Specializations · Massachusetts
Educational Leadership Pathways in Massachusetts
Educational Leadership in Massachusetts is a graduate award, not School Principal/Assistant School Principal (PreK–8 or 5–12). This table lists 48 institutions with matching IPEDS completions. Completions are not approval to recommend candidates for the license. Use the Massachusetts principal checklist for the credential.
Educational leadership is graduate study aimed at school and district leadership roles. Programs commonly sit inside an M.Ed., EdS, or EdD. Completing a leadership degree is not the same as earning a principal or administrator credential. States issue that license after an approved preparation sequence, experience, and any required exams.
Reviewed by Brittnie Vargas, School principal, M.Ed.Editorial processHow this degree relates to the Massachusetts principal credential
The Massachusetts license is School Principal/Assistant School Principal (PreK–8 or 5–12). Read the principal checklist for steps, exams, and the board source — this page is the IPEDS inventory for Educational Leadership, not a second copy of that checklist.
Massachusetts splits the principalship by grade span. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issues School Principal/Assistant School Principal as PreK–8 or as 5–12, and 603 CMR 7.00 treats those as different licenses. A middle-school teacher who wants a K–5 principalship cannot assume the PreK–8 license appears automatically after a 5–12 program. Choose the span before the 500-hour practicum is designed, because the practicum setting should match the license sought.
PAL is the performance core of the Initial license. It is four tasks, not a single sitting, and DESE’s PAL page sets the overall passing score at 2.75 beginning July 1, 2016. For the 2025-2026 program year the assessment is updated to align with the 2021 Guidelines, including anti-racist leadership competencies. Candidates recycling task responses from an earlier PAL year should verify they are submitting against the current guideline set. A Provisional principal license exists and does not require PAL; it is not the standard professional-track license. Anyone who intends to move to Professional should be on Initial, which does require PAL.
Institutions with Educational Leadership programs in Massachusetts
Rows come from IPEDS awards by CIP and award level. This extract reported no completion counts, so none are shown. An institution that conferred awards is not automatically approved to recommend candidates for School Principal/Assistant School Principal (PreK–8 or 5–12).
| Institution | CIP | Award level |
|---|---|---|
| American International College (Springfield, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (professional) |
| American International College (Springfield, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| American International College (Springfield, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Boston University (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Boston University (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Boston University (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Brandeis University (Waltham, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Bridgewater State University (Bridgewater, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Bridgewater State University (Bridgewater, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Cambridge College (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Cambridge College (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Cambridge College (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Curry College (Milton, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Eastern Nazarene College (Quincy, MA) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Master’s |
| Endicott College (Beverly, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Endicott College (Beverly, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Fitchburg State University (Fitchburg, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Fitchburg State University (Fitchburg, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Fitchburg State University (Fitchburg, MA) | 13.0408 Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Fitchburg State University (Fitchburg, MA) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| Fitchburg State University (Fitchburg, MA) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Framingham State University (Framingham, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Gordon College (Wenham, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Gordon College (Wenham, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (professional) |
| Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Doctorate (research) |
| Merrimack College (North Andover, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Northeastern University (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Salem State University (Salem, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Salem State University (Salem, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Simmons University (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Amherst, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Amherst, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston (Boston, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston (Boston, MA) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (North Dartmouth, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (North Dartmouth, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell (Lowell, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell (Lowell, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Worcester State University (Worcester, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Worcester State University (Worcester, MA) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
Frequently asked questions
Is educational leadership the same as principal certification?
No. Educational leadership is an academic concentration. Principal certification is a state-issued administrative credential. Many candidates earn both through the same approved program, but you must satisfy the state’s credential rules, not only complete graduate courses.
Which degree should I pursue for school leadership?
Many educators start with an M.Ed. in educational leadership. Some continue to an EdS for post-master’s depth, or an EdD for terminal practitioner study. Match the degree to your state’s credential checklist and your timeline, do not choose based on ranking lists.
Can I complete educational leadership online?
Many programs offer online or hybrid coursework, but internships and field experiences are usually local. Confirm that the program can place you in an approved setting in the state where you intend to hold an administrative license.
Which leadership exam will I take?
The exam is set by the state board. This site sources SLLA 6990, TExES 268 and PASL, FELE, CalAPA/CPACE, PAL, OAE 015, and other state instruments on the SLLA page and each principal checklist. Confirm the current test code and cut score on the board testing page.