Specializations · Maryland
Educational Leadership Pathways in Maryland
Educational Leadership in Maryland is a graduate award, not Administrator license (supervisor of instruction, assistant principal, or principal). This table lists 28 institutions with matching IPEDS completions. Completions are not approval to recommend candidates for the license. Use the Maryland 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 Maryland principal credential
The Maryland license is Administrator license (supervisor of instruction, assistant principal, or principal). 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.
Maryland’s 2025 rewrite is the first fact every returning administrator should absorb. Administrator I and Administrator II endorsements are historic. The Maryland State Department of Education now issues a single Administrator license that qualifies a person as a supervisor of instruction, an assistant principal, or a principal. COMAR 13A.12.05.05 is the November 2025 replacement. Job postings and older university handbooks that still tell candidates to “get Admin I, then Admin II” are describing a structure MSDE has replaced. Applying in TEACH for a historic endorsement code will not produce the current license.
Every pathway shares three prerequisites: a master’s or higher, 27 months of effective teaching or specialist performance, and three semester hours or State-approved continuing professional development in special education. Twenty-seven months is not “about two years.” Specialists can use specialist performance rather than classroom teaching, but the performance must be effective under the standard MSDE uses. The special-education hours are easy to overlook on an out-of-state transcript that never isolated that content.
Institutions with Educational Leadership programs in Maryland
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 Administrator license (supervisor of instruction, assistant principal, or principal).
| Institution | CIP | Award level |
|---|---|---|
| Bowie State University (Bowie, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Bowie State University (Bowie, MD) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| Coppin State University (Baltimore, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Coppin State University (Baltimore, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Frostburg State University (Frostburg, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Frostburg State University (Frostburg, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Hood College (Frederick, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Hood College (Frederick, MD) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| McDaniel College (Westminster, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Mount St. Mary's University (Emmitsburg, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Notre Dame of Maryland University (Baltimore, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Salisbury University (Salisbury, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Salisbury University (Salisbury, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Salisbury University (Salisbury, MD) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Doctorate (research) |
| Strayer University-Maryland (Suitland, MD) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| Towson University (Towson, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Towson University (Towson, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Maryland Global Campus (Adelphi, MD) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| University of Maryland-College Park (College Park, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Maryland-College Park (College Park, MD) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Maryland-College Park (College Park, MD) | 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.