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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What Can You Do With Educational Leadership Tier II Certification?
Qualify for initial educational leadership positions, including assistant principal and Local Unit of Administration (LUA) staff roles, and lay the groundwork for the next stage of your career.
Where our graduates work:
- Public school districts
- Private schools
What our graduates do:
- Assistant principal
- Curriculum director
- Instructional coordinator
- School administrator
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.
Supervised Field Experience
Through 250 hours of supervised experience involving observation, reflection and implementation in your present work setting, you’ll build a portfolio demonstrating professional competence and solidify your grasp of course theories and concepts.
Want to Learn More?
Explore essential information about our Educational Leadership Tier I 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.
The Educational Leadership Tier II Certification-Only program is open to those with a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) on all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework.
You must also possess a professional Georgia Level 5 certificate or higher in a teaching, service or leadership field.
To apply, please submit:
- An online application. (There is a $50 non-refundable application fee.)
- A statement of purpose, not to exceed 200 words, that identifies your reasons for pursuing graduate study and how admission into the program relates to your professional aspirations.
- A current résumé or CV that highlights your personal and professional achievements. You must be employed in a P-12 school setting to complete the required field experience hours.
- The Principal’s Assurance Form.
- A passing score on the state-required Georgia Educator Ethics for Educational Leadership Assessment.
- A completed “Disclosure and Affirmation Form” that addresses misconduct disclosure, the Code of Ethics for Educators and tort liability insurance. (This is included within the online application.)
International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES-accredited evaluation service and must be a course-by-course evaluation and include a GPA.
Application Deadline
Students are admitted to begin the program only in the fall term. The application deadline is July 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
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.
Learn More About Online ProgramsFor 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.
Take the Next Step
Access the training you need to move into leadership positions through Georgia Southern’s certification-only pathway.
Contact Us
EDLD Academic Advisor-Tier I Certificate Teacher Leadership Endorsement and M.Ed. Educational Leadership
Toby Ziglar
cfziglar@georgiasouthern.edu