writing sample and narrative of career and academic goals will be completed at the interview.

*Note: You do not need to resubmit materials if you already submitted them to Mercer University for the add-on certification in educational leadership.

Curriculum:

Completion of first seven add-on courses from Mercer University, then complete an additional 3 courses:

Building-Level Track

EDEL 703 — The Principalship

EDEL 697 — School, Community & Society

Advisor-Approved Elective

OR

System-Level Track

EDEL 704 — The Superintendency

EDEL 832 — School Finance and Budgeting

Advisor-Approved Elective

For more information, please contact our admissions office at (678) 547- 6422 or the main switchboard at (678) 547-6100.

• Educational Leadership Ed.S. Flyer
• Educational Leadership Ed.S. Fact Sheet