Master’s in Educational Administration: Christian Education Emphasis
Spread Your Love of Faith Through Christian Education Administration
For those with a teaching heart who enjoy helping others develop a deeper understanding of the Bible and the principles of Christian faith, the Master of Education (MEd) in Educational Administration with an Emphasis in Christian Education may be a good fit for you.
This master’s degree from Grand Canyon University is a licensure program designed for teachers or administrators interested in careers as Christian educational leaders in the pre-K–12 setting.
The principles of this Christian education leadership program are designed to instill the essential skills and knowledge needed to emerge as a transformative leader in your community and church, fostering human flourishing within educational environments. Furthermore, this program can lay a foundation for pursuing licensure in education-related fields.
If you enjoy teaching others to embrace the life-changing power of God’s Word and seeing how the life of Christ can transform lives, we invite you to explore this program further.
Focus Your MEd Studies in Christian Administration
This program aims to help prepare you to serve as an educator in Christian schools and various educational contexts, emphasizing the harmonization of faith and learning throughout your teaching practice. You will be taught strategies to integrate faith seamlessly into your educational environment.
Geared toward Christian teacher training, this master’s program provides a solid foundation in the following skills:
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Analyze Concepts and Issues in Education
Knowledgeable faculty will teach you the educational administration skills necessary to apply appropriate and critical inquiry strategies, such as inductive and deductive reasoning, analysis, evaluation and synthesis, and how they align with our Christian worldview. Our faith-integrated curriculum courses focus on handling ethical concepts ranging from legal requirements that are specific to the Christian school-to-school governance and court decisions that govern Christian schools.
Emphasis is placed on:
- Advocacy
- Character education
- Current education and Christian education trends
- Legislative processes
- Best practices in Christian school organizational structures
You’ll be instructed how to become an educational leader who examines a school’s mission and vision to promote the Christian Worldview. Through data use, design technology, implementation and evaluation, strong emphasis is placed on developing your leader characteristics, modeling and advocating for ethical behavior, while promoting a Christian community and worldview.
Educational administration with a focus on Christian school finance is a vital component of this master’s degree, contributing to schools and institutions in helping to ensure they have the resources for effective education delivery.
This master’s degree covers education and Christian school finance topics, such as:
- Financial aspects of school improvements while managing change
- Pre-K–12 education issues and practices that affect the school’s operation
- Funding and budgeting of Christian schools
- Ethical and professional behaviors
Explore ethics, best practices and legal requirements unique to Christian education administration in this master's degree. Emphasis is focused on ethical decision-making.
Upon completing the MEd in educational administration, you can expect to engage in evaluating relevant laws and court decisions affecting Christian schools, along with opportunities for personal spiritual growth and character development, including the following:
- School law
- Student and family rights in public schools
- Religious expression in public schools
- Public schools and students with disabilities
- School safety and tort liability
- Advocacy
- Legislative processes
This program will teach you how to embrace your critical role in creating and sustaining a positive school culture and shared vision in Christian education leadership positions. While being presented with diverse settings, contexts and leadership situations, you have the opportunity to learn the necessary skills to manage and cultivate positive relationships with students, families and the community that promote success.
Experienced faculty will guide you toward achieving equitable, respectful and responsive leadership styles that can help prepare you to meet the needs of all individuals, regardless of their background or differences. Through cultural competency training, differentiated instruction strategies and creating a supportive learning environment, you can work toward becoming a leader who creates a welcoming and inclusive environment where all individuals feel valued, respected and are given an equal opportunity to succeed.
Career Paths With an MEd in Educational Administration: Christian Education Emphasis
This master’s degree program empowers teachers and administrators to deepen their knowledge and refine their leadership skills in Christian pre-K–12 education.
You will be presented with the chance to graduate prepared for a variety of careers, including one in education and childcare or school administrators (preschool, daycare, K-12 and postsecondary levels). Graduates of this program may also go on to pursue careers that involve:
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Study Christian Education From an Accredited University
This degree can lead future educators into Christ-centered educational experiences and careers that consider the principles of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). This degree can help you work toward ACSI accreditation if this is a goal.
Additionally, the College of Education at GCU is a member in good standing with the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). GCU has also been institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1968. Visit our university accreditation page for information about the HLC and how it can serve you.
Master’s in Educational Administration: Christian Education Emphasis FAQs
Deciding which master’s degree to pursue is a big decision and commitment. To help make your decision easier, GCU has provided answers to your most frequently asked questions.
Courses in advanced Christian education are typically designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of Christian education, as well as the skills and knowledge necessary in the field. For instance, this MEd is designed to help you reflect on personal spiritual formations and character development, analyze best practices for the structure of Christian schools, and articulate ethical and professional behavior when dealing with the funds, governance and structure of a school’s environment.
Starting a Christian education program can be a fulfilling way to share your faith with others and make a positive impact in your community. By focusing your MEd studies on Christian education, this can be a pathway to educating others with faith-integrated curriculum. Once you have your degree, you’ll want to define your mission and goals, choose a curriculum, gain necessary approvals (i.e., location) and start planning for your career journey. With the right planning and dedication, sharing your faith and helping others grow in their spiritual journey can provide several benefits.
Christian education in schools can offer an education that helps you grow academically, morally and spiritually. They can offer several benefits, including:1
- Strong moral values
- Focus on character development
- Spiritual development
- Sense of community
- Academic excellence
Although both programs may share some common elements, they are distinct in their focus and the type of knowledge and skills they emphasize. This Master of Educational Administration with an emphasis on Christian education focuses on the administration of educational institutions, particularly those with a Christian mission and philosophy. It includes courses on:
- Curriculum theory
- Development, policy
- Assessment data and analysis
- Crisis and change
- School law
- Finance
- Management
- Character development
In addition, our MA degree in Christian leadership focuses specifically on leadership within a Christian context, including ministerial ethics, practical theology and leading through conflict. This degree program typically includes courses in leadership theory, management philosophies and biblical hermeneutics and does not lead to licensure.
Deepen your knowledge, refine your leadership skills and make a lasting difference in Christian pre-K–12 schools.
If you are seeking licensure/certification, please refer to the Accreditation and Compliance/State disclosures link for the specific program of interest’s website for your location and/or employment state licensure requirements, per 34 CFR 668.14(b)32 and 668.43(c).
This degree, offered by the College of Education, is a regionally accredited program approved by the State of Arizona. It aligns with the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL, 2015) led by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA, 2018).
1 Cornerstone Christian School. (2019, Aug. 29). The (Priceless) Benefits of a Christian Education. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
Core Courses
Course Description
This course begins by acquainting candidates with the learning management system while preparing them to be successful graduate-level students and future educational leaders. With a programmatic focus on developing leaders, this course examines school missions and visions that promote the values of equity, diversity, and community, with an emphasis on a leader’s character development, modeling and advocating for ethical behavior, and leadership.
Course Description
This course introduces candidates to the laws and policies governing and relating to PK-12 education in the United States. A broad range of topics will be examined including the values of democracy, individual freedom, and responsibility, as well as equity, social justice, community, and diversity within the educational community. Focus is on the principal’s role in ethical decision-making and implementing laws, rights, policies, and regulations to improve outcomes for all students.
Course Description
This course focuses on legal requirements unique to the Christian school. Emphasis is placed on school governance and the rights and issues associated with employees and students as well as pertinent laws and court decisions that govern Christian schools. Emphasis is also placed on advocacy, trends, the legislative process, and analyzing best practices for various organizational structures of Christian schools.
Course Description
This course examines PK-12 education finance with a fundamental focus on issues and practices that directly affect the operation of the school and local education agency (LEA). Candidates will be exposed to the regulations encompassed in the Uniform System of Financial Records (USFR) and the implications of these regulations at the school site level. School finance topics related to education at the federal, state, and local levels will be examined. Candidates will explore financial aspects of school improvement while managing change.
Course Description
This course focuses on the funding and budgeting of Christian schools. Topics include funding sources, including tuition, capital campaigns, and public funds. Emphasis is placed on ethical and professional behavior in the areas of funding and financial governance in Christian schools. Best practices and sound fiscal approaches to starting, developing, and operating Christian schools are also addressed. Prerequisite: CEA-517.
Course Description
This course emphasizes the critical role of the leader in creating and sustaining a positive school culture and shared vision. Given diverse settings, contexts, and leadership situations, candidates will explore how to manage and cultivate productive relationships with students, families, and the educational community that promote student development and success. Emphasis is placed on effective communication with community stakeholders in a variety of contexts.
Course Description
This course focuses on the foundations of creating and maintaining a Christian school environment through best practices for various organizational structures of Christian schools. Topics include spiritual practices, managing internal and external stakeholders, conflict resolution, and relational leadership. Emphasis is placed on personal spiritual formation and character development, as well as the creation and promotion of a philosophy of Christian education that is solidly based on biblical principles.
Course Description
This course explores critical organizational and management issues faced by school principals. Topics explored include recruiting, selecting, and hiring, to build a quality work force to support school improvement. Focus also includes managing and allocating resources, including technology that supports equity and digital literacy to all learners. Candidates also explore promoting a school mission and vision to support school community safety and learning.
Course Description
This course prepares candidates to become effective instructional leaders in the evaluation of school-wide curricular programs to promote continuous school improvement. Focus is placed on evaluating academic and non-academic practices, services, and curricula to ensure cultural responsiveness, character education and development, equity, and accessibility based on data-driven analysis.
Course Description
This course focuses on curriculum and instruction from a Christian worldview. Emphasis is placed on illuminating biblical truth in the overall curriculum planning and daily instruction in academic content areas. Modeling Christlike values and servant leadership on the school campus as well as to the broader community is also addressed.
Course Description
This course prepares candidates to develop and promote best practices in emerging trends and initiatives in support of teacher self-efficacy and retention. Topics will explore coaching and mentoring in alignment to the teacher coaching cycle of observation, evaluation, and providing actionable feedback for teacher improvement. Emphasis is placed on creating a collaborative professional culture that promotes equity, cultural responsiveness, and the success and well-being of all stakeholders.
Course Description
This course prepares candidates to promote effective and safe learning environments to support school improvement initiatives. Research-based best practices in establishing a consistent, organized, and respectful learning environment will be explored. Emphasis is placed on equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive practices. Character education is addressed to support the social, emotional, and behavioral well-being of all school community stakeholders, and to sustain a positive learning environment.
Course Description
This course prepares candidates to become effective building-level instructional leaders who are able to supervise, support and evaluate school staff in a manner that promotes character education, character development, reflection and self-awareness, equity, cultural responsiveness, and distributed leadership. Emphasis is placed on promoting professional dispositions and norms that support equity, inclusion, and educational success.
Course Description
The internship experience and course content bridge program knowledge and skills with a focus on observing, participating, and leading. Principal candidates will apply building-level leadership skills in a clinical practice designed to facilitate the candidate's ultimate success in improving the outcomes for all students as a school leader. Practicum/field experience hours: 100. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisites: EAD-507, EAD-517, and EAD-527.
Course Description
The internship experience and course content bridge program knowledge and skills with a focus on observing, participating, and leading. Principal candidates will apply building-level leadership skills in a clinical practice designed to facilitate the candidate's ultimate success in improving the outcomes for all students as a school leader. Practicum/field experience hours: 100. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisite: EAD-570.
Course Description
The internship experience and course content bridge program knowledge and skills with a focus on observing, participating, and leading. Principal candidates will apply building-level leadership skills in a clinical practice designed to facilitate the candidate's ultimate success in improving the outcomes for all students as a school leader. Practicum/field experience hours: 100. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisites: Successful completion of all courses in POS and content area; a 3.0 GPA and approval and placement by College of Education Office of Field Experience.
- GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
- Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
- Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change
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