To complete the Principal Certification, students must be fully admitted to the PK-12 Educational Administration Master’s Program. The department does not offer a “certification only” option at this time.
The Principal Certification consists of 36 hours of formal coursework and 3 credit hours of professional internship over two semesters. All requirements for the program are approved by the State of Texas.
To be eligible for Principal Certification, students must meet the following requirements by the end of the program:
- Have a valid Texas teacher certificate;
- Hold a master’s degree;
- Have a minimum of two years creditable classroom teaching experience by the end of the program;
- Complete the approved courses designed for meeting the requirements of certification with this department; and
- Successfully pass the TExES exam.
It is the responsibility of the individual to submit all required documentation to the Academic Advising Office in order to be recommended for certification.
Advanced Educational Leadership
The course material for Advanced Educational Leadership (AEL), as per the directive of the Texas Education Agency, must contain 18 hours of face to face instruction. In order to accommodate our online students, we will offer these 18 hours of instruction either as a mini-mester format or over a weekend. An alternative option for students would be to obtain their AEL certification through a Regional Education Service Center and provide documentation of completion to the Office of Academic Advising.
Internship
A 3 credit-hour professional internship (EDAD 684) is required to complete the Principal Certification. This course is required for certification as a school principal by the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) of the State of Texas. Students are expected to be within the last 12 hours of their certification program before registering for the internship in order to fully benefit from the experiences.
Requirements for Completion
Upon successful completion of all requirements (coursework, internship and TExES exam), the student must:
- Complete the SBEC online certification application;
- Submit copy of teacher certificate;
- Submit copy of teaching record showing at least two years full-time teaching;
- Submit copy of TExES scores;
- Complete the College of Education and Human Development Certification Office form (request form from the EAHR Graduate Advising Office, eahradvisor@tamu.edu); and
- Indicate date of completing SBEC online application to academic advising office.
All information must be submitted to the EAHR Graduate Advising Office (eahradvisor@tamu.edu). The application packet will be forwarded to the CEHD Certification Coordinator and you will be notified by email from SBEC when your certificate has been approved.