In Short
Prepares you to meet the Massachusetts Professional Standards and Indicators for Administrative Leadership as a School Principal (PreK-8, 5-12).
- Equip school administrators with the skills and competencies necessary for becoming effective educational leaders
Already have a master's degree? Earn your Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership and Management in as little as two years with a mix of online and hybrid courses. Learn more today.
Degree Overview
This program is an interdepartmental program. Within this spirit, relationships between faculty members in education departments and other programs across the University have been allied.
Program Highlights
- View PAL - Task 1 (video)
- View PAL - Task 2 (video)
- View PAL - Task 1 and 2 (PowerPoint)
- Fitchburg State University is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This program has been awarded full accreditation by AAQEP through December 31, 2030. Accreditation acknowledges that a program prepares effective educators who continue to grow as professionals and has demonstrated the commitment and capacity to maintain quality.
Career Opportunities
Successful completion of the degree and all requisite licensure requirements qualifies degree recipients for endorsement as a school principal.
Total Credits
42 credits
Time Frame
While you can complete the program in as few as three years, you have six years to complete the program.
Degrees and Other Information
The Ed.S. degree is equivalent to a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAGS) degree.
- School Principal (Ed.S.) (PreK-8, 5-12) - Program information from the University Catalog.
- Two-Year Course Rotation (PDF)
Completed applications are reviewed on a rolling admission basis. Admission requirements are as follows:
- Official transcript of a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum of three years teaching experience under an initial or professional license (for licensure candidates)
- Valid teacher certification/license (initial level)
- Passing scores for the Communication and Literacy subtest of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Professional resume
- Graduate application and fee
- An essay, no more than one page in length, in response to one of the following questions:
- Tell us about a positive situation in which you helped a person and made a significant difference in that person’s life.
- What are the most important factors in establishing a long-term working relationship with students, friends, etc.?
- Tell us about a significant event that involved you in a teaching or helping mode.
- Describe the situation as it occurred at the time.
- What did you do in that particular situation?
- How did you feel about the situation at the time you were experiencing it?
- How do you feel about the situation now?
- What would you change, if anything?
- Describe the situation as it occurred at the time.
Still have questions? We're here to help!
We know you're busy, so we've given you a few different options to conveniently get the answers you need. You can…
- Email an enrollment counselor gce@fitchburgstate.edu or call 978.665.3182
- Attend an Information Session
- Watch a webinar