Educational Leadership – Urban Principals Academy @ Lehigh (U*PAL)

Educational Leadership Master's – Urban Principals Academy @ Lehigh (U*PAL)

In the Urban Principals Academy @ Lehigh, known as U*PAL, vital lessons on innovative and effective leadership are baked into the curriculum through experiential learning and creative classes. Students earn their master's in Educational Leadership with a focus on urban leadership during a program that takes approximately 13 months.

The program is geared toward working professionals, enrolling mostly teachers and school administrators. Students take courses online during the fall and spring semesters and 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 (includes an internship of 360 hours) with several experiences, focuses on developing visionary, creative urban school leaders through team projects and special seminars and workshops.  U*PAL students enter the program as a cohort, usually starting in a summer session, and go through together so they learn from each other as well as from Lehigh's noted faculty.

Educational Leadership Contact

• Dr. Brian Osborne, Program Director and Professor of Practice: [email protected] | (610) 758-6838
• Cynthia Deutsch, Program Coordinator: [email protected] | (610) 758-3250

International applicants must hold an American bachelor’s degree or an equivalent foreign degree requiring at least 16 years of primary, secondary, and university education. International applicants applying for regular graduate student status must submit all documents required for that status.

University admissions criteria for non-degree graduate students are:

• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with an overall grade point average of at least 3.0. Applicants with undergraduate GPAs below 3.0 may be admitted with the approval of the department in which they wish to take courses

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• Evidence that the applicant is presently a student in good standing in an appropriate graduate program at an accredited institution

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• Evidence that the applicant has received an appropriate graduate or other advanced degree from an accredited institution.

Lehigh is a partner of the Common Application and Coalition Application. Lehigh is currently accepting the Common Application for applicants for Fall 2023 and will resume accepting the Coalition Application for applicants for Fall 2024.

Once your application is submitted, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address you designated on your application.

• View Application Requirements and Application Deadlines.

• Submit any additional or missing documents through your applicant portal, or by utilizing the LUFileSender tool.

• If you run into any issues or have questions, please check our below FAQs first and then reach out to the Office of Admissions at [email protected] or (610) 758-3100.

If it has been more than seven business days since you submitted your application and you have not received a confirmation email, please contact the Office of Admissions at [email protected] or (610) 758-3100. In your email, please include your full name, address and date of birth as provided in your application.