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School Principal

Graduate Certificate

Online

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School principal in a classroom

Become A School Principal Today!

It’s been said that there are no good schools without good principals. That’s because principals set the tone for a building’s learning and professional environment. Do teachers feel empowered and appreciated? Are policies consistent and fair? Is there a sense of community among staff, students, teachers and families? Are students thriving?

If you are ready for school building leadership and passionate about fostering a healthy school environment, you can prepare to become that kind of principal through UW’s experiential school principal certificate program.

Offered online, UW’s school principal graduate certificate program allows you to acquire the knowledge and experience necessary to earn a Wyoming's Professional Teaching Standards Board endorsement as a K-12 principal while maintaining your current teaching position.

Program Details

Tuition and Fees

Please visit our cost of attendance page

Program Requirements

Curriculum & Courses

Department

College of Education
School of Counseling, Leadership, Advocacy and Design

About the School Principal Program

UW’s 24-credit hour, online school principal certificate program is designed for licensed teachers who hold a master’s degree in education or related area from an accredited college or university. Utilize your coursework towards further degrees in educational leadership.

Emphasizing the study of educational leadership and an in-depth principal internship, the program qualifies you for a Wyoming state K-12 principal endorsement, while also equipping you with skills you can use to drive positive change at the building level.

Need to speak with our program coordinator?
Get in touch with us today!

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Students talking amongst each other

Application Deadlines

  • February 1 - Fall semesters
  • September 1 - Spring semesters

Admission Requirements

Domestic Students

  • GPA: 3.0 in Master's
  • GRE: No Requirement

International Students

  • TOEFL: 550 minimum written or 80 minimum online, OR IELTS: 6.5 minimum overall score 
  • GRE: 900/291 minimum

Additional Requirements

  • Must have a minimum of 3 years teaching experience

How To Apply
Please visit our program admission webpage for more details, additional admission requirements and downloadable forms.

Students in class

These are just some of the classes you might take as an educational leadership/principal certificate student at the University of Wyoming:

  • Leadership for Curriculum Development
  • Leadership for School Organization
  • Leadership for School and Community Relations
  • Leadership for Instruction
  • Introduction to School Law
  • Introduction to Research

View the full graduate principal certificate program curriculum.

 

Online Learning At UW

The University of Wyoming presents an extensive array of fully-online and hybrid programs, alongside the online School Principal graduate certificate. These virtual programs are equivalent to in-person options concerning educational benchmarks and official recognition. Acknowledging the unique needs of online students, we provide a variety of academic and student resources crafted to bolster your achievements throughout your UW experience and beyond graduation.

 

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What Can You Do with a School Principal Graduate Certificate?

The UW school principal graduate certificate program provides you with the training to become a principal leader and change agent at the school building level. It also qualifies you for K-12 principal endorsement from the Wyoming state Professional Teaching Standards Board.

School Principal Careers

A school principal graduate certificate can prepare you for careers such as:

  • School principal
  • Technology integration program administrator
  • Intervention assistance team manager
  • Athletic director
  • Lead teacher

 

Principal standing in classroom

 

The demand for School Principals is growing – The projected growth is 8% for 2020-2030 according to the us bureau of Labor Statistics.

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School Principal Graduate Certificate Program Highlights

As a University of Wyoming educational leadership student, your program isn’t simply about how-to manage K-12 schools, it’s also a deep dive into leadership ideas that will broaden your ideas of what a school can be. From incorporating community values into what students are learning to fostering deeper ties with families, you will come to see the role of principal as one with the potential to reimagine schools as centers for community cohesion and reinvention.

Here are some reasons to choose UW for your school principal endorsement studies:

 

Accredited

Choose an accredited certificate program. The UW College of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). 

Travel Grants

Apply for travel funding to help cover some of the costs involved with attending and presenting at education-related conferences.

Internship

Complete a 435-hour principal internship that encompasses elementary, middle and high school experiences.

 

 

Special Education Director Endorsement

You can gain the Special Education Director endorsement from the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) if you have earned a masters from UW in either educational leadership or special education AND at least a graduate certificate from UW in either educational leadership or special education.

 

Faculty

Learn from people like former superintendent Barbara Hickman, who have worked as leaders in the field.

 

 

Scholarships

Apply for potential scholarship funding. to fund your graduate study. UW offers graduate education students access to scholarships such as:

Dr. L. Dean Sorenson Memorial Scholarship
Ivan Willey Scholarship
Maurice Wear Scholarship
Russell I. Hammond Scholarship
William G. Berube Scholarship

 

 

 

Due to the rural nature of Wyoming, the online format was very beneficial. I was able to connect with professors and classmates easily and efficiently. I feel that the knowledge gained in the program has allowed me a specific skill set to be prepared for the position I am currently holding.

- Josh Mink, ’19

Related Programs

The school principal graduate certificate program requires a master’s degree for admission. If you have yet to receive your master’s, you may want to consider this program:

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