Guides
M.Ed. vs EdS vs EdD for School Leadership
An M.Ed. is usually the first graduate degree for licensed educators. An EdS is a post-master’s specialist degree often used to deepen administrator preparation. An EdD is a practitioner doctorate. None of those titles is a principal or superintendent credential. Match the degree to the approved sequence your state requires and to the time you can give the internship.
Reviewed by Brittnie Vargas, School principal, M.Ed.Editorial processKey takeaways
- An M.Ed. is usually the first graduate degree for licensed educators. An EdS is a post-master’s specialist degree often used to deepen administrator preparation. An EdD is a practitioner doctorate. None of those titles is a principal or superintendent credential. Match the degree to the approved sequence your state requires and to the time you can give the internship.
- Only if your state board says so. Many states accept an approved master’s-level principal sequence. Read the credential page for the state where you will apply.
- Only if an approved administrator sequence is built into that doctorate and you already meet the state’s experience rules. An EdD without that sequence will not substitute for the credential checklist.
Choose the degree by what the state board will accept as administrator preparation, not by which letters look strongest on a résumé. Many building-level credentials are satisfied inside an M.Ed. with an approved principal concentration. Some states expect post-master’s hours that map cleanly onto an EdS. District-level or superintendent credentials often add experience and a separate tier after the first administrative license.
An EdD is a terminal practitioner degree. It can house leadership internships and dissertation-in-practice work, but it does not skip fingerprinting, exams, or an approved sequence. A PhD in Education is the research-doctorate sibling; treat it as a faculty or policy pathway unless the program is also approved to recommend administrators.
Modality is independent of degree level. Online M.Ed., EdS, and EdD programs exist. Field experiences do not become optional because the coursework is remote. If you need a credential in a specific state, the program must be able to place and recommend you there.
Cost and time claims belong to the institution’s published catalog and to College Scorecard net-price figures where we show them on noindex institution profiles. This site does not invent tuition or rank programs as “best.”
If you need the comparison in one screen, use the table below, then open the degree hub for the award and the principal checklist for the license.
Which award answers which question
| Question | M.Ed. | EdS | EdD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical place on the ladder | First graduate degree for licensed educators | Post-master’s specialist hours | Terminal practitioner doctorate |
| Can it house principal preparation? | Often, if the program is board-approved to recommend administrators | Often, when the board wants hours beyond the master’s | Only if an approved administrator sequence is built in |
| Is the title the license? | No | No | No |
| When it is the wrong choice | You need an MAT or initial-licensure route, not leadership | The board already accepts your approved master’s sequence | You need a building license next year and the EdD has no internship |
Frequently asked questions
Is an EdS required to be a principal?
Only if your state board says so. Many states accept an approved master’s-level principal sequence. Read the credential page for the state where you will apply.
Should I skip the M.Ed. and go straight to an EdD?
Only if an approved administrator sequence is built into that doctorate and you already meet the state’s experience rules. An EdD without that sequence will not substitute for the credential checklist.