Educational Administrative Leadership (CERT)

Graduate Certificate in Educational Administrative Leadership
Unit: College of Education and Human Development
Department:  Leadership, Evaluation and Development (LEAD)
Academic Plan Code(s): EAL_CGRO

This program is completed 100% online.

The graduate certificate in Educational Administration Leadership (EAL) is an 18-credit hour program that provides professional educators a pathway to pursue Level I Principalship certification in Kentucky, the initial advanced leadership credential necessary for those pursuing administrative positions in Kentucky.

Admission Requirements

Application Requirements

Applicants to the Educational Administrative Leadership certificate program must submit the following:

• Completed UofL graduate application submitted at https://apply.graduate.louisville.edu/apply/
• Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework.  To be considered official, transcripts must be sent by the issuing institution to the UofL Graduate School. Transcripts issued to the candidate, and/or uploaded by the candidate, are considered unofficial.
  • International transcripts must be evaluated per UofL Graduate School requirements: https://graduate.louisville.edu/admission/international/evaluation
• Personal statement – Candidates should upload a rationale for pursuing this certificate which should include a statement of professional goals and philosophy of education (limit of two pages).
• Current resume detailing at least three years of K-12 teaching experience
• Copy of current Kentucky teaching certificate or active teaching certificate issued by another state
• Recommendations – Two (2) recommendations are required. Recommenders should include a letter attesting to the candidate’s skills and understanding of student achievement, leadership, and advanced knowledge of curriculum, instruction and assessment. One recommendation must be from the current site supervisor. Requests are automatically sent to the recommenders’ emails once the graduate application is submitted. Adequate time should be given for recommenders to respond to the request by the application deadline. Candidates may log into their admission portal to check the status of the recommendations.
• Signed documents included in the application. You will be asked to review and sign the Professional Code of Ethics/Technology User Agreement.

International Applicants:

• International applicants must submit additional application items, and meet additional admission requirements.  Information on the international application and admission requirements can be found here: https://graduate.louisville.edu/admission/international

Admission Requirements

• Complete application (including all checklist items above and payment submitted).
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. Candidates with a GPA lower than 3.0 should consult with the admissions counselor to discuss potential options.
• Three years of full-time K-12 teaching experience

Admission is competitive. Meeting the GPA minimum and all other admission requirements does not guarantee that prospective students will be accepted into the program. 

Program admission dates:   Fall semester

Application Deadlines:  July 1 for Fall

Out-of-state applicants should check state authorizations and licensing disclosures for requirements in your state. Please be advised that the University of Louisville cannot guarantee that our program will meet licensure, salary, advancement or other requirements in their state. The University of Louisville makes every effort to ensure information about educational requirements for programs is current; however, licensure requirements are always subject to change. Applicants should always check with their state licensure board to confirm licensure requirements. 

Program Requirements

The graduate certificate in Educational Administrative Leadership prepares students who already hold an active teaching license to meet the requirements for certification and/or licensure. If you plan to pursue professional licensure or certification you should first determine your state’s criteria for examination and licensure to see how/if our program meets those requirements prior to enrollment. We recommend that you also contact your state’s licensing board directly to verify that the requirements have not changed recently and to answer any questions especially those regarding additional requirements beyond the degree. 

More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website:  https://louisville.edu/about/departments/academic-planning-accountability/disclosures/professional-licensure.

For programs with an online option, more information about certification or licensure is available here: https://online.louisville.edu/resources/compliance/license