• School princpals and other leaders often work year-round to improve school systems.High School sign image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
  
  Some schools with business programs now offer a joint-degree curriculum leading to the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), along with a master's degree in education. This degree combination prepares students for positions of leadership within the field of education. Degree programs offered vary by institution. Focuses within the programs also vary, according to the particular strengths of the education and MBA programs.
  
  

Stanford University

• One of the more prominent universities offering a joint-degree program that can prepare students for educational leadership is Stanford University. One of the reasons for Stanford's success and established reputation is the bevy of joint-degree programs it offers.
  
  One program offered is the joint MBA/Master of Arts (M.A.) in Education program. Students initially apply to the MBA program with the intention of also applying for the M.A. program. The business program requires 84 credit hours for completion, while the education part of the program requires 35 credit hours. Students receive ample opportunity, however, to take several courses that count as credit within both programs. Areas of specialization covered by the program include teaching, education policy, technology applied to education and education management.
  
  Students also have the opportunity to pursue individualized plans of study at Stanford University, depending on their own interests and educational needs.
  
  Stanford University
  Graduate School of Business
  518 Memorial Way
  Stanford, CA 94305
  650-723-2766
  gsb.stanford.edu
  
  

Lehigh University

• The College of Education at Lehigh University also offers a joint program in conjunction with the Lehigh graduate business program. At Lehigh University, students pursue the Master of Arts in education and the MBA as well. However, unlike the Stanford program, admission to the program begins with the education department.
  
  The program at Lehigh University also offers various courses that count for joint-credit within both programs. The entire program requires 45 credit hours for completion. Of these, 15 credit hours are core business courses, and five are elective fields of study. The education core consists of 22 credit hours, while allowing for only three hours of electives.
  
  Some courses are offered online as part of the joint-program. The program also offers various courses in economics as part of the program. This is designed to give educational leaders the economic understanding they need in order to properly lead in the educational setting.
  
  Lehigh University
  College of Education
  Lehigh University
  111 Research Drive
  Bethlehem, PA 18015
  610-758-3225
  lehigh.edu
  
  

Texas Christian University

• Texas Christian University offers a third option for students wanting to pursue the MBA degree with an emphasis in education. Instead of pursuing the Master of Arts degree, however, students at TCU pursue the doctor of education Ed.D. degree instead. Like the program at Stanford, students applying to TCU must first be admitted to the MBA program. After a trial period with satisfactory progress, students can then be admitted to the Ed.D. program as well. Degree requirements vary by interest of the student. Yet, on average, students take 51 to 60 credit hours. MBA courses include a variety of topics--such as strategic management and business ethics--while education courses include core courses in areas such as education administration and the economics of education.
  
  Texas Christian University
  College of Education
  3000 Bellaire Drive N.
  Fort Worth, TX 76129
  817-257-7660
  coe.tcu.edu