Principal Certification
Pursue your Principal Certification and learn how you can become a transformative leader, making a lasting impact on both students' lives and the teaching community.
- Offered 100% Online.
- 7-18 months
- 21 credit hours
- No thesis required
- No foreign language credits required
Schools Need Devoted Leaders
Schools need dedicated principals. Are you ready to fill this role? Earn your Principal Certification online at East Texas A&M and find out. Our year-long program is designed to equip you with the leadership, legal and administrative skills to excel.
To qualify for this program, you must currently hold a master's degree. For those seeking a graduate degree, we also offer a 30-hour Master of Educational Administration with Principal Certification option.
What Are My Job Opportunities?
With a Principal Certification, you can explore a number of leadership roles dedicated to shaping the direction of K-12 institutions.
Careers Possibilities
Current Median Salaries from US DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2023
Program Details
Our Principal Certification program is designed to equip future school leaders with essential skills to manage school operations, guide instruction and foster an environment of success and achievement for all students.
What Might I Learn?
You will have the opportunity to gain experience in a number of key areas.
Lead with Vision
Learn to inspire and lead staff, create a positive school culture and align school goals with student success.
Data-Informed Leadership
Develop the ability to use student performance data to make decisions that drive academic improvement and school growth.
Navigate Legal and Ethical Issues
Understand the legal and ethical responsibilities of school leadership, ensuring safe, effective and compliant learning environments.
Enhance Instructional Quality
Master the tools to support and evaluate teachers, drive instructional practices and improve student outcomes.
Taking Classes
Designed to offer flexible scheduling for working professionals, you can complete our Principal Certification program entirely online. The program consists of 21 credit hours, including field-based experience and hands-on assignments. Please note that you must complete all courses as outlined in your degree plan.
Please check the schedule of classes for course offerings, locations and times, as they may change.
Curriculum
Our Principal Certification curriculum offers a comprehensive blend of theory and practice, focusing on key areas such as educational leadership, school management, curriculum design and instructional strategies. Through a mix of coursework and hands-on experience, including internships and leadership projects, our program has been carefully crafted to equip you with the skills necessary to lead schools effectively, manage a range of teams and foster student success in a dynamic educational environment.
Finding My Community
We believe that education thrives in an environment where collaboration, support and mutual respect flourish. Our community of students and professors embodies these values, creating an enriching and dynamic atmosphere for learning and growth. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to the table. Our professors are not only experts in their respective fields but also dedicated mentors who are committed to guiding and nurturing the next generation of scholars.
Elsa Villarreal, Ph.D.
Faculty
Sharonda Pruitt EDD
Alum Faculty
Chuck Holt, Ed.D.
Faculty
Student Organizations
Our campus has many ways to engage and get involved.
Student organizations at East Texas A&M University aim to provide key networking and professional development opportunities. Groups such as the Educational Leadership Association and the Future Principals Network can help students strengthen leadership skills, build connections and prepare for successful careers as school principals.
I’m Looking For Something Different
Is this program close, but still not right for you? Check out our related degrees!
Financing My Future
Financial Aid
Financial aid includes a variety of programs, like scholarships, federal and state grants, and federal and state work-study programs. Find out how you may be eligible for scholarships, grants, loans and/or a graduate assistantship. Financial Aid and Scholarships
On-Campus Employment Opportunities
Enhance your expertise through on-campus employment opportunities.
Graduate Assistant/Research/Teaching
Graduate assistant teaching (GAT), graduate assistant research (GAR), and graduate assistant non-teaching (GANT) assistantships at East Texas A&M offer financial support and professional development for graduate students. Assistantships are available in academic and non-academic departments.
Cost Before Financial Aid
East Texas A&M is one of the most affordable colleges around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Our tuition rates are some of the most competitive in Texas.
$3,669
for Texas residents
/
$7,341
For non-residents
Tuition and fees for graduate students taking nine credit hours are $3,669 for Texas residents and $7,341 for non-residents. But don’t worry: there are
Additional Fees May Apply
- Online Courses ($50 per hour)
- Remote Locations ($20 per hour)
- Lab Fees ($5 – $30 per course)
How Do I Get Started?
If you have not already done so, complete the Request Information form. You will be connected with your enrollment specialist, who can answer your questions. When you’re ready, go ahead and follow the steps below to apply.
Admissions Requirements
To be considered for admission, you must first meet the following criteria.
- You must currently hold a master’s degree to qualify for this certification.
- International students are not eligible for this program.
Admission Process
- Create an ApplyTexas account or login if you already have one
- Complete your profile section first once you log into your account
- Select “School Search” and select East Texas A&M
- Choose the semester you wish to begin
- Select “Principal Certificate” as your “Program.”
- Pay the $50 application fee.
Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.
- Within two business days of your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.
Submit the following documents to your graduate coordinator after you receive an application confirmation email.
- Upload your documents at myLeo > Apps > Check Admissions Application Status & Test Scores or email your documents to your graduate coordinator unless otherwise specified below.
Your Graduate Coordinator
Domestic Transcripts
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to your Graduate Student Services Coordinator. We accept transcripts officially via email (directly from the institution), through Parchment, and any other official transcript providing agency. If your university does not offer an electronic transcript service, you may request them to be sent via regular mail to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
If your degree is from East Texas A&M University, you do not have to order a transcript. We will access your transcript.
If we already have your transcript, we will reuse it for a new application as long as it is still on file.
International transcripts
WES ICAP evaluations will be required for certain countries; those are listed below:
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in Nigeria
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in China that do not come from CSSD (formerly CHESICC)
- Any country where the official transcript is not in English
For all other countries, an evaluation is not initially required. Original official transcripts are required for admission consideration.
Please know that upon receipt of your official transcript, the Graduate School reserves the right to require an external evaluation at that time.
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
We will need official/original documents.
If those documents are the only copies you have, the Graduate School can mail them back to you upon request. Contact your graduate coordinator for more information.
Submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) which includes your academic and professional history and achievements.
Submit proof of current valid teacher certification
Submit a teaching service record including a minimum of one year of teaching experience.
Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status
- Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.
Once your application to the Graduate School is complete, you can submit your Principal Certification Program Application right away using TK20. If you have any questions, please email your Professional Certification Coordinator.
Your Professional Certification Coordinator
- Go to the Educator Certification page on MarketPlace
- Click Educator Professional Fee
- Click the shopping cart plus icon
- Fill in your personal information to be associated with the fee and click “Continue”
- Go back to the Educator Certification page on MarketPlace
- Click TEA Assessment Fee
- Click the shopping cart plus icon
- Complete your payment
- Download and save your receipts to upload to TK20
You will need to have the following documents ready for upload in order to submit the application:
- Certification fee receipt
- TEA Assessment fee receipt
- Teaching service record
- A minimum of one year of experience is required for admission to the master's degree-seeking path for principal certification.
- Standard Texas Teaching Certificate
- Note: Candidates on emergency permits, intern or probationary certificates will not be admitted.
- Official transcripts from the Graduate Office will be reviewed by the certification office.
- Official transcripts from all institutions must be submitted to the Graduate School in order to satisfy TEA certification admission requirements.
- A minimum GPA of 2.5 on a conferred bachelor's degree OR a minimum 2.5 on the last 60 hours, OR a minimum 2.5 GPA on a conferred master's degree is required for admission.
- A conferred master's degree from an accredited institution is required for admission to the principal certification-only program.
- Two written screening activities will be completed as part of the application in TK20. Please write your essay and answer the short-answer questions carefully, as these screening activities will be used in determining admission to the program.
If applicable:
- TEA Transfers
- If you have previously been admitted to another educator preparation program for principal certification.
- Request that a completed TEA transfer form be sent from your previous program to [email protected].
- Transcripts from outside the United States
- Contact [email protected] for any questions about TEA requirements for transcripts from outside the United States.
- If your official transcripts are from institutions outside the United States and the country of origin is not exempt by TEA, send the following documentation to [email protected]:
- A course-by-course evaluation from a TEA-approved Foreign Credential Evaluation Service
- Minimum scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT). Please note that TOEFL scores are only valid for a period of two years. Required minimum scores are 24 for Speaking, 22 for Listening, 22 for Reading and 21 for Writing.
- As of 3/4/2022, a valid standard Texas educator certificate will be accepted in lieu of TOEFL iBT scores.
- Go to tamuc.tk20.com
- Scroll down and click “Admissions”
- Select “Click here to create your account.”
- Complete the “Create Applicant Account” form.
- Note: You will be creating a password for this account.
- Store the password you create in a secure location so you can refer to it later.
- After completing the “Create Applicant Account” form, TK20 will provide your username.
- Store your TK20 username and password in a secure location so you can refer to them later.
- You will use the username to log in to review your admission application once submitted.
- Log into your TK20 account
- Click on the “back to login” link.
- Enter your username and password.
- Click the green “Log Into Your Account” button.
- Click on the “Create New Application” button.
- Select “Principal” application
- Click the “Next” button.
- Complete the application.
- Upload documents by clicking on the “+ Select File(s)” button for the item you are uploading.
- Once you have completed all fields in the application, click the “Submit” button.
- Look for an email from TK20 confirming your submission.
To check your application status:
- Log in to your TK20 Student Admissions account
- On the “Home” tab, locate your application under “Recent Messages”
- Click on the application.
- If you are admitted, the message will indicate your application was “Admitted”
- If you lack admission requirements, the message will indicate “Denied.”
- Click on “Review Document” to view your deficiencies and reason(s) for denial.
Once accepted, please sign and return the “letter of invitation.” It will be returned to [email protected] and [email protected].
- Apply for scholarships once you are admitted.
- Contact your financial aid advisor with any questions.
Note: This program is not eligible for Federal or State loans or grants.
Once registration opens and you are eligible to enroll, your graduate enrollment specialist will contact you to complete registration.
View Degree Plan
DegreeWorks is where you track your progress through your program and make sure you are meeting all your requirements for graduation.
- Sing in to myLEO
- Navigate to “Student Resources”
- Select “Grad School DegreeWorks”
Register for Classes
- To register for classes, go to myLEO > Student Resources > Registration Menu.
Contact your graduate enrollment specialist if you have any questions regarding your degree plan and registration.
Your Graduate Enrollment Specialist
I Still Have Questions
We are here to help! Send us an email. We can answer your questions and assist you in the application process.
Contact the Department
- Department of Educational Leadership
- 903.886.5577
- 903.886.5507
- [email protected]
- Frank Young Education North, B113