School Administration Certification and Certificate Programs

A few different colleges and universities in the United States offer certificate programs for school administrators. We've listed our top picks below.

1. George Mason University

George Mason University is a public university in Fairfax, VA, a city in the Washington D.C. suburbs. It offers a graduate certificate in education leadership.

This program is for those who already have their teaching license and a master's degree from an accredited university. It requires 24 credits, with courses such as:

• Curriculum Development and Evaluation
• Leading Schools and Communities
• Supervision and Evaluation of Instruction
• Using Research to Lead School Improvement

Students are also required to fulfill an educational leadership internship. The program is available either part- or full-time.

This is a State of Virginia-approved sequence of courses that leads to the Administration and Supervision PreK-12 endorsement area.

2. George Washington University

George Washington University is a private university in Washington, D.C. It offers a post-master's certification in educational leadership and administration.

This certificate program is for students who already hold a master's degree in education and want to pursue roles in preschool through twelfth-grade administration.

The program requires 18 credits and can be completed within a year. Courses offered in this program include:

• Foundations of K-12 Educational Leadership
• Instructional Leadership for School Improvement
• School Finance and Resource Management for School Leaders
• Supervision of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

An administration internship is required, and most students complete this internship within the school or district they already work in.

It is designed to meet the academic requirements for administrative certification/licensure for the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and possibly other states.

3. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore, MD. It offers a graduate certificate in school administration and supervision.

This is a part-time program that can be completed on campus or online and takes one to three years to complete. Courses include:

• Curriculum Theory, Development, and Implementation
• Effective Leadership
• Organization and Administration of Schools
• Supervision and Professional Development

An in-person internship is required and should be completed at the school the student is employed at.

The program is approved by the state of Maryland for Administrator I certification and may meet certification requirements for other states as well.

4. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private Catholic university based in the southeast Minnesota city of Winona. It offers a K-12 principal graduate certificate.

Applicants to this program should hold a master's degree, though the degree can be in any field, and have at least three years of teaching experience.

Courses offered in this program include:

• Character-Driven Leadership
• Ethical Decision Making for School Leaders
• Organization and Human Resource Management
• School Leadership: Purpose and Motivation

Courses are available online, but students will need to complete an in-person internship and be on campus for five days during the summer.

This program fulfills the requirements for elementary and secondary principal licensure in Minnesota.

5. University of Kansas

The University of Kansas is a public research university in Lawrence. It offers a post-master's certificate in educational administration.

This program is designed for students who have already earned their master's degree in education.

Students can complete the program in as little as a year. The program requires 24 credits from eight courses. Courses include:

• Education Law
• School Resources Management
• Staff Evaluation and Development
• Students in Society

Courses are done online but the internship portion of the program must be completed in person.

This program allows Kansas students to add the Building Leadership and Administration Endorsement to their teaching license and prepares out-of-state students to sit for their licensure exam.

6. University of North Carolina, Greensboro

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public research university in North Carolina. It offers a post-master's certificate in school administration.

Applicants to this program must already hold a master's degree in education or a closely related field.

The program is available in person or online. Four core courses are required:

• Cultural and Political Dimensions of Schooling
• Leadership for Teaching and Learning
• Teacher Rights, Recruitment, Retention, and Evaluation
• The School Principalship

To complete the program, students must fulfill an internship requirement and submit a licensure portfolio.

This certificate meets the requirements of the state legislation that supports an alternative path to school administration licensure.