Degree details

The Master of Educational Leadership course at the Australian Catholic University is a values underpinned, research driven, practically orientated program designed to support the capabilities of current and aspiring educational leaders wishing to enhance their leadership capacity within the context of their professional settings and the Australian national standards.  Participants explore theories of educational leadership, management and administration, and learn to apply them appropriately to their own contexts including Catholic and faith-based educational organisations defined as those organisations affiliated with a religious group or established Church (Buckingham, 2010).

Taught by active researchers and experienced practitioners, this course explicitly integrates theory and practice to enable graduates to apply the latest research, and the knowledge and skills to improve their organisations with effective leadership informed by defensible ethical and moral principles.

The course has been designed to enable participants with varying leadership and career circumstances to select appropriate units to meet their needs.  Alumni have been successful in gaining promotion and/or admission to doctoral study. The program is flexibly delivered in response to participants’ needs, organisational dynamics and unique contexts. Participants design and implement a leadership project as part of a culminating Capstone.

Specialist areas leading to a named specialisation:

  • Catholic Educational Leadership
  • Leading Learning
  • Indigenous Leadership
  • Executive Leadership

The Master of Educational Leadership is for teachers and administrators who want to  enhance their professional practice and become leaders in their school community or organisation. The Master of Educational Leadership is the next step towards becoming an educational leader.

Higher education

To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites:

Admission Requirement A: Bachelor degree in Education or Bachelor degree and a recognised teaching qualification; OR

Admission Requirement B: Bachelor degree in an area other than Education.

English Proficiency Requirements

IELTS overall score of 7.0. Individual score of 6.0 in all tests.

Award Requirements

Students admitted under Admission Requirement A

Pathway 1 (120 cp)

To qualify for the Master of Educational Leadership, a  student must complete  120 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, consisting of:

  • 20 cp from  Specified Educational Leadership Units;
  • 70 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings with a  maximum of 40 credit points of elective units;
  • 30 cp from Capstone  Units.

* Students may take Electives drawn from the  Schedule of Unit Offerings (listed) and/or other units drawn from relevant ACU  postgraduate programs; or by cross-institutional study with prior approval of  the Course Coordinator. A maximum of 40 cp of elective units can be at  500-level.

Pathway 2 (120 cp)

To qualify for the Master of Educational Leadership degree with a named specialisation in:

  • Catholic Educational Leadership
  • Leading Learning
  • Indigenous Leadership
  • Executive Leadership

A student must complete 120 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, consisting of:

  • 20 cp from Specified Educational Leadership units;
  • 40 cp from one Specialisation group;
  • 30 cp from Electives*;
  • 30 cp from Capstone  units (The Capstone must relate to specialisation)

* Students may take Electives drawn from the Schedule of Unit Offerings  (listed) and/or other units drawn from relevant ACU postgraduate programs; or  by cross-institutional study with prior approval of the Course Coordinator. A  maximum of 30 cp of elective units can be at 500-level.