Specializations · North Carolina
Educational Leadership Pathways in North Carolina
Educational Leadership in North Carolina is a graduate award, not School Administrator – Principal (Class P at master’s level). This table lists 48 institutions with matching IPEDS completions. Completions are not approval to recommend candidates for the license. Use the North Carolina 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 North Carolina principal credential
The North Carolina license is School Administrator – Principal (Class P at master’s level). 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.
North Carolina’s principal title is exact: School Administrator – Principal, issued as Class P at the master’s level. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s administrators-and-student-services page makes completion of an approved school administration program at the master’s level or above the academic core of that license. There is no published NCDPI principal-exam requirement on the pages used for this bundle, so candidates should confirm any testing expectations with the approved program and NCDPI rather than importing an exam from another state.
The hard line is the absence of a provisional principal license. Districts that are used to placing an unlicensed teacher-leader as “acting principal” while coursework finishes will not find a DPI authorization that matches that practice. Service as a principal requires the Class P license. The only provisional flexibility NCDPI describes in this cluster is for assistant principals, and even that door opens only when a local board determines a shortage.
Institutions with Educational Leadership programs in North Carolina
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 Administrator – Principal (Class P at master’s level).
| Institution | CIP | Award level |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Barton College (Wilson, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Campbell University (Buies Creek, NC) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| East Carolina University (Greenville, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| East Carolina University (Greenville, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| High Point University (High Point, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| High Point University (High Point, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| North Carolina A & T State University (Greensboro, NC) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| North Carolina A & T State University (Greensboro, NC) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Post-master’s / EdS |
| North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh (Raleigh, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh (Raleigh, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh (Raleigh, NC) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Doctorate (research) |
| Queens University of Charlotte (Charlotte, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Salem College (Winston-Salem, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| St. Andrews University (Laurinburg, NC) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Strayer University-North Carolina (Greensboro, NC) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Master’s |
| University of Mount Olive (Mount Olive, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, NC) | 13.0410 Urban Education and Leadership | Master’s |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Greensboro, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Greensboro, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Greensboro, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke (Pembroke, NC) | 13.0409 Secondary School Administration/Principalship | Master’s |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington (Wilmington, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington (Wilmington, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC) | 13.0404 Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision | Master’s |
| Wingate University (Wingate, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Wingate University (Wingate, NC) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Master’s |
| Wingate University (Wingate, NC) | 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.