Frequently Asked Questions

Can you please explain the hybrid model?
The MA is structured to support the busy professional educator with a hybrid class meeting schedule. In June, you will have face-to-face on-campus classes that will build relationships within your cohort. Then during the school year, you will meet weekly for job-embedded virtual classes.

When do the June face-to-face classes meet?
The first set of summer classes occur during the summer immersion experience (aka summer intensive) on Baylor's beautiful campus at the end of June. Students will arrive the afternoon of the first day, check in to dorms and participate in dinner to launch the experience. The following ten days (with days of rest from class on Juneteenth and Sunday), students will spend their days and evenings together sharing meals, experiences, expertise, seminal readings, and meaningful expertise. This supports the virtual collaboration that occurs through the weekly synchronous online classes that happen throughout the school year. The second summer, students return to campus for five days at the end of June for their final class before the Capstone.

Does this program prepare me for Texas Principal Certification?
Yes! If you are a Texas educator with at least two years of classroom experience, you will be prepared to take the Texas Principal Certification (268) Exam and the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) at the conclusion of the program. Public and independent school educators can both complete the requirements for Texas principal certification. The independent school educators need site supervisors who have their Texas principal certification to supervise their 160-hour internship to complete certification requirements. Approximately half our students are in the Texas principal certification track.

I am not a public school educator, is this still a good program for me?
Yes! The MA in School Leadership offers preparation for emerging school leaders in both public and independent school settings. Through the dual-track cohort model, all candidates will complete four core classes together. The tracks —one for Texas principal certification preparation and one for independent school leaders — split for four classes. Both tracks complete the internship and Capstone based in their respective contexts. We feel that this model allows for effective learning across and within school sectors.

How long does this program take to complete?
18 months! The program begins in June, meets the fall and spring of the first year, then the summer and fall of the second year. Coursework is complete in one year and the final six months of the program are for Capstone completion for everyone and Texas principal certification for students seeking that certification. In summary, students begin in June and graduate December of their second year.

What is the cost?
The full cost of tuition is $23,000 for a graduate degree from a private, Christian, Tier 1 research university. Tuition is paid by trimester based on the number of credit hours. (Tuition rates subject to change annually).

You will pay tuition as follows:

SUMMER 1 = 9 credit hours X $750 per credit hour +$100 supply fee = $6,850 (due May 31)
FALL 1 = 7 credit hours X $750 per credit hour +$100 supply fee = $5,350 (due August 31)
SPRING 1 = 8 credit hours X $750 per credit hour +$100 supply fee = $6,100 (due January 31)
SUMMER 2 = 3 credit hours X $750 per credit hour +$100 supply fee = $2,350 (due May 31)
FALL 2 = 3 credit hours X $750 per credit hour +$100 supply fee = $2,350 (due August 31)

Baylor One Stop offers payment plans and you can also file with FAFSA for financial aid.

Are there scholarships available?
Yes! Through the generosity of a donor, our program offers some $5,000-10,000 scholarships that are available after the first week of class. The application will open, and details will be explained the first week of class in June.

You can also look into outside Baylor Scholarship options at Scholarship Universe.

How does the internship work?
During the fall and spring trimester of the first year, students will document 160 hours of internship experience with an administrator in their current school. More details are shared during one of our many interest meetings offered before the program begins.