WCU’s NC School Executive Leadership Program (NCSELP) includes the Masters in School Administration. The application deadline is May 1 for students to be admitted each fall. Two key pillars of our program are 1) developing formal school leaders with a lens for equity and social justice and, 2) teaching scholar-practitioners to use Improvement Science to analyze the root cause of problems and lead teams to address problems in schools and school systems.
Designated a Distance/Online Program, WCU’s MSA is among the most affordable pathways to principal licensure in NC. However, we bring students together for four Saturdays per semester (once a month) for in-person/hybrid classes at WCU’s Instructional Site in Asheville, NC. Our in-person learning, and relationships then transfer into our online learning environment, allowing students to grow and support one another within their cohort. As students seek to become formal school leaders, the value of collaboration and networking with peers working toward the same academic and career goals is incredibly beneficial.
In addition to our MSA, WCU is one of a few universities in the state that has a NC Principal Fellows Program (PFP). The PFP is a competitive, merit‐based scholarship loan program funded by the North Carolina General Assembly. Principal Fellows are “tapped” and supported by their school districts. PFP at WCU is an intensive two-year Master's program that includes graduate classes, travel conferences, individual coaching, and a 10-month full-time, paid assistant principal internship during which Fellows take a leave of absence from their districts. Students' tuition, textbooks, and other expenses are covered. The grant is in the form of a forgivable loan. If the Fellow is not employed in a qualified formal leadership position within 27 months of graduation, cash repayment will begin. The loan must be repaid through service within 7 years of program completion; or cash payment must be complete within 10 years of program completion.
We invite you to learn more at any Graduate School Virtual Open House for Biltmore Park Instructional Site Programs.
LEARN MORE about our NCSELP (MSA) Program