Principal Licensure Program
Schools across Ohio are in need of highly trained and effective licensed school principals. At Ohio State, we have developed a program that will prepare school administrators to meet the challenges faced in their schools. Ohio State's Principal Licensure Program is a highly sought after program training the next generation of school principals. The program is ranked 4th in the nation among all educational administration preparation programs by U.S. News and World Report.
Program features
A 24-month cohort-based program (an Accelerated Licensure Program for Principals is also offered)
The 36-semester hour program allows you to earn your Master of Arts in Educational Studies. If you already possess a master’s degree, you can obtain licensure only.
Students complete a six-month field experience in school administration, completing activities to help develop skills to address real issues and responsibilities facing a building leader.
Coursework focuses on leadership, administrative development, school finance, and human relations.
Licensure Requirements
Prerequisites
Master’s degree
- If you already have a master’s degree, you can complete courses to receive your principal license.
- Must have at least a master's degree for admission to the principal license-only program.
Bachelor’s degree
- If you do not have a master's degree, you can receive your master’s degree plus your principal license.
- Must have at least a bachelor's degree for admission to the master's degree plus principal license program.
Nomination Form (Only required for the Accelerated Principal Licensure Program)
- Accelerated option available for both the MA plus licensure and licensure-only program.
Must have at least two years of successful teaching experience.
- Required at the time you apply for a principal license, but not for admission.
Deadline to apply
Summer Start
Priority deadline: March 1st
Final deadline: April 20th
Program start
Summer Semester
Program hours
36
Additional Requirements
- Must complete 216 field placement hours and field placement compliance requirements.
- Must have two years of successful teaching experience under a standard teaching license (or work experience under a professional pupil services license) for the ages and grade levels for which the principal license is sought.
- Required at the time you apply for licensure and not for admission to the program.
- Must take and pass Ohio Standards for Educators v4 and Computer Science and Computational Thinking modules.
- Must take and pass the Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) 015 Educational Leadership licensure exam.
Licensure disclosure
Ohio State academic programs are designed to prepare students for licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure and certification at go.osu.edu/onground.
Priority Deadline
A priority deadline means your application will be one of the first received and reviewed by the admissions team. Faculty review applications in the order they receive them, starting with the earliest (priority deadlines) and ending with the latest (final deadline).
Final Deadline
The final deadline is the latest you can submit your application and still be considered for the program. This deadline allows you additional time to submit your application and all application materials.
Apply to Ohio State
Application checklist
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