Purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine the perceptions of graduates from an educational administration program in terms of its effectiveness and impact on their lives and careers. Design/methodology/approach: The perceptions of 23 graduates of a Master's degree program in educational administration in a developing university were examined in terms of personal satisfaction, content, and impact. A qualitative analysis approach was used to interpret the data generated by a four-part questionnaire distributed to the first three graduating cohorts in educational administration. Findings: Personal satisfaction was shown to be more related to interpersonal interaction than academic content of the program of study. The findings also showed that criticism of educational administration preparation programs in newly emerging systems is similar to the criticism levied at similar programs in the west four decades ago. The findings are discussed within their relevance to the construction of a global theory of educational administration preparation programs. Research limitations/implications: Although the circumstances under which this study was conducted (popular uprising, military violence, etc.) posed limitations on the rigor of its design (e.g. sample size, return rate of questionnaires), it, none the less, offers a significant contribution to the construction of administrative training theory. Originality/value: This study bears significant ramifications and limitations to the construction of the theory of preparing educational administrators in newly emerging systems.