M.Ed. Educational Leadership, Urban Principals Academy at Lehigh (UPAL)

The program is geared toward working professionals, enrolling mostly teachers and school administrators. Students take courses online during the fall and spring semesters, then gather on Lehigh University’s campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for five weeks of face-to-face classes during two summers. The 37-credit program focuses on developing visionary, creative urban school leaders through team projects and special seminars and workshops. 

UPAL students enter the program as a cohort, usually starting in a summer session. They go through the program together, learning from each other as well as from Lehigh’s noted faculty.   

Professor Jon Drescher, a longtime principal and superintendent, and the founding director of the program, knows that there is no manual for the problems urban school administrators face. So he incorporates experiences that drive home the leadership skills master’s candidates will need to enable their students and schools to thrive. 

For example, UPAL participants go to special seminars including Jazz at Lincoln Center where they learn about non-verbal communication, how to lead and how to follow. They visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art for lessons on the art of observation and how people see things differently. Students complete classes in improvisation where they gain skills in being a good listener, thinking on their feet, taking risks and working with a partner. 

The UPAL master’s candidates conduct research but they don’t write research papers. Candidates complete an internship of 360 hours with several experiences in which the candidates:  

• Observe a fellow teacher or teachers during three visitations
• Shadow three different principals
• Implement a curriculum instructional project
• Develop a budget analysis of their school district
• Complete a project that meets a need at their school 

This master’s program meets the course requirements for Pennsylvania Principal Certification. Some students take the Principal Certification exam while they are in the program. Additional information on certification requirements can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.  

The UPAL master’s program attracts educators from across the United States and abroad. Most graduates go on to school leadership positions.