Winston School of Education and Social Policy

Online Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS)

Girard School of Business

Winston School of Education and Social Policy

School of Health Sciences

School of Liberal Arts

School of Science and Engineering

Online Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Educational Leadership

Gain advanced skills, in-depth training and credentials for school leadership licensure in Massachusetts.

Apply Now

Request Info

Finish in as few as 18 months. Apply today!

Merrimack students working together on a tablet.

Graduate Virtual Information Session

Thursday, February 25, 2021, at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Join us for a Virtual Information Session to learn more about our graduate programs, hear directly from program directors and chat with admissions representatives.

CAGS in Educational Leadership: Why Merrimack College?

Merrimack’s online Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Educational Leadership offers targeted professional training for teachers, principals, district-level administrators and other educators who already hold a master’s degree. Our educational leadership certificate excels for its:

Customized curriculum.

You can tailor Merrimack’s online educational leadership CAGS to focus on administration, teaching, counseling, curriculum, or any other aspect of school leadership. The program includes separate licensure and non-licensure tracks, as well as optional Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL) preparation.

Robust field experience.

If you’re seeking licensure, the CAGS in educational leadership includes a 500-hour supervised practicum in a Massachusetts public school. In addition, all students complete a self-designed capstone project involving in-depth research or fieldwork.

Committed faculty.

You’ll learn from highly accomplished, attentive educational leaders and academicians. Merrimack’s high-touch online format encourages close collaboration, so you can build strong relationships with faculty and peers even as you work independently.

Transformational impact.

Like all of Merrimack College’s education graduate programs, the CAGS in educational leadership empowers educators to powerfully influence the communities they serve. You’ll gain the ability to enact reforms, generate progress and achieve transformation at all levels, from individual students to entire districts.

Convenience and affordability.

The online CAGS in educational leadership is designed for working professionals with full-time jobs. You can take up to 24 months to finish the program, working at a comfortable pace that fits your schedule and your budget. Upon admission to the educational leadership graduate program, you’ll automatically be considered for a scholarship based on financial need and academic merit.

Program Format

Online

Scholarships

Learn More

Start Term

Summer 2021
Apply by May 17, 2021
Fall 2021
Apply by Aug 2021 (TBA)
Spring 2022
Application opens this summer

Develop Relevant, Practical Educational Leadership Skills

Merrimack’s online CAGS in educational leadership equips you to address challenges and solve problems. You’ll explore the most current issues facing educators in Massachusetts and nationwide, acquiring practical tools to improve student performance, teacher effectiveness and school- or district-level outcomes.

All students will complete core coursework in advanced educational leadership, collaborative leadership, educational policy & law, and engagement of family and community stakeholders. Depending on your career objectives, you can build additional expertise in educational leadership topics such as:

School Finance and Operations
Counseling
Teacher development

School improvement
Diverse learners

Mental health
Data gathering and analysis

Take the Next Step in Your Educational Leadership Career

The educational leadership CAGS is intended for experienced professionals who seek initial licensure in educational leadership, as well as licensed educational leaders who desire an advanced or specialized leadership role. The program includes a separate track for students who seek only to complete Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL) requirements in preparation for administrative licensure.

Depending on your educational role and level of experience, the CAGS in educational leadership can provide a foundation for a broad range of careers, including:

Principal
Assistant principal
Department head
Teacher leader

Curriculum director
Head counselor
District coordinator
Special education director

Program evaluator
Assessment director
Educational researcher

Merrimack College Jessica McCarthy, Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs for the School of Educati...

Want to Learn More about the CAGS in Educational Leadership?

Contact the Merrimack College Office of Graduate Admission at graduate@merrimack.edu.

Schedule an Informational Call with the Assistant Dean

Send Me Info

Here’s how to get more information about Merrimack College’s online Certificate of Advanced Educational Study (CAGS) in Educational Leadership.

Loading…

Scholarships

All students admitted to the educational leadership CAGS program are automatically considered for scholarships.

Learn More

How to Apply

Create your own account. Apply to start your Certificate of Advanced Educational Study (CAGS) in Educational Leadership today.

Create Your Account

<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/22294_Deans_and_Presidents_Twitter.rev.1613756422.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/academics/polices_procedures/deans-and-presidents-list/"><h3>Merrimack College Announces Fall 2020 Dean’s and President’s Lists</h3></a> <p/></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/22294_Deans_and_Presidents_Twitter.rev.1613756422.jpg" alt="The top part of Merrimack College church steeple."/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21759_MC-logo-only.rev.1599138227.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="https://www.merrimack.edu/about/offices_services/communications/notable-quotable/"><h3>See What Our Talented Faculty Have Been Up To</h3></a> <p>Merrimack professors across all disciplines have been winning awards, publishing papers, participating in academic panels and workshops, and featured in the media. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21759_MC-logo-only.rev.1599138227.jpg" alt="Merrimack College logo with shield"/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21380_F5_Janet_Ierardi_Twitter.rev.1588791908.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4921-faculty-fast-five-with-janet-ierardi"><h3>Faculty Fast Five with Janet Ierardi</h3></a> <p>In this week’s edition of “Fast Five: Quick Q&As with Members of the Merrimack Community,” we talk to obstetrics nurse and associate clinical professor of nursing Janet Ierardi who teaches in the <a href="/nursing">nursing program at Merrimack</a>. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21380_F5_Janet_Ierardi_Twitter.rev.1588791908.jpg" alt="The first in her family to attend college, Janet Ierardi has been teaching nursing for more than 15 years and tells her students to "squeeze every drop out of learning.""/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/22254_band1.rev.1612985404.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/5009-bring-on-the-merrimack-college-marching-band"><h3>Bring on the Merrimack College Marching Band</h3></a> <p>Merrimack has launched its inaugural marching band to accompany the College’s Division I athletic program. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/22254_band1.rev.1612985404.jpg" alt="The Merrimack College Marching Band launched with 40 members and plans to grow to around 100 members who will provide entertainment at Merrimack’s Division I sports events."/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21758_rickey-caldwell.rev.1599077275.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4947-merrimack-college-awarded-nsf-grant-for-machs"><h3>Merrimack College Awarded NSF Grant for MACHS Scholars Program</h3></a> <p>Merrimack secures NSF grant for new STEM program to support high-achieving, low-income students. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21758_rickey-caldwell.rev.1599077275.jpg" alt="Principal Investigator Dr. Rickey Caldwell, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering"/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1920,1080/ignore_cropper/1/21260_MC_Church1.rev.1587317585.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="https://www.merrimack.edu/covid-19/addressing-financial-hardships/index.php"><h3>Merrimack Establishes Student Emergency Fund</h3></a> <p>As a testament to our Augustinian value of service to others and in the wake of this ongoing health crisis, Merrimack has established the Student Emergency Fund to assist those students who are facing additional financial hurdles due to COVID-19. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1920,1080/ignore_cropper/1/21260_MC_Church1.rev.1587317585.jpg" alt="Merrimack church"/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21675_LM-FF.rev.1594916487.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4940-alumni-fast-five-with-nurse-lauren-maher-16"><h3>Alumni Fast Five with Nurse Lauren Maher ’16</h3></a> <p>In this week’s edition of “Fast Five: Quick Q&As with Members of the Merrimack Community,” we talk to alumnus Lauren Maher ’16. Lauren shares her path to becoming a nurse, how Merrimack influenced her career choice and how she’d like to come back and share her knowledge with current nursing students. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21675_LM-FF.rev.1594916487.jpg" alt="Merrimack alumnus and nurse Lauren Maher '16 advises students to know they don't have to have it all figured out while they are in college."/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2071/ignore_cropper/1/21746_DSC_6585.rev.1598540033.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4948-merrimack-offers-new-global-pandemics-course-about"><h3>Merrimack Offers New Global Pandemics Course About COVID-19</h3></a> <p>Merrimack’s new course Global Pandemics: Challenges and Opportunities in the Context of COVID-19 offers students the opportunity to examine COVID-19 through the lens of multiple fields of study and practice. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2071/ignore_cropper/1/21746_DSC_6585.rev.1598540033.jpg" alt="Students in Global Pandemics: Challenges and Opportunities in the Context of COVID-19 will learn about the economics of pandemics, post-pandemic recoveries and more. "/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/22293_lawrencebus1.rev.1613707763.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/5012-merrimacks-early-college-program-expands"><h3>Merrimack’s Early College Program Expands Opportunities for Underserved Students</h3></a> <p>Early College programs in Massachusetts, including <a href="/pioneer-scholars">Merrimack’s partnership with Lawrence High School</a>, address educational equity and economic recovery. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/22293_lawrencebus1.rev.1613707763.jpg" alt="In 2017, Merrimack College advanced its longstanding commitment to the City of Lawrence through the creation of the Early College Program, a unique dual enrollment program that enables high school students from Lawrence to earn college credits on Merrimack’s campus. "/></div></div></div></div></div></section>

Online Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS)

Online Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Educational Leadership

Finish in as few as 18 months. Apply today!

Graduate Virtual Information Session

Thursday, February 25, 2021, at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

CAGS in Educational Leadership: Why Merrimack College?

Customized curriculum.

Robust field experience.

Committed faculty.

Transformational impact.

Convenience and affordability.

Program Format

Scholarships

Start Term

Develop Relevant, Practical Educational Leadership Skills

Take the Next Step in Your Educational Leadership Career

Want to Learn More about the CAGS in Educational Leadership?

Send Me Info

Scholarships

How to Apply

Request More Info

Visit Our Campus

Apply Now!