Specializations · Indiana
Educational Leadership Pathways in Indiana
Educational Leadership in Indiana is a graduate award, not Building Level Administrator. This table lists 38 institutions with matching IPEDS completions. Completions are not approval to recommend candidates for the license. Use the Indiana principal checklist for the credential.
Educational leadership is graduate study aimed at school and district leadership roles. Programs commonly sit inside an M.Ed., EdS, or EdD. Completing a leadership degree is not the same as earning a principal or administrator credential. States issue that license after an approved preparation sequence, experience, and any required exams.
Reviewed by Brittnie Vargas, School principal, M.Ed.Editorial processHow this degree relates to the Indiana principal credential
The Indiana license is Building Level Administrator. Read the principal checklist for steps, exams, and the board source — this page is the IPEDS inventory for Educational Leadership, not a second copy of that checklist.
Indiana names the campus credential Building Level Administrator, not “principal license,” and the Office of Educator Licensing keeps it on the administrative-licenses page. The prerequisite is a Professional Educators License in a listed category: initial, standard, provisional, proficient, or accomplished instructional, or school counselor. A candidate who holds only an emergency permit or an expired instructional license cannot stack BLA on top of nothing. School counselors are explicitly included; other student-services titles are not listed on that prerequisite sentence and should not be assumed.
Experience is documented by a letter, and the letter has to match the license. Two years of teaching satisfy the requirement for instructional-license holders. Two years as a school counselor satisfy it for counselor-license holders. A counselor who taught for one year and counseled for one year does not automatically have “two years” unless the letter and the license line up with how IDOE reads the rule. Approved BLA program completion and a master’s or higher are additional, not substitutes for the letter.
Institutions with Educational Leadership programs in Indiana
Rows come from IPEDS awards by CIP and award level. This extract reported no completion counts, so none are shown. An institution that conferred awards is not automatically approved to recommend candidates for Building Level Administrator.
| Institution | CIP | Award level |
|---|---|---|
| American College of Education (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| American College of Education (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| American College of Education (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| American College of Education (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| American College of Education (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| Ball State University (Muncie, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Ball State University (Muncie, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Ball State University (Muncie, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Ball State University (Muncie, IN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Doctorate (research) |
| Bethel University (Mishawaka, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Butler University (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Indiana State University (Terre Haute, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Indiana State University (Terre Haute, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Indiana State University (Terre Haute, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Indiana University-Bloomington (Bloomington, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Indiana University-Bloomington (Bloomington, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Indiana University-East (Richmond, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Doctorate (research) |
| Indiana University-Northwest (Gary, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Indiana University-South Bend (South Bend, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global (Marion, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global (Marion, IN) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Master’s |
| Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global (Marion, IN) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Doctorate (professional) |
| Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global (Marion, IN) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Marian University (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Oakland City University (Oakland City, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Oakland City University (Oakland City, IN) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Master’s |
| Oakland City University (Oakland City, IN) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Purdue University Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Purdue University Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Purdue University Northwest (Hammond, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Purdue University-Main Campus (West Lafayette, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| University of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Southern Indiana (Evansville, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Southern Indiana (Evansville, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Southern Indiana (Evansville, IN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
Frequently asked questions
Is educational leadership the same as principal certification?
No. Educational leadership is an academic concentration. Principal certification is a state-issued administrative credential. Many candidates earn both through the same approved program, but you must satisfy the state’s credential rules, not only complete graduate courses.
Which degree should I pursue for school leadership?
Many educators start with an M.Ed. in educational leadership. Some continue to an EdS for post-master’s depth, or an EdD for terminal practitioner study. Match the degree to your state’s credential checklist and your timeline, do not choose based on ranking lists.
Can I complete educational leadership online?
Many programs offer online or hybrid coursework, but internships and field experiences are usually local. Confirm that the program can place you in an approved setting in the state where you intend to hold an administrative license.
Which leadership exam will I take?
The exam is set by the state board. This site sources SLLA 6990, TExES 268 and PASL, FELE, CalAPA/CPACE, PAL, OAE 015, and other state instruments on the SLLA page and each principal checklist. Confirm the current test code and cut score on the board testing page.