The School of Education offers two options for obtaining school principal certification within the MS in Educational Administration program:

• School principal certification - Includes curriculum and requirements for earning PA K-12 Principal Certification
• School principal certification with supervisor of special education certification - Includes curriculum and coursework requirements for dual certification as a K-12 School Principal and a Supervisor of Special Education.

Please note that the school principal certification may be taken as a stand-alone program, provided the requirements are met.

Why Pursue a Graduate Certificate for Principalship?

Principal Certification, as well as Supervisor of Special Education certification, are perfect for certified teachers and counselors who want to be leaders in education and help their students achieve success. Additional certifications also help educators take the next step in their careers.

Certification Requirements for School Principal Certifications

The Pennsylvania administrative certificate, principal K–12 requires verification that the candidate has completed three years of relevant professional experience. Following satisfactory completion of the following principal certification requirements, Drexel will make a formal recommendation for the following:

• Completion of all graduate-level courses with a minimum grade of “B”.
• Certification candidates are required to take the School Leaders Licensure Assessment exam, test code 6011 (computer-based only). PDE reserves the right to change the required Praxis Exam for principal certification. Please check PDE's website before registering for any exam required by PDE to ensure that your registration meets PDE's current requirements.

Leadership Portfolio Requirement

The performances for meeting Pennsylvania leadership standards and national leadership standards include a leadership portfolio with the following requirements:

• Four log reflections explaining growth over each term
• Evidence of 600 hours across four terms logged in the internship
• Logs over 48 weeks
• Four term-goal statements and reflections on accomplishments
• Two to three artifacts on each of the ELCC standards totaling 14 or more artifacts
• An explanation of how each artifact shows application of skill on each identified standard
• Four evaluations on the ELCC Standards and Drexel Competencies completed by the school site supervising principal

How to Apply to the School Principal Certification Program

Drexel's School Principal Certification programs are offered 100% online. You can get started by filling out the Drexel Online application.