Online principal certification programs are
widely available for students who want to pursue a career as a school
principal or administrator. Students can complete this program entirely
online, and will be eligible for principal certification and licensure
upon graduation.
Online Principal Certification Program Overview
Online certification programs are commonly offered online for current
teachers who want to advance their position to a leadership role within
a school's administration. Programs vary by state, and students should
seek a certification program from an institution in the state in which
they plan to work. Certification programs are tailored for elementary,
middle and high-school levels of education. Because programs vary,
admissions requirements differ; however, all programs require that
incoming students hold a master's degree and have 2-5 years of
professional teaching experience.
The length of time needed to complete a principal certification
program ranges from 22-36 semester hours. Some programs are available to
be completed entirely online; however, many require students to attend
advising sessions and/or residency periods intermittently during their
course of study.
To access the course material, students need to own a computer
equipped with a high-speed Internet connection. In addition, the
computer must have the capability to stream video and audio. Some
courses require students to have a microphone headset to communicate
with peers and instructors via online discussion forums, threads, chats
and bulletin boards for collaborative group projects.
List of Common Courses for Principals
Students access course material through websites as well as
downloadable lectures and documents. Lectures and materials are
delivered in both synchronous and asynchronous formats for courses such
as these:
Course in Educational Leadership
This course introduces students to the skill sets needed to become
effective leaders within a school's administration structure. Concepts
in this course include effective communication, leadership
characteristics, administrative roles and resource management.
Students in this course are introduced to the role that school
administrators play within the school-community relationships. Students
learn how to assess the needs of a school district, and in turn to
foster communication and achieve mutually beneficial results.
Financial Policy in Education Course
Students in this course study the factors that influence financial
policy in public school systems. Topics in this course include revenue
allocation, budgeting, accounting, fund dispersion, facilities
operations and
school administration operations. Students analyze these topics within the context of an assumed leadership role within a school's administration.
Graduates of this program are prepared to take the certification and
licensure examinations for their respective state where they plan to
work as a
school principal.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicted that the employment
rate for education administrators would rise by 8% between 2008 and
2018 (
www.bls.gov). The BLS also reported that the mean annual wage for middle-school principals was $87,390 in May of 2009.
Continuing Education
Students who want to continue their education past the master's
degree level can pursue a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree program
entirely online. Ed.D. programs allow for students to select
specialization areas, including an administration concentration.
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