Concordia University Chicago

Ed.S degrees in Educational Leadership qualify individuals for superintendent and principal administrator positions. While principal positions generally only require a master’s degree, many individuals seeking a principal position will obtain an Ed.S.

Individuals seeking program coordinator and department director positions may obtain an Ed.S in order to gain a competitive edge in terms of qualifications compared to someone with only a master’s degree.

Moving from the Ed.S to a Doctoral Program:
The Ed.S program is designed for students pursuing a superintendent endorsement who do not desire to earn a doctorate at this time. If at a later time the student wishes to earn a doctoral degree, the 30 hours (ten classes) in the Ed.S Education Specialist program may be applied to a doctorate in Educational Leadership as follows:

To complete an Ed.D program, the student would need an additional 31 credit hours (10 classes) and a dissertation.
To complete a Ph.D program, the student would need an additional 37 credit hours (12 classes) and a dissertation.

Post-Study Work visa or permit, allowing international students on F-1 visas to work in the US after completing their studies, typically through Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Eligibility:
To be eligible for OPT, students must have been enrolled full-time in a US educational institution for at least one academic year and be seeking work related to their major.

Duration:
Students can apply for up to 12 months of OPT, either before they finish their studies (pre-completion) or after graduation (post-completion).

STEM OPT:
Students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields can apply for an extended OPT period of up to 24 months.

Contact our PSA counselor for more information

To be considered for Full Admission, candidates will present a cumulative grade point average above 2.85 or will have earned a master’s degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher.

English Language Proficiency
International applicants who have earned an advanced degree from an accredited institution in the United States, or students from an international English-speaking university need not submit English language scores. Otherwise, applicants must demonstrate one of the following: 

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of at least 72 (internet-based), or
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of at least 6.0, or
• Password Test score of at least 6.0, or
• Michigan test score of 85, or
• Pearson Test of English score of at least 61, or
• Proof of successful completion of Level 112 at an ELS Language School or certificate of Completion of Program from an English Language Institute (ELI), along with a recommendation of the program director, or
• King George International College (KGIC) English for Post-Secondary Education (EPE) final proficiency test score of 75% with a passing class score of 80.