Principal Certification Program in Education Administration (ELPS)

Program Description:

The administrative certification programs, which are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, qualify professionals to serve in line or staff administrative positions. The principal certification program, which prepares individuals to serve as principals and assistant principals, provides insight into the purposes and processes of schools, as well as the expertise necessary to lead and administer a school community.

The principal certification program at Temple is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. When a student has successfully completed all requirements for the program at Temple, and successfully passed the Praxis test, he/she will have satisfied the academic requirements for a Principal Certificate in Pennsylvania. Temple University will endorse the successful candidate for certification.

Persons who complete the program will be certified to serve as a school principal (K-12). To be eligible for a principal´s certificate, one must first be certified as a professional educator, and acquire (5) five years of satisfactory experience.

Required Core Courses:

Specific Program Requirements include:

Required Courses (15 credits):

• ED ADM 5505: Introduction to Administration & Supervision
• ED ADM 5503: The Principalship OR ED ADM 8787 Adm of Higher Educ. (Higher Education majors)
• ED ADM 5513: Supervision
• ED 5101: Research Design in Education
• SUP. CERT. 5601: Assessment of Curriculum and Instruction

Elective Courses (12 credits): choose 4 from the list

• ED ADM 5615: Gender Studies
• ED ADM 5063: Educational Reform
• ED ADM 5641: Finance and Business Management
• ED ADM 5651: Planning and Utilization of Facilities
• ED ADM 5661: Personnel Administration
• ED ADM 5671: Public Relations
• ED ADM 5771: School Law
• ED ADM 5715: Instructional Leadership
• ED ADM 5746: Management of School Fiscal Affairs
• ED ADM 8785: Collective Negotiations

Outside elective (3 credits): from outside the Educational Administration program.

Admission Requirements:

Candidates must complete both field experiences as part of the program. Candidates must receive a satisfactory evaluation from the supervisor or administrator most familiar with performance demonstrated during the field experience.

Five years of satisfactory professional experience (under proper certification) must be completed in teaching. (This is a Pennsylvania Department of Education requirement).

Students must pass the Praxis test. It is the student´s responsibility to schedule him / herself for this test and arrange to have the results reported to Temple and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

The criteria for admission to the Principal Certification program include:

• A Bachelor´s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
• A Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate.
• Master´s degree (or Master´s equivalency) from an accredited institution.
• A satisfactory recommendation on a Temple University form (see Reference Report for Graduate Study [pdf]) from the applicant´s immediate superior (administrator or supervisor).

How to Apply

Complete and submit the following required documents:

• One copy of the form Applicant Information Sheet [pdf].
• One copy of Certification Questionnaire [pdf].
• One official copy of all undergraduate transcripts.
• One official copy of all graduate transcripts.
• One photo copy of teaching certificate.
• A recommendation from an administrator or supervisor using a Reference Report for Graduate Study [pdf].

Submit all completed application materials to:

Attn. Marcia Whitaker, Office Manager
Department of Education Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS)
College of Education
Temple University 003-00
1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave. Ritter Hall 238
Philadelphia, PA 19122

For more information, contact Ms. Whitaker at:

Phone: (215) 204-8063
Email: marcia.whitaker@temple.edu