Native American Innovative Leadership (NAIL)—
Educational Leadership & Special Education
Administration Interdisciplinary MA w/ Licensure

NAIL Academic Program Coordinator

Linda Vogel, Ph.D.
linda.vogel@unco.edu
(970) 351-2119

This program is 39 credit hours, which are completed online in 8 academic terms (less than 3 years).

Participants must enroll in a minimum of 3 credit hours per semester and maintain a 3.0 G.P.A. to remain in the program (those receiving various financial aid may need to maintain 9 hours for any term in which they are receiving aid – nine credit hours are offered each term). Program must be completed within five years from beginning the first course.

Participants must complete a minimum of 360 clock hours of internship experiences (internships also contribute to acquired credit hours) to earn a Colorado Principal Licensure.Note: this program will prepare graduates for Principal Licensure in Colorado. Residents of other states may be eligible for reciprocal recognition or your advisor will work with you on state-specific licensure requirement needs.

Participants must earn a passing grade on a Comprehensive Exam in the final semester of their program of study. The exam will be in essay format and ask participants to apply the knowledge they have gained in their coursework to practical leadership situations.

Course of Study

Internship experiences for course credit will be completed by participants in their home schools to expand their leadership in their current school context, and you will be encouraged to dialogue with practicing Native American educators who can serve as mentors. The coursework uses materials that specifically address Native American student learning styles, language, and culture to increase the instructional leadership capabilities of participants. An emphasis is placed on balancing Native and non-Native learning expectations, building upon cultural assets, and maximizing parental and community involvement to support student achievement.

	Fall	Spring	Summer
Year 1	ELPS 601 Leadership Development  Through Inquiry (3)	EDSE 718 Advanced Seminar in Education of Students with Hearing and/or Visual Handicaps (3)	ELPS 603 Shaping Organizations: Management and Leadership in Education (3)
			* MA-only: SRM 600 Introduction to Graduate Research (3) * EdS-only: SRM 670 Evaluation: Models & Designs (3)
Year 2	ELPS 654 Instructional Leadership and Supervision  (3)	ELPS 650 School Finance and Budgeting (3)	ELPS 604 Understanding People: Professional Development and Educational Leadership (3)
	EDSE 680 Administration & Evaluation of Special Ed (3)	EDSE 681 Administrative Planning & Program Evaluation in Special Ed (3)	ELPS 670 The Principalship: Leadership at the School Site Level (3)
Year 3	ELPS 660 Law the Administrator (3)	EDSE 730 Externship in Exceptionalities (3)
	ELPS 606 Internship in Educational Leadership (3)

Admission Requirements

The program is open to all Native American educators who have completed at least one year of teaching, or one year of service as a school counselor or psychologist, and who are interested in assuming a school leadership role. As space in cohorts permit, non-Native educators who currently teach in reservation schools may also be admitted. A valid teaching certificate is required for eligibility for Principal or Special Education Director Licensure.

Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have a grade point of 3.0 or better on the most recent 60 semester hours.

Eligibility by State

UNC has secured approval from almost every state, as required by new federal regulations, so that students are eligible to apply to online programs at UNC. However we are unable to accept applications at this time for our online programs from students residing in a few select states because their requirements, particularly application fees, for such approval are prohibitive. Please verify your Eligibility by State before applying.

Note: All international students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply to our online programs. Students attending online while residing outside of the United States do not need student visas for admission.

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities who may need accommodations should contact the Disability Support Center at http://www.unco.edu/dss or (970) 351-2289 (Voice, TTY) as soon as possible at the start of a course to ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Transferring Credit

A maximum of 9 hours of coursework completed outside of the NAIL program may be accepted for transfer credit upon review of the syllabi from the courses by program faculty. In order for credits to be accepted toward a degree they must be graduate level credits, be approved by the Academic Advisor, and have a grade of A or B.  Once approved by the advisor, students must complete a Petition to Count Work in a Degree Program to have the credit approved by the Grad School. All work counted in a degree program must be within five years for a master’s degreee. The time limit is calculated from the beginning of the first class transferred in and counted in the degree program.

Tuition

This program is offered through the UNC Office of Extended Studies, which means a flat per-credit tuition rate for all students in the program. There are no student fees. Certain courses may carry specific course fees for additional services and materials.

Tuition rates are set each academic year (which begin each Fall semester). The tuition rate for the 2011-12 school year for this program is $485 per credit hour.

Financial Aid

—Available Scholarships for This Program—
For assistance with tuition and other program costs, prospective students are encouraged to apply to:
American Indian Graduate Center
Visit http://www.aigcs.org/02scholarships/aigc/fellowship.htm or call (505) 881-4584.
American Indian Education Foundation
Visit http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aief_grad_scholarshipapplication or call (605) 342-9968.

For scholarships requiring full-time enrollment, participants can enroll in additional internship hours which will expand their leadership preparation experiences.

—Federal Financial Aid—
Students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA priority filing date for each academic year (which begins each August) is March 1. Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted but may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid.

Master’s degree students require a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time enrollment is based on 9 credits.

To apply for federal financial aid assistance
Fill out the FAFSA form at www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Extended Studies degree seeking students may contact Nancy Gray in Financial Aid for more specific help at (970) 351-2502 or visit UNC Financial Aid website.

Students can also find information in the Guide to Federal Student Aid at studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html

The Native American Innovative Leadership (NAIL)—Educational Leadership & Special Education Administration Interdisciplinary Master of Arts with Licensures Online program is currently accepting applications. Accepted applicants begin the program in the Fall term. The application deadline is June 8.

The application process and necessary forms are available on the NAIL Program website Admissions Page. During the application process, please choose Graduate Interdisciplinary Degree Program-MA (NAIL) as your degree major and choose Online as your location.

Take the Next Step—Begin the Application Process