Online MA in Leadership Program Overview
Equip yourself to lead an inclusive and vibrant learning community.
The fully online Master of Arts in Leadership offered by the College of Education and Department of Leadership, Research, and Foundations offers multiple tracks: Principal Education License or P-12 Leadership.
This flexible master’s program prepares you for leadership in a variety of educational spaces, focusing on facilitating change in learning communities through collaboration, respect, and equity. From law and policy to engaging families in culturally and linguistically diverse education, this program’s curriculum satisfies requirements of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) while developing you into a dynamic education leader.
Master of Arts in Leadership
College of Education
100% Online
Delivery Method
$710*
Cost Per Credit
*Approximate In-state
$811*
Cost Per Credit
*Approximate Out-of-state
Priority Application Deadline
Rolling Admissions
Application Deadline
30-33
Credit Hours
2 Years
Average Completion Time
MA in Leadership Course Overview
The Master of Arts in Leadership program is designed to help active education professionals earn an advanced degree in partnership with faculty who are outstanding professionals in the field. You will expand your worldview, develop your self-awareness as a leader, and use reflection to facilitate your own personal and professional growth.
This fully online graduate program allows you to continue working without disruption and begin immediately applying what you learn to your current context. During the program, you will participate in both asynchronous sessions and synchronous (live) sessions, group activities, essays, and practicum experience. You will also assemble a portfolio of work.
This online program is taught by faculty who also teach at the Colorado Springs campus. That means you are receiving the same high quality curriculum and instruction as students on campus.
Our student handbook can give you more details on the required coursework along with answers to frequently asked questions about the MA in Leadership and advanced license programs.
You will learn to:
Develop school/district management competencies and leadership strategies
Learn how to guide an educational team by using research and assessing the needs of a school/district community
Create a plan for student success
Explore the political and social implications of schooling
Understand the educational requirements of contributing to a diverse, democratic, multicultural society
Discover how technology can be utilized to enhance management and communication
The Principal Education License track requires 33 credit hours to graduate, which includes nine credits of foundation courses, 21 credits of P-12 leadership cognate courses, and a three-credit practicum course. The practicum course consists of a minimum of 300 clock hours of leadership activities at the elementary, middle, and high school levels supervised by a qualified site mentor in varied settings with educationally, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse populations. A professional portfolio is also required for program completion.
- 33 credit hours
- Approximately 12 months (one year) to completion, maximum of five years to finish the degree
- Apply what you’ve learned in the practicum course (300 hours of leadership activities)
The P-12 Leadership track requires 30 credit hours to graduate, which includes nine credits of foundation courses and 21 credits of P-12 leadership cognate courses. If a student wishes to complete the Principal Education License track, they can add the practicum course (LEAD 6820). This course must be taken within five years of taking the first course for the MA in Leadership program.
- 30 credit hours
- Approximately 12 months (one year) to completion
- Option to complete the Principal Education License by adding one course (must be completed within five years of starting the master’s program)
- LEAD 5170: Collaborative Leadership for Equity and Community Outreach
- Examine how to collaboratively lead, support, and sustain equity in schools by identifying cultural understanding and bias, promoting appropriate pedagogical practices, analyzing community outreach opportunities, and providing just access to services and resources.
- LEAD 5600: Social Foundations of Educational Trends
- Addresses schools and their place in society from a historical, philosophical, and sociological framework. Considers the ways schools have reflected the pervasive inequalities characteristic of American society, as well as the transformational capacity of education, and prospects for reform.
- LEAD 5070: Human Resources Management and Staff Development
- Explore personnel practices, policy development and implementation, and employee-employer relationships. Topics include equal employment and affirmative action, due process procedures, recruitment and retention, performance appraisal of staff, hiring and dismissal processes, staff discipline, and staff development.
Communications Field Career Data
Graduates of the MA in Leadership program are prepared to pursue leadership positions where they can inspire and equip others in their learning community. This includes classroom, building, and district leadership.
The median annual wage for elementary, middle, and high school principals in the United States in 2022 was $101,320, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
After Graduation
With the Principal Education License track, you will be prepared to apply for the Principal License from the Colorado Department of Education. Eligibility for the Principal License includes holding a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally-accredited institution, three years of licensed experience in a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school, passing the Colorado-approved content exam (Praxis 5412), and completion of a program from a regionally-accredited institution for the preparation of principals.
You can also continue your education with a doctoral degree in education, which can prepare you for roles in higher education, government, research, and more.
Take the First Step
Complete the form on this page to be contacted by an Enrollment Advisor.
Tuition and Fees
At UCCS Online, we strive to keep our tuition costs affordable so that you can get a world-class education that fits your budget. When you earn a degree, you’re not simply getting a diploma — you are making a lifelong investment in yourself and empowering your future career.
Our Enrollment Team can answer any of your questions about tuition and financial aid, help you take care of the paperwork, and make sure you’re able to focus on reaching your goals. From financial aid and scholarships to corporate tuition assistance programs, we’ll work with you to find the best way to finance your degree.
This program has a small $60 application fee required upon submission of your application. Please contact an Enrollment Navigator for more information about any costs associated with your application.
Complete the formComplete the form on this page to connect with our Enrollment Team and get more information about tuition, fees, scholarships, and financial aid.
In State Cost Per Credit:
$710
Approximate tuition per credit hour based on the number of credits taken
Out of State Cost Per Credit:
$811
Approximate tuition per credit hour based on the number of credits taken
We know that affordability is an important factor, and that’s why we’re here to help you explore all of the options available to fund your education. Our Enrollment Navigators can answer any of your questions about tuition and financial aid, help you take care of the paperwork, and make sure you’re able to focus on reaching your goals. From financial aid and scholarships to transfer credits and corporate tuition assistance programs, we’ll work with you to find the best way to finance your UCCS Online degree. Complete the formComplete the form on this page to be contacted by an Enrollment Advisor.
Financial aid is available for eligible students to use toward paying educational costs while enrolled in a UCCS Online program. To determine your eligibility and apply for financial aid, you’ll need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When you submit your FAFSA, you will be considered for three types of aid: grants, work-study, and student loans. To be considered for federal financial aid, you will need to apply early and annually.
- Scholarships | You may be eligible for scholarships at UCCS. We offer many scholarships and grants to students who are ready to earn their degrees and achieve success. Between both UCCS-offered and external scholarships, our students earned more than $10 million in scholarship awards last year alone.
UCCS Online is military-friendly and committed to providing service members and their families with a high-quality education that fits their distinct needs. As a UCCS Online student, you will have access to the UCCS Veteran and Military Affairs, which connects veteran, active duty, reservist, National Guard, and dependent students with fundamental support, services, and resources to ensure academic and professional success. UCCS is a proud home campus to many veteran and military students.
Eligible veteran and military students may use veteran benefits, military tuition assistance, and/or financial aid to pay for their education. Military benefits with UCCS Online include:
- Waived application fee for active duty and veterans
- Military benefits approved program
Connect with our Enrollment NavigatorsConnect with our Enrollment Navigators to learn more about the benefits and financial assistance available to military and veteran students.
All students are automatically opted in to the TAAP program with the choice to opt out. The TAAP program provides all your course materials for one flat fee per credit hour. That means no more time spent searching for, ordering, and paying out of pocket for your own course materials.
Many companies offer tuition assistance benefits as part of their employee compensation program. Generally, these policies determine a set number of credit hours per year that the company will pay for on behalf of the student/employee. Some policies place a cap on eligible tuition dollars and related expenses while others reimburse employees on a per-credit-hour basis. Get in touch with your organization's human resources department to learn more about your educational benefits.
Admissions Information
The MA in Leadership program has a rolling admissions process, which means applications are reviewed as they are received. Students can start the program in the fall, spring or summer semesters.
To be considered for this program, you must submit:
- A career goal statement
- Your curriculum vitae or professional résumé
- Tuition classification form
- Three references
- Copies of your professional licenses
- Official transcripts
- A completed application submitted by the posted deadlines below plus a small application fee of $60
The application process also requires an admissions interview along with evidence of English proficiency for international applicants.
Start the application process by filling out the formfilling out the form on this page.
UCCS accepts applications throughout the year through a rolling admissions process. However, submitting your application by the preferred deadlines is advisable.
Our stated application deadlines are as follows, but we admit students up to a week before the semester starts. We have also started admitting students mid-semester before Session B begins.
- Fall Semester: August 1
- Spring Semester: November 1
- Summer Semester: May 1
- Summer 2025 – June 9, 2025
- Fall 2025 – August 25, 2025
- Spring 2026 – January 20, 2026
MA Leadership Success Stories
My experience consisted of a constant state of learning, self-reflection, and transformative personal growth as a future leader. I am incredibly grateful to the amazing educational leaders who not only challenged me to expand my thinking but forced me to reflect constantly on my core values as an educator. My growth leaped forward every week because of the collaborative environment created in the program, and the critical thinking from peers in my cohort.
– Cory U., Alum, MA in Leadership
Expand Your Opportunities
Earn an education that creates opportunity. Start the admissions process with an enrollment advisor by filling out the form on this page today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
We know going back to school as a full-time professional can be challenging, but online learning at UCCS offers the benefit of flexibility, with the option of taking a course load that meets your needs. This program can be completed in as few as 12 months if you take a full course load. Students have a maximum of five years to complete the program and can take up to four courses per semester.
UCCS’s Master of Arts in Leadership program can prepare you both for leadership excellence in your education community and application to the Principal License from the Colorado Department of Education (see the Principal Education License track). Your master’s degree can also increase your earning potential and open doors to greater professional fulfillment in the years ahead, making it well worth the effort and time you will invest.
During fall and spring terms, courses range from 6-16 weeks long.
The student-to-faculty ratio for the MA in Leadership program can vary but is typically 15:1.
It typically takes two weeks following receipt of your completed application for the committee to make an admissions decision and notify you. Because this is a rolling admissions process, applications are reviewed as soon as they are received, so the sooner you apply, the sooner you will receive a notification about your admissions.
A 300-hour practicum in your home community is required for the Principal Education Licensure track of the MA in Leadership program.
Online learning will offer you the flexibility to study at the best place and time for you. You can choose a sustainable pace for your lifestyle, which can help you consider your career, family, and other commitments outside of school.
Additionally, at UCCS Online, our online programs are taught by the same faculty who teach on campus, which means you are earning the same high quality degree as traditional students, and your diploma will not mention that your degree was earned online.
You can estimate your cost of tuition through UCCS’s Estimate Your Bill tool.