Specializations · Pennsylvania
Educational Leadership Pathways in Pennsylvania
Educational Leadership in Pennsylvania is a graduate award, not Administrative I (75) Principal PK-12. This table lists 93 institutions with matching IPEDS completions. Completions are not approval to recommend candidates for the license. Use the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania principal credential
The Pennsylvania license is Administrative I (75) Principal PK-12. 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.
Pennsylvania codes the PK-12 principal certificate as Administrative I (75). That parenthetical number is not trivia; TIMS applications and LEA staffing systems look for certificate 75, and selecting a supervisory or superintendent title in the same administrative-supervisory cluster will not authorize a principalship. The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s page for current educators lists a baccalaureate degree, a PDE-approved graduate-level principal program that includes an internship or practicum, a 3.0 GPA in that graduate work, three years of satisfactory professional experience in an educational setting related to the instructional process, and the Pennsylvania required administrative test.
The experience clause is narrower than “any three years in a school.” PDE ties the years to the instructional process. Business-office, facilities, or purely operational roles can fail that test even when the employer’s letterhead looks official. Candidates who spent years as athletic directors or technology coordinators should have their chief school administrator describe instructional duties explicitly on the verification, rather than assuming job title alone will clear TIMS.
Institutions with Educational Leadership programs in Pennsylvania
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 Administrative I (75) Principal PK-12.
| Institution | CIP | Award level |
|---|---|---|
| Alvernia University (Reading, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Arcadia University (Glenside, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Arcadia University (Glenside, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Cabrini University (Radnor, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Cabrini University (Radnor, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Cabrini University (Radnor, PA) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Master’s |
| Cairn University-Langhorne (Langhorne, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Carlow University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Carlow University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Delaware Valley University (Doylestown, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Delaware Valley University (Doylestown, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| DeSales University (Center Valley, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Post-master’s / EdS |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (East Stroudsburg, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (professional) |
| Eastern University (Saint Davids, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Gannon University (Erie, PA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Gannon University (Erie, PA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Gannon University (Erie, PA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Gannon University (Erie, PA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Gratz College (Melrose Park, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Gwynedd Mercy University (Gwynedd Valley, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Gwynedd Mercy University (Gwynedd Valley, PA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Gwynedd Mercy University (Gwynedd Valley, PA) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| Holy Family University (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Holy Family University (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Immaculata University (Immaculata, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Immaculata University (Immaculata, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus (Indiana, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus (Indiana, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus (Indiana, PA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Keystone College (La Plume, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| La Salle University (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| La Salle University (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Lincoln University (Lincoln University, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Marywood University (Scranton, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Mercyhurst University (Erie, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania (Millersville, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania (Millersville, PA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Doctorate (professional) |
| Moravian University (Bethlehem, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Neumann University (Aston, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Neumann University (Aston, PA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Neumann University (Aston, PA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| Neumann University (Aston, PA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Pennsylvania Western University (California, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (professional) |
| Pennsylvania Western University (California, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Pennsylvania Western University (California, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Pennsylvania Western University (California, PA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Pennsylvania Western University (California, PA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| Point Park University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Point Park University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Point Park University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Point Park University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Rosemont College (Rosemont, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Saint Francis University (Loretto, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Saint Francis University (Loretto, PA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Saint Vincent College (Latrobe, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Shippensburg, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Shippensburg, PA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Doctorate (professional) |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (Slippery Rock, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (Slippery Rock, PA) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Strayer University-Pennsylvania (Trevose, PA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Master’s |
| University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (professional) |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus (Pittsburgh, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Villanova University (Villanova, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania (West Chester, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Widener University (Chester, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Widener University (Chester, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Widener University (Chester, PA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Widener University (Chester, PA) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, PA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, PA) | 13.0408 Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, PA) | 13.0412 International School Administration/Leadership | Doctorate (research) |
| Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, PA) | 13.0412 International School Administration/Leadership | Master’s |
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.