Online Ed.S. in School Admin. and Supervision

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Credit Hours

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Next Start Dates: January 19, 2026 | February 16, 2026 | March 23, 2026

Lead and Inspire with an Online EdS in Educational Leadership

As an educator in the field, you can inspire and mentor others in their educational journeys. But while you may be ready to take your training and credentials to the next level with education leadership skills, earning a full doctorate may not fit your current needs. That’s why Liberty University designed the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership – to help you get the skills and knowledge to be a leader in your school district and community.

By earning an Education Specialist degree in educational leadership from Liberty University, you can gain the training you need to create an enhanced learning environment for all students, regardless of their background or education level. Your educational leadership degree doesn’t just have the potential to change your life; it can change the lives of countless others as you train to become a better mentor and leader.

At Liberty, we Train Champions for Christ, which means our online Ed.S. program in educational leadership focuses on helping you get the tools you need to lead with distinction and integrity. When you partner with us, your online Ed.S. degree program has a purpose: to help you make a positive impact on the world by investing in your students’ success and well-being.

No matter where or in what position you lead, our online Ed.S. degree in educational leadership can give you the foundation you need to make the impact you always knew you could.

Your officially conferred degree name will be Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership.

Please note: Students enrolling in Educational Leadership programs after April 1, 2020, will not be eligible to receive Georgia Tier I or Tier II Educational Leadership Certification.

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600+ Online Degrees
No Standardized Testing for Admission
Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Top 10 Reasons to Choose Liberty

Why Choose Liberty’s Education Specialist – Educational Leadership Online Degree Program?

As an educator, you strive for excellence and challenging educational experiences – which may be why you’re considering an Education Specialist degree. At Liberty, we too are dedicated to excellence, and we offer rigorous academic programs to help you reach your full potential. With our Educational Specialist degree online programs, you can have access to the same quality education we provide our residential students from the comfort of your own home.

We have been pioneering distance learning since 1985 and have used that experience to develop a flexible and affordable Ed.S. degree program that meets your needs. As a 100% online degree, our Educational Specialist program allows you to further your education without relocating. Because this Ed.S. in instructional leadership degree also has no set login times, you have the ability to maintain your family, career, and community responsibilities while earning your degree.

What Will You Study with Our Online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership Degree Program?

Our faculty members have real-world experience as educators, just like you. They know you need practical theories and methods you can use, as well as opportunities to implement what you learn.

Our instructors will teach you how to apply the latest research and learning theories at a variety of levels, so you can create a better learning environment for your students – whether you lead in the classroom or an administrative role. Our professors are dedicated to mentorship, so you can get the support you need as you rise to a new level of leadership in education.

In our online Education Specialist degree program, you will explore the complexities that diversity and exceptionality bring to the classroom, as well as how to motivate all learners. You can also explore the historical and social foundations of education as you study how to better communicate with the public as an education leader. We also know your degree should be tailored to your needs, so you’ll have the opportunity to select a few elective classes and study what matters most to you.

Potential Career Opportunities

College administrator
Curriculum specialist
Instructional supervisor
K-12 or college teacher
School administrator

Upon completion of our Education Specialist online program, you will have an advanced, postgraduate degree that can help you pursue leadership roles in K-12 and higher education or advanced, higher-order development of curriculum.

The education leadership area of study can help you gain advanced expertise in administrative roles in education. The skills and knowledge you can gain from our online Ed.S. degree may provide opportunities in private or public schools, third-party curriculum development, or learning tool development companies.

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Tuition & Aid

At Liberty University, a private Christian education is less expensive than you think. Over the last 10 years, Liberty University’s Online Program has only raised its standard tuition costs by less than 5% – and most of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2025 when compared to our leading online competitors.

EdS and EdD Full Time	$610/Credit
EdS and EdD Part Time	$675/Credit
Military EdS and EdD	$375/Credit

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Admission Information for Our Online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership Degree

Admission Requirements

Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.

Transcript Policies

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.

Admissions Office Contact Information

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Start Online Application

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

Active Duty
Reserve/National Guard
Veterans/Retirees
Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

Tuition discounts – $375 per credit hour for EdS and EdD courses
8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Frequently Asked Questions for the Online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership

What is an Ed.S. degree?

An Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree is designed to provide students with training in scholarship and research at a doctoral level. The focus of the Ed.S. degree is to build practical skills with advanced expertise in a specialized area of education studies. Education specialists can focus on a large number of advanced topics, such as special education, teaching technology, education administration, and higher education.

An Ed.S. degree can help prepare you for future doctoral studies while also building the skills and knowledge you need to be more effective in the field right away. Liberty University’s Ed.S. program is especially flexible, allowing graduates to transfer in up to 27 credit hours of their Ed.S. studies into a full doctoral degree.

If you are looking for a way to gain advanced education skills in a highly specialized area but are not ready to commit to a full doctorate program, then Liberty’s educational leadership specialist degree can help you.

Is an Ed.S. degree considered a doctorate?

While the content of Ed.S. degrees and doctorates is postgraduate level, Education Specialist degrees are not doctorates because they do not meet the full requirements for length, content, and research required for a terminal degree. These requirements are dependent on accreditation requirements and industry standards.

However, Ed.S. degrees fill an important need for education professionals who need advanced skills and research in a concise, focused program. Because the courses you take in an Ed.S. degree are postgraduate level, you can also move on from this program to one of Liberty University’s full doctorate degrees in education while transferring up to 27 credit hours of your coursework.

What can I do with an educational leadership degree?

If you are a teacher or school administrator, you know that there are unique concerns and challenges in the school setting that are very different from business or other fields. To advance your career in the field of education, you need leadership and management skills that can help you build strategic plans, manage educational resources, and administrate complex organizations.

Liberty’s Ed.S. in Educational Leadership is designed to give you these skills. By choosing an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership online with Liberty University, you’re choosing an advanced credential that can help you pursue roles in K-12 school administration, higher education leadership, education policymaking, and other roles that require an expert-level background in education research.

What is the difference between an Education Specialist degree vs. a master’s degree?

Education Specialist degrees build on graduate studies from a master’s degree. If you have a master’s degree, you have a baseline of research, writing, and study that can help you tackle the advanced education topics in the Ed.S. If your master’s degree is in education, you may have completed licensure requirements as part of your practical studies.

But even if you are already an established professional in the field of education, the postgraduate studies in the Ed.S. degree can help you develop new expertise in postgraduate research and education studies. With these new skills, you can pursue higher levels of leadership in education and make a greater impact on students. The best part is that your postgraduate studies can transfer to a full doctorate later, allowing you to apply your new skills sooner while leaving the door open to a terminal degree.

What is the difference between an Ed.S. vs. PhD?

While the Ed.S. emphasizes advanced research and scholarship in education, it is not a complete doctoral degree. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a terminal doctorate that includes a dissertation research project. While not built as a full doctoral degree, Liberty University’s Education Specialist degree is designed to equip you with research skills and exceptional scholarship that may form the basis for future dissertation research.

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Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership Lead with Integrity

Lead and Inspire with an Online EdS in Educational Leadership

What Sets Us Apart?

Why Choose Liberty’s Education Specialist – Educational Leadership Online Degree Program?

What Will You Study with Our Online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership Degree Program?

Potential Career Opportunities

Featured Courses

Degree Information

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Tuition & Aid

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Admission Information for Our Online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership Degree

Admission Requirements

Preliminary Acceptance

Transcript Policies

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Frequently Asked Questions for the Online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership

What is an Ed.S. degree?

Is an Ed.S. degree considered a doctorate?

What can I do with an educational leadership degree?

What is the difference between an Education Specialist degree vs. a master’s degree?

What is the difference between an Ed.S. vs. PhD?

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