School District Leadership
Post-Master's Advanced Graduate Certificate Program

This advanced graduate certificate program prepares educators for advancement to positions at the central office level, including superintendent of schools, district superintendent, assistant superintendent, and any other position having responsibility for general district-wide administration (except school district business leader). The program is offered in collaboration with the University's Professional Education Program.

The educational prerequisite for admission into this program is a master's degree.

Course of Study
This certificate program consists of 36 credits, distributed among the areas listed below. Credit requirements for each area are indicated below. Please note that the courses are only available to students who are matriculated in the program.

Foundations - 9 credits
CEQ 501 Educational Leadership Theory I
CEQ 502 Educational Leadership Theory II (prerequisite CEQ 501)
CEQ 503 Educational Leadership Practice (prerequisite CEQ 501)

Required Courses - 15 credits
CEQ 515 School District Leadership
CEQ 528 School Law
CEQ 555 Supervision of Instruction
CEQ 571 School Business Administration
CEQ 572 School Personnel Management

Elective - 3 credits
Course may be selected from an approved list in consultation with the program director.

Internship and Seminar - 6 credits
Prerequisite: Students must complete all courses except CEQ 595 Educational Leadership Research Project Seminar before enrolling in the internship and seminar.
CEQ 561 Internship in School District Leadership (co-requisite: CEQ 562)
CEQ 562 Internship Seminar for School District Leadership (co-requisite: CEQ 561)

Please Note: In addition to the full semester and summer portion of the Internship, there are field hours embedded in each course through authentic activities.

Educational Leadership Research Project Seminar (CEQ 595) - 3 credits
The goal of the SPD Project Seminar is to teach students to understand and conduct graduate level research. The research paper may or may not result in a project, e.g., a model curriculum for a school-based substance abuse program. Students will be guided in selecting a topic for their research paper. Methodology and resources will be reviewed as the student’s work is developed. S/U grading applies. No incompletes will be given. If an unsatisfactory grade is earned, the course may be repeated.
Prerequisite: Matriculation in one of the Educational Leadership programs; prior completion of all foundation and required courses.

Scheduling Note: The preceding courses are offered regularly during the fall and spring semesters. Although summer session will offer some graduate courses that can be applied toward this program, students should plan on meeting course requirements, including internships, during the regular academic year. Related courses used to fulfill requirements for another certificate, master's, or other advanced degree may not be used to fulfill course requirements for this certificate. If courses were taken that duplicate courses within this certificate program, appropriate substitutions will be made upon advise and consent of the program director. Under any circumstances, the student must complete the total number of credits prescribed for this program.

Timeline: All post-graduate certificate requirements must be completed within five (5) years from the semester date of admission as a matriculated student. Students may petition SPD to have courses that are over five (5) years old when a student is admitted or readmitted to an SPD degree or certificate program individually reviewed by the appropriate department/faculty to determine if the credits may be applied toward current SPD degree/certificate requirements. Grades in such courses must be "B" or higher.

How to Apply
Stony Brook University is no longer accepting applications directly into the School District Leader (SDL) and School Building Leader (SBL) Programs. Those currently matriculated in these two programs will be allowed to complete their programs of study. However, we strongly encourage current SDL and SBL students to change their majors to the new EDL Program.

Prospective applicants may apply to the new Educational Leadership Program (EDL). Graduation from the EDL Program will ensure eligibility to obtain both Certifications (District and Building-Level) through Stony Brook with institutional recommendation. (In contrast, SBL and SDL graduates are only eligible for the license specific to their program.)

For complete information (including application instructions), please see the EDL Program or the EDL Online Program (SPD's fully online program).

If you have any questions regarding this new program, they may be directed to either Dr. Robert Moraghan or Michael Barnett. See contact information on either of the EDL Program information pages linked above.

Contact Information
Dr. Robert Moraghan
205 Harriman Hall
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-3379
Email: moraghan@math.sunysb.edu
Telephone: 631.632.7702
FAX: 631.632.9487

Statement of Student Responsibility
Students themselves—whether new, returning, or continuing—are responsible for reviewing, understanding, and adhering to their degree and/or certificate program requirements. (SPD’s Non-matriculating (non-degree) Graduate Students [GSP] are responsible for adhering to the guidelines related to non-matriculated status.) All SPD students are responsible for reviewing, understanding, and complying with University and SPD regulations, policies, and procedures, as described in all official publications, the University website, and the SPD website, including, but not limited to, SPD’s online references, the SPD Student Handbook and SPD Academic Calendar.