MA (Phil) in Educational Leadership
Are you a staff member at a Christian School Foundation (Canada) member school?
You may be eligible to receive financial support for this program of study.
MA-EL Course Fee Reduction: Two or more educators from the same school who register for the same course (for credit) each receive a $100 rebate on their course tuition.
Guiding Principles
The MA (Phil) in Educational Leadership (MA-EL) is a graduate program rooted in the Christian faith and designed for K-12 teachers and school administrators seeking to build your capacity as educators and leaders within the context of your school. Combining ICS's rich history in integrally Christian scholarship with the commitment to inquiry-based learning, this program inspires and equips educators to create innovative, challenging, and just learning environments that contribute to God’s ongoing redemptive work in the world.
Overall, this program is committed to:
Being Biblically informed and focused on the love embodied by Christ
Being deeply contextualized and relevant for educators
Aligning with one's own professional passion and practice
Pursuing wisdom through sound methods
One Program, Multiple Possibilities
This program is a typical 42-credit hour course of study offered part-time and building on your current work as an educational leader. Our program is delivered through mostly asynchronous online courses with one being offered as a synchronous online course. Each student receives individualized mentoring throughout your time in the program. Communication with instructors is facilitated primarily through discussion boards in Google Classroom and/or email.
Four concentrations are possible in this program:
A pedagogical concentration for K-12 teachers in the classroom
An organizational concentration for current and prospective school administrators
An inclusive practice concentration for teachers and administrators, offered in partnership with Calvin University
A literacy concentration for K-12 teachers, offered in partnership with Calvin University
This program consists of 10 term courses that are offered on a rotating schedule as outlined on the Program Design page. The necessary courses for all program concentrations can be completed in one of the following ways:
Take one course each term over a total of ten terms (3 years and 1 month).
Take courses at your own pace when it best suits your schedule.
Program Details and Applying
Please note that this year's deadline for Fall 2024 MA-EL program applications is April 1, 2024.
The deadline for program applications to start the MA-EL in Winter 2025 is November 1, 2024.
How much does this program cost?
Please contact our Registrar (academic-registrar@icscanada.edu) for information about the full cost of this program. Funding for professional development might be available from your school. Staff members at a Christian School Foundation (Canada) member schools may also be eligible to receive financial support for the MA-EL. More information about course fees and additional fees can be found on the ICS tuition page, or you can email our Registrar to ask for more detailed information relevant to your specific situation.
Who can apply to this program and how do I apply?
This program is open to current Christian educators who have a four-year baccalaureate degree or its equivalent with an overall average of B+ and proficiency in English.
To apply, complete the application form, write a 500-1000 word purpose statement, provide official transcripts, provide two letters of academic or professional reference and one letter of personal reference, and an academic writing sample or a sample of professional work. Your purpose statement should explain how you see the MA-EL fitting in with your own educational/professional goals. The transcripts should be sent directly to ICS from the issuing school.
MA-EL Application Form Updated.pdfWhat if I have questions?
If you have any questions about how the program works, or would like to know more about costs and requirements—if you have any questions at all, please email the Academic Registrar at academic-registrar@icscanada.edu.
Want to take the next step?
Email the Academic Registrar or the MA-EL Director Dr. Edith van der Boom with your questions.