Education leaders in principalship in a meeting

Principalship - Ed.S. in Educational Leadership Online

Arkansas State University's Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship is a 100% online, CAEP-accredited post-master's degree that prepares licensed teachers to become school principals. Completed in as few as 18 months (30 credit hours, $10,500 total), the program qualifies graduates for Arkansas's Building Level Administrator license and prepares candidates for the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) required in Arkansas and most other states.

Next Apply Date: 9/28/26
Next Class Start Date: 10/12/26
Apply Now
Next Apply Date: 9/28/26
Next Class Start Date: 10/12/26

Program Overview

What does A-State’s online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship degree offer you?

The online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship program at Arkansas State University is designed to improve your general educational and specific professional competencies as a school system leader. Our esteemed faculty developed the program to provide additional training, beyond a master's, based on recommendations from professional organizations and accrediting associations. Candidates complete performance-based activities in P–12 school sites and related learning.

This program includes an internship requirement that can be completed while you continue working as an educator or school administrator. In addition, some of the coursework you complete as part of this post-master's degree program may apply to an Arkansas State University doctoral degree in education.

For state program approvals, please refer to our State Authorization & Licensure Disclosures page.

In this program you will:

  • Improve your general educational and specific professional competencies as a school system leader
  • Receive instruction on maintaining a successful culturally responsive school environment and learn to work collaboratively with teachers and parents to implement instructional improvement
  • Utilize valuable experiences from an internship that can be completed while you continue working
  • Meet state or professional requirements for career advancement
In this program you will:+
  • Improve your general educational and specific professional competencies as a school system leader
  • Receive instruction on maintaining a successful culturally responsive school environment and learn to work collaboratively with teachers and parents to implement instructional improvement
  • Utilize valuable experiences from an internship that can be completed while you continue working
  • Meet state or professional requirements for career advancement

As a graduate of this online program, you will be prepared for various educational leadership roles, including:

  • Principal
  • Assistant Principal / Vice Principal
  • Director
  • Dean of Students
  • Building-Level Administrator
  • Instructional Coordinator / Supervisor
As a graduate of this online program, you will be prepared for various educational leadership roles, including:+
  • Principal
  • Assistant Principal / Vice Principal
  • Director
  • Dean of Students
  • Building-Level Administrator
  • Instructional Coordinator / Supervisor
+

​Additional documents

Textbook Information (.PDF)

This program requires Watermark – Student Learning & Licensure (SL&L).

​Additional documents+

Textbook Information (.PDF)

This program requires Watermark – Student Learning & Licensure (SL&L).

Also available:

A-State's online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship is one of several post-graduate programs designed for working educators. If you're weighing your options, explore the related programs below:

Total Tuition: $10,500
Program Duration: As few as 18 months
Credit Hours 30

Accreditation

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Need More Information?

Call 866-621-8096

Call 866-621-8096

Tuition

How much does the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship program cost?

Our Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship online program offers the same affordable tuition to all U.S. residents. All fees are included. Tuition may be subject to change on a yearly basis.

Tuition breakdown:

Per Credit Hour: $350
Total Tuition: $10,500

Calendar

When can you start the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship program?

Our Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship online program is designed to be flexible and convenient for working professionals, featuring accelerated coursework and multiple start dates a year.

Please note that the internship course lasts a full semester and only starts in Fall 1 and Spring 1 of terms.

Please note Summer 1 and Summer 2 terms are 5 weeks in duration for this program.

View full calendar +

TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Fall 18/19/268/5/268/5/268/17/268/17/2610/2/26
Fall 210/12/269/28/269/28/2610/8/2610/9/2612/4/26
Spring 11/11/2712/28/2612/28/261/7/271/8/272/26/27
Spring 23/8/273/4/272/22/273/4/273/5/274/30/27

Now enrolling:

Next Apply Date 9/28/26
Start Class 10/12/26

Have questions or need more information about A‑State online programs?

Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from A-State?

Apply Now

Admissions

What are the admission requirements for the online Ed.S. principalship program?

Students who are interested in our Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship online program must have a master’s degree from an accredited institution and one year of teaching experience. For students seeking Building Level Administrator (Principal) licensure in the state of Arkansas, you must have 3 years of teaching experience to acquire this licensure. Review full admission requirements below. At this time, International students may not be accepted into any Educational Leadership program – only students with a valid US teaching license that are working in a US school district are eligible for this program.

Admission Requirements:

  • Online application
  • Master's degree
  • Valid teaching license
View all admission requirements +

Admission requirements

  • Master’s degree from an accredited institution with at least 3.25 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
  • A valid, standard teaching license
  • One year of experience as a certified teacher in an educational institution
  • Commitment from an appropriate professional who will function as your mentor during the degree program. View acceptable mentors (PDF).
  • Candidates will be required to submit the self-disposition document provided and verification for teacher effectiveness and leadership abilities

Note: If you have a 3.0-3.24 GPA, you must make a grade of B or better during the first 9 hours of graduate work at Arkansas State University.

Application submission requirements

  • Complete online application
  • Pay the nonrefundable $30 fee
  • Send official transcript(s) from the college/university attended. Official transcripts are sealed transcripts sent from the granting institution. For this program, we will only need an official transcript that shows your conferred master's degree.

Submit all documents to:

A-State Online
P.O. Box 2520
State University, AR 72467


Fax: 870-972-3548
Email: [email protected]

Additional information

While not required for admission, Teacher/Leader Effectiveness Credentials will be required prior to registering for your first course.

For more information on state eligibility, please visit our State Authorization and Licensure Disclosures page.

Additional required documents

As part of the student's portfolio, the following information is required to be completed prior to registering for the 3rd term (second semester):

  • Video Essay
  • Writing Sample

These additional documents are not required to render an admissions decision.

Appeals process

  • Email a written Letter of Appeal and GRE or GMAT scores (may be unofficial) to [email protected]

Transfer credits

Up to 9 graduate hours from A-State or other higher education institutions may be credited toward a program subject to department approval. No course can be older than six years by graduation time. The course must have been taken at the level of the program you are seeking. To request prior credit be evaluated, please complete the Graduate Transfer Credit Evaluation Form.

Courses

What courses are in the online principalship curriculum?

Students pursuing this Ed.S. program must complete the following 10 courses (30 credit hours).

You can view your schedule of courses for this degree through the Course Smartsheet:

View the AOS Course Smartsheet

How to Use the Course Smartsheet

Expand All
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of concepts, programs and pro­cedures for establishing and maintaining positive relations between the school, its constituents, and related agencies. Areas covered include media and public relations, publications, community and parental involvement. Special emphasis is on transitional student support services through interagency collaboration with non-school agencies such as social services, law enforcement, and providers of direct services to persons with disabilities.  Dual Listed/Cross Listed: Dual listed as ELAD 6003.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will provide an in-depth study of and an exploration into the administrative processes of special education.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course addresses planning and resource allocation in public schools. Special attention is given to site-based management respon­sibilities of the principal.  Dual Listed/Cross Listed: Dual listed as ELAD 6053.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of the legal aspects of education for the purpose of familiariz­ing school personnel with the legal features of school organization and administration. The course will consider constitutional and statutory provisions, but the major emphasis will be directed to the study of court decisions relating to education.  Dual Listed/Cross Listed: Dual listed as ELAD 6073.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course presents an overview of educational administra­tion for practitioners within the context of ethical and professional behavior.  Dual Listed/Cross Listed: Dual listed as ELAD 6203.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Presents perspectives, skills, and processes necessary for administrators to manage district and building level curriculum and to formalize the curriculum decision-making process.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Combines attributes of supervising teaching with the formal aspects of teacher evaluation via emphasis on adult development, clinical supervision, and evaluation processes and models extant in public schools.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the qualities, disposi­tions, and characteristics of effective leaders, along with research and evaluation strategies for school improvement.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines relationship of recommended, written, taught, supported, assessed, learned and hidden curriculums; and identifies critical leadership decisions that can positively impact student achievement in grades K-12.  Components of effective curriculum guides analyzed.  Strengthens skills and dispositions of instructional leaders.
Duration: 14 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This capstone course provides students with practical hands-on clinical experience in a school setting. The course will focus on authentic problems and activities that require students to demonstrate leadership skills, and practices integral to the per­formance of the school administrator at the building level.  Prerequisites: Completion of portfolio.

Applicants seeking an Arkansas teaching license by reciprocity who hold a valid license from another state in Childhood (P-4), Elementary Education (K-6), Middle Childhood (4-8), or Secondary Social Studies (7-12) must meet an Arkansas History requirement by documentation of the successful completion of three (3) college credit hours in Arkansas History at an accredited college or university OR a 45-hour professional development piece in Arkansas History through Arkansas IDEAS. Applicants holding a valid license in areas other than the four mentioned above do not have to meet the Arkansas History requirement. HIST 3083 History of Arkansas (offered in summer terms only) meets the Arkansas history requirement.

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
UNITED STATES HISTORY. An advanced survey of Arkansas history from prehistoric times to the present with an emphasis on political, economic, and social/cultural themes. Fall, Spring, Summer. Required of BSE Social Science majors.

Built for Arkansas Educators

Arkansas State University's Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship is a post-master's degree built for licensed teachers ready to move from the classroom into building-level administration. It's delivered 100% online with accelerated terms and multiple start dates a year, so you can keep teaching while you earn your degree in as few as 18 months.

For educators pursuing Building Level Administrator (Principal) licensure in Arkansas, this program is designed to meet that pathway. Admission requires a master's degree from an accredited institution and one year of teaching experience. Arkansas's Building Level Administrator license itself calls for three years of teaching experience, making the Ed.S. a natural next step for experienced teachers already progressing toward administration.

The program carries the same affordable per-credit-hour tuition rate for in-state and out-of-state students, with all fees included. For state authorization and Arkansas-specific licensure approval details, visit the State Authorization & Licensure Disclosures page.

FAQ

Education Specialist in Educational Leadership, Principalship Online FAQs

Intro copy

Admission is selective but accessible to qualified working teachers: a 3.25 GPA is the standard bar, with a conditional path for candidates in the 3.0–3.24 range, and an appeals process (using GRE or GMAT scores) is available for borderline applicants. Beyond transcripts, evidence of leadership ability and teaching effectiveness through your self-disposition document and mentor's endorsement is important. Prior roles like instructional coaching, committee leadership or department leadership all count as relevant experience, even if you haven't held a formal administrative title yet.
Yes. This program is open to applicants with a valid U.S. teaching license working in any U.S. school district. International students are not eligible at this time. Licensure requirements and reciprocity vary by state, so review the State Authorization & Licensure Disclosures page to confirm recognition in your state before enrolling.
Yes. This Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Principalship is 100% online and is designed specifically to prepare candidates for Building Level Administrator (Principal) licensure in Arkansas, alongside the broader academic credential.
Yes. The capstone Supervised Internship course places you in a P–12 school setting for authentic, hands-on administrative experience, and runs a full 14-week semester. The course is only offered starting in the Fall 1 or Spring 1 terms, and requires completion of your portfolio as a prerequisite.
The program takes as few as 18 months to complete across 30 credit hours. You'll build a portfolio throughout the program — including a required video essay and writing sample submitted before your third term — and complete a capstone Supervised Internship course as your final requirement, which requires portfolio completion as a prerequisite.
A-State's Building Level Administration Certificate is built for candidates who already hold a master's degree and only need the state-required coursework for Building Level Administrator licensure — without a full second post-master's degree. This Ed.S. is the complete academic credential: 30 credit hours culminating in a diploma, including the same licensure-qualifying coursework plus the broader academic credential, which may also apply toward continued doctoral study at A-State.
This program is CAEP-accredited and approved to prepare candidates for Arkansas's Building Level Administrator license — the objective standard Arkansas districts require for hiring principals and assistant principals.
The SLLA (Praxis 6990) is a four-hour, ETS-administered exam required in Arkansas and many other states for principal and assistant principal licensure. It's divided into two sections — roughly 120 selected-response questions and four constructed-response questions — built around the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL). This program's curriculum is designed around those same standards; courses including Ethical Leadership (EDLE77203) and Leading School Improvement (EDLE77573) directly address SLLA content areas such as ethical leadership and school improvement planning.

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