CONVENIENT: A rapid yet rigorous off-campus graduate program completed in one calendar year at local school sites.

DYNAMIC: A blend of theory and practice, using projects that make the student’s workplace  a learning laboratory.

PRACTICAL: A program that pairs the candidate with a local administrator to gain experience managing critical issues.

RELEVANT: A program that prepares candidates to assume the role of principal in a way that directly relates to their school’s needs.

OCLD Fast Track is a program designed to meet ISLLC standards

Off-Campus Leadership Development (OCLD)
Fast Track Master of Arts in Educational Administration

This one-calendar year, 36-credit master’s degree program joins theory and practice by combining academic study in class with related project work that is job-embedded. Both classes and projects are conducted in or near the candidate’s school district or diocese.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Letter of permission from superintendent of schools of district or diocese and signed consent of a certified principal as administrator-mentor
  • Undergraduate GPA of 2.75, or an earned master’s degree with 3.0 GPA
  • Official undergraduate/graduate transcripts
  • Satisfactory score on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) before the start of the Fall semester. Students who have completed a master’s degree at an accredited institution may have the MAT or GRE waived.
  • One professional reference from someone other than the superintendent of schools
  • Personal interview
  • Writing sample
  • Due to the demand for this program, please note a March 1 deadline to submit complete application dossiers to be considered for admission into the summer OCLD cohort. Admission decisions will be made by April 15.


Admission Calendar

The application deadline for the OCLD summer cohort will be March 1, with admission decisions rendered by April 15 based upon submission of a fully complete application dossier. Applicants deemed highly qualified will be admitted on a rolling basis up until March 1 or until the program is full. “Highly qualified” ordinarily includes candidates having leadership experience, a strong writing sample, and either a previous graduate degree or a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA and/or strong GRE or Miller Analogy test scores. Applications from other candidates, including qualified candidates who have less leadership experience and/or a lower GPA (but at least 2.75), will be acted upon after the March 1 deadline.

Admission of any candidates who do not meet the usual qualifications but are considered likely to succeed will be on a probationary basis

Depending on the space available, the program coordinator may either place probationary students with the summer cohort or begin their course of study in the fall or spring traditional program. Those placed in the summer cohort must maintain a 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA to be fully admitted. Those placed in fall or spring traditional classes must earn a B or better in each class in order to be admitted to the summer OCLD cohort. If they do not, but if their cumulative graduate GPA is at least 3.0, they may be admitted into the traditional Educational Administration program.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS – 36 credits

Strand I — Summer Session A

ED 612 Educational Research for School Administration (3)
ED 671 Foundations of Pre K-12 Administration & Curriculum Supervision (3)
ED 674 School Law and Regulation (3)

Strand II — Fall Semester

ED 650 Curriculum Leadership (3)
ED 672 School Finance: Public and Private Funding (3)
ED 676 Problem-Based Externship I (3)

Strand III — Spring Semester

ED 670 Principles of Staff Supervision (3)
ED 673 Case Studies in School Administration (3)
ED 677 Problem-Based Externship II (3)

Strand IV — Summer Session B

ED 635 Principles and Practices of Subject Matter Supervision (3)
ED 675 Communications for School Leaders (3)
ED 678 Managing Human and Material Resources (3)

Each set of courses will include a related project assignment that will enable the student to engage in a practical application of the classroom instruction. The project will be designed and implemented in relation to circumstances extant in the candidate’s district or diocese. These projects will be delineated in a planning protocol and will be subject to approval by the College liaison staff member, the administrator-mentor, and the student. The suitability of the projects will be judged according to the following criteria:

  • Appropriate time allocation
  • Application of course content
  • Availability of adequate resources and information
  • Identification of a useful product
  • Acceptable presentation plan for completed project

Shadow Requirement

The administrator-mentor will assist the student in establishing a schedule that will enable the student and the mentor to share routine and challenging experiences, and reflect on the meaning and implications of those experiences. This schedule will be developed during the initial summer session and monitored by the College liaison staff member.

NOTE: It is understood that students must also meet the State of New Jersey’s requirements for certification. Fees are set by the NJ Department of Education.

Transfer of Graduate Credit

Caldwell College will accept the transfer of six credits of graduate work in education from another accredited institution provided the credits were completed within five years of the student’s registration at Caldwell. Official transcripts of previous graduate work as well as the description of each course must be submitted for review at the time of application. Approval of transfer credit is based on course content and grade earned in the course. Each transfer request will be reviewed by the Program Coordinator.

Statement of Outcomes Assessment

Any student who completes the M.A. in Educational Administration must successfully complete a two-semester research project in ED 676-677 that applies research skills learned in ED 612 to field-based problems in educational administration.

IS FAST TRACK THE RIGHT TRACK?

Matriculation requires approval of the candidate’s district or diocese. This will be in the form of a letter of permission from the district or diocesan superintendent, or the pastor of a parish school.

The school district or diocese must ensure that:

  • the candidate is assigned an administrator mentor.
  • the candidate is scheduled to observe a range of administrator activities.
  • the candidate will be able to attend classes and engage in related projects.
  • the candidate commits to all 4 consecutive program strands (Summer A, Fall, Spring, Summer B)

Caldwell College will ensure that:

  • registration materials are provided for students.
  • at least one course per strand is taught by Caldwell faculty.
  • coursework fulfills requirements of N.J. Dept. of Education for certification.
  • *satisfactory scheduling and location of  classes is arranged in a convenient off-campus location.
  • a College liaison person is assigned to  each cohort for quality assurance purposes.

*The OCLD program fulfills academic requirements for certification. It does not exempt the student from other New Jersey requirements for certification.

Participation in the OCLD program will require that an administrator in your school district or diocese agree to serve as your administrator-mentor. This person will be required to attend a one-half day meeting during each summer of your registration. The mentor will also accept that you will "shadow" him/her during the academic year.

You will also require your school district or diocese to permit you to have access to materials needed to complete meaningful project activities related to your course work.

Have additional questions about the Off-Campus Leadership Development (OCLD) Fast Track Master of Arts In Educational Administration? Take a look at our Fast Track OCLD frequently asked questions page!