Format: Online

Northern’s graduate certificate in principal and building leadership is a flexible and affordable opportunity for educators who have already earned a master’s degree in education to complete the coursework required to become a licensed principal. 

The graduate certificate is entirely online and will develop your leadership abilities. It's a state-approved program for principal preparation, complying with SDCL 24:53:08:02. Through Northern’s graduate certificate in principal and building leadership, candidates who have already earned a master’s degree in education gain the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge and skills - identified in National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) building-level standards - to serve as a principal at the P-12 level. 

For principal certification, graduates of this program must pass the Praxis Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision exam. 

Contact NSU Graduate Studies to find out if courses you already completed in your master’s program in education may apply to this graduate certificate. 

The program's curriculum addresses critical knowledge and skill areas for beginning, building-level educational leaders. Courses are designed to provide a framework for understanding how to best prepare, support, and evaluate education leaders in their efforts to help every child grow. Specialized courses include models of leadership, organizational behavior, data-driven decision making, leading inclusive schools, and fostering school and community partnerships.