Education Specialist (Ed.S.) Degree

The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree prepares students to become educational leaders as licensed K-12 principals, directors of special education, and superintendents. Designed for busy adult learners, the Ed.S. program consists of 29 credits that are taught online. In 2019, Saint Mary’s received a $1.7 million grant from the Kern Family Foundation to develop an enhanced curriculum in the Ed.S. program that emphasizes the moral character of educational leaders.

At Saint Mary’s, educational leadership is not only what the leader knows but also who they are. Our practitioner-based curriculum is designed to equip students with sound theory, practical skills, and personal formation to become an educational leader of both competence and character. Graduates of our Ed.S. program not only serve as moral leaders in their schools but often in their communities as well. We desire our graduates to be competent professionals as well as individuals who practice moral virtues such as honesty and justice; civic virtues such as civility and service; and intellectual virtues such as open-mindedness and patience.

When we refer to character, we are speaking about who a person is, particularly the thoughts, attitudes, and motivations that guide their decisions. When we refer to virtue, we are speaking about the character traits or dispositions that form a person’s character. Character education is an umbrella term for moral education that gives priority to the practice of certain virtues. All forms of moral education must ask: education toward what end? The flourishing of students and society is the purpose of character education.

For more information about the Ed.S. degree, please visit the Ed.S Program Page.