Specializations · Washington
Educational Leadership Pathways in Washington
Educational Leadership in Washington is a graduate award, not Residency Principal Certificate. This table lists 41 institutions with matching IPEDS completions. Completions are not approval to recommend candidates for the license. Use the Washington 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 Washington principal credential
The Washington license is Residency Principal Certificate. 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.
Washington’s experience rule is the one that most often shocks career-changers already sitting in an assistant-principal chair. WAC 181-79A-211 requires three years of documented school-based experience in an instructional role with students. The same regulation states that building or central-office administrative experience does not count. Time as an intern principal, dean, or district coordinator cannot be substituted for those instructional years. Teachers who moved into administration after two years in the classroom will still owe a third instructional year before the Residency Principal Certificate can issue, regardless of how long they have already been evaluating other teachers.
The certificate underneath those years must be a valid teacher or educational staff associate certificate, or a previously held valid certificate of those types. Emergency certificates issued under WAC 181-79A-231 are carved out. Candidates who taught on an emergency certificate and later earned a Residency teacher certificate should count only the years that sat under a qualifying certificate type. A master’s degree and an approved principal-preparation program remain mandatory; OSPI’s first-time principal page and the WAC text treat them as independent requirements.
Institutions with Educational Leadership programs in Washington
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 Residency Principal Certificate.
| Institution | CIP | Award level |
|---|---|---|
| Central Washington University (Ellensburg, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Central Washington University (Ellensburg, WA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| City University of Seattle (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| City University of Seattle (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| City University of Seattle (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Eastern Washington University (Cheney, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Faith International University (Tacoma, WA) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Doctorate (research) |
| Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (professional) |
| Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Heritage University (Toppenish, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, WA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Doctorate (professional) |
| Saint Martin's University (Lacey, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Saint Martin's University (Lacey, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Seattle Pacific University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Seattle Pacific University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Seattle Pacific University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Seattle University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (professional) |
| Seattle University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Seattle University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Seattle University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Doctorate (professional) |
| Seattle University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Master’s |
| Seattle University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Doctorate (professional) |
| Seattle University (Seattle, WA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Post-master’s / EdS |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus (Bothell, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (other) |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus (Seattle, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus (Seattle, WA) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus (Tacoma, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Walla Walla University (College Place, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Washington State University (Pullman, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Washington State University (Pullman, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA) | 13.0408 Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| Whitworth University (Spokane, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Whitworth University (Spokane, WA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Whitworth University (Spokane, WA) | 13.0408 Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship | 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.