Department of Counseling, Administration, Supervision, and Adult Learning
Rhodes Tower 1419
(216) 687-4613
http://www.csuohio.edu/cehs/departments/CASAL/casal_dept.html
Introduction
The Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree represents a year of planned advanced graduate study beyond the master’s degree. The program builds on the foundation of a master’s degree or its equivalent in the same area of specialization. The focus of the program is the enhancement of specialized professional competence for roles in counseling. The Educational Specialist in Counseling is a thirty-two credit-hour, post-master’s, advanced training program in counselor education. Its purpose is to help counselors in school and agency settings improve and update their professional expertise, or take course work that will qualify them to sit for the Professional Counselor Licensure Examination (PCLE) in the State of Ohio. It should be noted that students only needing a few courses to sit for the PCLE do not need to apply for the Ed.S. degree but may apply as “Graduate Licensure only.” Requirements of this program can be met by full-time or part-time study or a combination thereof. The requirements for program admission are sufficiently flexible to encompass the needs of each applicant defined above. Created under the conceptual framework of the Administrator/Supervisor as a Visionary Practitioner, the educational administration and supervision program enables graduates to achieve outcomes reflecting the five knowledge bases that compose this model: organizational change, relational, developmental, contextual, and ethical. These knowledge bases are applied to the programs within the environments of urban and suburban schools, which are culturally diverse and include students with disabilities.
Organizational Change refers to knowledge of the organizational framework and processes necessary to accomplish the work of the organization, as a continuous change process. Developmental refers to knowledge that transforms the organization’s basic inputs (e.g., materials, personnel) into desired goals, that use technology to access information and to record organizational progress, and that articulates underlying beliefs that link inputs, activity, and outcome.
Relational refers to partnerships, collaborations, and leadership styles that enable stakeholders to have a shared vision.
Contextual refers to understanding the present organization in relation to its past, in terms of cultural, economic, political, legal, and regulatory influences.
Ethical refers to knowledge about justice, righteousness, and meaning that assures diversity will be respected, and educational resources will be distributed in a manner that offers equal access to all participants.
Faculty Research and Publications
The faculty members of the Educational Specialist programs are experienced scholars/practitioners. Their published works include textbooks, articles, curriculum packages, and technical reports based on their professional experience, as well as planned research programs. Administration faculty members have explored legal issues in education, management styles, the supervisory process, personnel management, administrator assessment, career patterns of administrators, and adult learning. Counseling faculty members have studied counseling processes, counseling special audiences, legal and ethical issues in counseling, stress management, human development, and crisis intervention.
Current faculty information can be located on the Cleveland State University Faculty Profile page.
Financial Assistance
A limited number of full-time graduate assistantships are available in the Department of Counseling, Administration, Supervision, and Adult Learning (CASAL). Graduate assistants help with the teaching program, aid faculty in conducting research, coordinate the services of the counseling lab, and assist in department administration. Graduate assistantships provide tuition support and a stipend to qualified students. Applications for assistantships can be made through the CASAL office, Rhodes Tower, Room 1419.
Career Information
Students completing the EdS in Administration qualify for a number of administrative positions including, but not limited to, school principal, supervisor, central office, and superintendent. Students completing the EdS in Counseling qualify for positions such as school counselor or director of guidance. Due to early retirement programs recently initiated by many school districts, the employment outlook for individuals completing the EdS program is very good. The EdS program also can be used to qualify for administrative positions in non-school settings or to obtain a counseling license for non-school settings.