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Education Specialist Degree in Occupational & Technical Studies

The Department of Occupational and Technical Studies jointly offers the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) with the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling. The program offers a cohesive sequence of academic studies designed to help graduates deal effectively with administrative problems encountered in urban schools and agencies. Principalship can be planned into Educational Specialist degree.

Admission Information

  1. To be admitted to the Ed.S. program, an applicant must:
    Hold a master’s degree in career and technical education or related field;
  2. Have a successful experience as an administrator or teacher;
  3. Hold a teaching license or equivalent;
  4. Have taken ELS 600 or its equivalent as a prerequisite.


Students seeking this degree need to apply through the Ed.S. program in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling.

Entrance, Continuance, and Exit Requirements

Entrance: Students must (1) meet all University requirements, (2) provide two letters of recommendation, (3) hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution (minimum 3.25 graduate grade point average, (4) provide a one-page essay explaining why he/she should be admitted to the program, and (5) have an acceptable score on the GRE or Miller Analogies Test.

Continuance: Students must meet all University requirements and maintain a 3.00 or higher grade point average.

Exit: Students must successfully complete (1) a written comprehensive examination, (2) the required course of study, (3) have a 3.00 grade point average or above, and (4) complete a university graduate student assessment.

Ed.S. Degree Curriculum with Occupational and Technical Studies Concentration Requirements (30-33 hours)

Requirements for the Ed.S. with a specialty in occupational and technical studies include 30-33 semester hours (18 hours must be completed in 800-level courses in ELS), as follows:

  1. ELS 600 (prerequisite); ELS 610, 621, 657 (prerequisites for principalship endorsement).
  2. Eighteen credit hours in Educational Leadership, including ELS 853, 854, 871, 876, 877, 878 or 879.
  3. Fifteen credit hours in Occupational and Technical Studies including OTED 860, 862, 885, 888, 889 and /or other courses approved by the candidate’s advisor.