Educational Leadership Tier II Certification

Grow your skills and knowledge for assistant principal and initial leadership positions in Georgia. As you expand your opportunities and impact, you’ll gain the tools to shape educational environments and empower students to thrive.

Locations

Online

Why Earn Educational Leadership Tier II Certification at Georgia Southern?

Advance to the next level of leadership with Georgia Southern University’s Educational Leadership Tier II Certification program. Designed for experienced educators who already hold Tier I certification, this fully online 18-credit-hour program builds the advanced knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for high-level leadership positions such as principals, superintendents, and district administrators in Georgia’s P–12 schools.

This cohort-based program emphasizes collaboration, professional growth, and authentic, performance-based learning. Through a structured Residency experience, you will apply theory to real-world practice in your own school or district, developing the confidence and capacity to lead with vision and impact.

Program Highlights

18 graduate credit hours, designed to be completed while you continue your current role.
Cohort model promotes professional networking and peer collaboration.
Residency component provides 750 hours of guided, job-embedded field experience.
Inquiry-based curriculum focused on solving authentic educational challenges.
Preparation for Tier II certification aligned with GaPSC Rule 505-3-.77.

Through an approach that blends leadership theory with practical application, Georgia Southern’s Tier II program empowers you to transform schools, foster community trust, and champion student success while advancing your professional career.

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Average annual salary for primary and secondary education administrators. (BLS)

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Where our graduates work:

Public Schools
Private Schools
District Offices
State Offices

What our graduates do:

Principal
Superintendent
District Office

What You’ll Learn

In the leadership professional core, you will study how to balance instructional and managerial responsibilities, cultivate school improvement, and create safe and supportive learning environments. The coursework emphasizes collaboration, problem-solving, and research-based decision-making to prepare you for advanced leadership roles in Georgia schools.

Throughout the program, you will complete 750 hours of guided, job-embedded residency experience in your current school or district. This performance-based fieldwork allows you to apply theory to real challenges, demonstrate leadership competencies, and build an evidence-based portfolio that reflects your professional growth.

The Tier II program focuses on deepening your understanding of instructional leadership, organizational management, and community engagement, helping you strengthen your ability to lead schools that promote excellence, equity, and continuous improvement.

See the Curriculum

Residency Core Requirement

The Georgia PSC requires candidates to have the opportunity to engage in genuine leadership initiatives through a residency experience. Under the direction of a mentor and a university professor, you will complete three residency courses in your current setting that will allow you to fulfill the 750 hours of clinical practice required for certification.

A Georgia Southern student teacher earns time in the classroom.

Want to Learn More?

Explore essential information about our Educational Leadership Tier II Certification, including application details, accreditation status, and licensing disclosures. Gain insight into the program’s credibility and requirements to help you start your journey toward success with the knowledge you need.

Admission Requirements:

Complete requirements for a specialist or doctoral degree from a college or university accredited by an appropriate institutional accreditor.
Present a 3.00 (4.00 scale) grade point average on all graduate work.
Hold a valid Georgia certificate Tier I entry level certification, or hold a Tier II certificate if that certificate is based on completion of an Educational Leadership program that led to a Georgia L or PL certificate.
Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae (CV). Applicants must be currently employed and serve in a leadership position as defined by the state of Georgia in a P-12 school or district-level setting in order to complete required field experience hours.
Submit a passing score on the Georgia Ethics for Educational Leadership Assessment.
Submit a signed school/district agreement from the candidate’s employer that indicates that the Local Unit of Administration (LUA) and school agree to allow candidates to complete 750 hours of clinical practice (supervised field experiences) and provide supporting documents, as well as access to opportunities to lead and participate in leadership functions as appropriate for completion of leadership performances.

Application Deadline

Students are admitted to begin the program only in the fall term. The application deadline is August 1.

Your application and all required documents, including transcripts, must be received by the deadline.

Provisional Admission

Applicants may be approved for provisional admission based on the quality of the admission material presented. Provisional students must earn grades of “B” or higher in their first nine (9) hours of coursework after admission and meet any other stipulations outlined by the Department to be converted to regular status.

Program Contact Information

Graduate Academic Services Center
gasc@georgiasouthern.edu
912-478-1447

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At Georgia Southern, enjoy the flexibility of fully online courses that fit within your busy schedule as an educator. Online instructors weave interactive experiences into each lesson, ensuring you engage at a deeper level.

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For All Online Programs

Federal law requires colleges and universities to make certain disclosures to prospective students of these programs. These disclosures include information on the University’s authority to operate outside of Georgia, complaint processes, adverse actions and refunds.

For required disclosures in general with regard to online programs offered by the University, visit the Office of Legal Affairs website.

Georgia Southern’s Educational Leadership Tier II Certification-Only program is an approved program of study by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) and meets the PSC’s requirements for Tier II Educational Leadership certification and is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

The Department of Leadership, Technology and Human Development anticipates that graduates of the Certificate program who have passed the GACE Educational Leadership Content Assessment will be eligible to seek professional Georgia leadership certification by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission as a certified Tier II leader in their respective fields.

The Department has not determined whether these programs satisfy the requirements of all states and territories for certification in Educational Leadership.