USC Online Program Prepares Principals and School Leaders

New Master of Education Program Blends Cutting-Edge Digital Platform with School-Based Fieldwork

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education is preparing to launch its new Master of Education in School Leadership program for experienced teachers who want to enter school-level leadership roles, develop skills most valued by K-12 superintendents, and learn to solve authentic problems in real school sites.

The 15-month program's first cohorts will begin in January and September 2013. The immersive online platform, which was first leveraged by USC Rossier's highly successful online Master of Arts in Teaching program, allows full-time working professionals to participate in live, face-to-face online class sessions during the evening hours. The program also features compelling, richly produced self-paced course materials, and an online social networking environment that allows students to interact with instructors and classmates.

The Master of Education in School Leadership program's innovative curriculum was developed under the leadership of USC Rossier Professor Darline Robles, former superintendent of Los Angeles County Office of Education, who engaged a team of education experts nationwide in creating a professional preparation program that focuses the skills, competencies, and dispositions exhibited by highly effective school leaders. These efforts resulted in a thoughtfully integrated curriculum, which challenges students to critically examine contemporary issues, develop effective sustainable school leadership strategies, and gain conceptual, organizational, political, and leadership skills.