Specializations · Tennessee
Educational Leadership Pathways in Tennessee
Educational Leadership in Tennessee is a graduate award, not Instructional Leader License (ILL); also ILL-A (Aspiring) and ILL-P (Professional). This table lists 61 institutions with matching IPEDS completions. Completions are not approval to recommend candidates for the license. Use the Tennessee 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 Tennessee principal credential
The Tennessee license is Instructional Leader License (ILL); also ILL-A (Aspiring) and ILL-P (Professional). 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.
Tennessee does not call the building-level credential a principal license. The Tennessee Department of Education and Rule 0520-02-03-.10 issue an Instructional Leader License, then split it into Aspiring (ILL-A), standard ILL, and Professional (ILL-P). Those suffixes change what a candidate may hold and for how long. ILL-A is the enrollment credential: a bachelor’s degree plus current enrollment in an approved instructional leader program, valid no more than four years. Using ILL-A as a long-term principal license after leaving a program is outside the rule. ILL itself is also capped at no more than four years. ILL-P, the advancement from ILL, is valid no more than eleven years.
The June 2025 official compilation of 0520-02-03 is the rule text to keep bookmarked, with 0520-02-03-.10 as the instructional-leader section. ILL requires an advanced degree from a CHEA- or U.S. Department of Education-recognized institution, at least three years of qualifying educator experience, a State Board-approved instructional leader preparation program, a provider recommendation, and qualifying scores on every assessment the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy names. “Qualifying educator experience” is a defined idea in the rule, not a synonym for any three years on a school payroll. Instructional assistants and unlicensed staff should not assume those years count.
Institutions with Educational Leadership programs in Tennessee
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 Instructional Leader License (ILL); also ILL-A (Aspiring) and ILL-P (Professional).
| Institution | CIP | Award level |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Doctorate (research) |
| Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, TN) | 13.0408 Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| Christian Brothers University (Memphis, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Cumberland University (Lebanon, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Lee University (Cleveland, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (professional) |
| Lee University (Cleveland, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Lee University (Cleveland, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Lee University (Cleveland, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Lee University (Cleveland, TN) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Lipscomb University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Lipscomb University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Milligan University (Milligan, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Rhodes College (Memphis, TN) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Master’s |
| South College (Knoxville, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Southern Adventist University (Collegedale, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Southern Adventist University (Collegedale, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Southern Adventist University (Collegedale, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Southern Adventist University (Collegedale, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Strayer University-Tennessee (Memphis, TN) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (Chattanooga, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (Chattanooga, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (Chattanooga, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin (Martin, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Trevecca Nazarene University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Trevecca Nazarene University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Trevecca Nazarene University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Doctorate (research) |
| Union University (Jackson, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Union University (Jackson, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Union University (Jackson, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Union University (Jackson, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Doctorate (research) |
| Union University (Jackson, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Union University (Jackson, TN) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Union University (Jackson, TN) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Master’s |
| University of Memphis (Memphis, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Memphis (Memphis, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) | 13.0410 Urban Education and 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.