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Studies & Degrees in Educational Leadership

Educational leadership is the study of how schools, colleges and other educational organisations are led and managed. It is aimed mainly at teachers who want to become heads of department, principals or district administrators, and at staff who run services in universities. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes principals as the people who oversee all school operations, including daily school activities.

Programmes combine education and management. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, master's degrees in this field teach prospective principals how to manage staff, create budgets, set goals and work with parents and the community. Course lists usually add instructional supervision, the use of school data for decisions, education law and policy, and an internship or field project in a school.

Qualifications and levels

Educational leadership is a postgraduate and professional field. Students normally arrive with a first degree and some years of teaching.

  • Master's degrees. In the United States the usual qualification is a Master of Education (M.Ed.) or a similar master's degree. The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership of Texas Tech University has 30 credits, is taught fully online in synchronous classes and requires teacher certification and two years of teaching experience at the time of application. The University of Dayton offers an Educational Leadership: K-12 Leadership (MSE) and prepares leaders for public, Catholic and other non-public schools. At Wayne State University the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership is a pathway to the Michigan School Administrator Certificate for building-level administration.
  • Specialist degrees and certificates. Some universities add post-master's routes, such as the Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) at Wayne State University and the University of Dayton, or Dayton's graduate certificates in principal and superintendent preparation.
  • Doctorates. The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is the practitioner doctorate; a PhD is the research route. Texas Tech University estimates 66 credit hours for its online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, 54 of coursework and 12 of dissertation research. Vanderbilt University's online Ed.D. in Leadership and Learning in Organizations is designed for mid-career professionals with at least three years of leadership experience.
  • Blended programmes for working staff. Vanderbilt University's M.Ed. in Independent School Leadership is taught online during the school year and in person in two 8-day summer sessions on campus.
  • Professional qualifications in England. National professional qualifications (NPQs) are courses for teachers and school leaders, given by providers chosen by the Department for Education. Courses last between 12 and 22 months. The headship NPQ takes 18 months, with an average of 1 to 2 hours of study each week.
  • Spain. The head of a public school is chosen from among career teachers. The education act (Ley Orgánica 2/2006, as amended in 2020) requires at least five years as a career civil-servant teacher and a leadership project for the school. Those selected must pass a training programme on leadership competences before they are appointed.

Where to study it

This directory lists 15 active schools for educational leadership. Nine are in the United States, among them Vanderbilt University, Texas Tech University, the University of Dayton, Wayne State University, Jacksonville University and Alabama A&M University. The others are in New Zealand (Massey University), Nigeria (Obafemi Awolowo University), Spain, Russia, Iraq and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The Spanish entry is the executive education unit of the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria.

Most of these programmes are taught in English, and several are online or blended because their students keep working in schools. A licence or certificate earned through a degree is tied to one state or country. Anyone who plans to lead a school elsewhere should check the rules of that school system before enrolling.

Careers

Graduates work as principals and assistant principals, heads of department, district or central-office administrators, and in student services or administration at universities. The degree alone is not enough for a headship. In the United States principals need several years of teaching experience, and most states require public school principals to be licensed as school administrators, while principals in private schools are not required to hold a state licence.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 343,800 jobs for elementary, middle and high school principals in 2025. It projects little or no change in employment from 2025 to 2035, with about 20,600 openings each year, mostly to replace people who leave. Employment of postsecondary education administrators, who typically need a master's degree, is projected to grow 2 percent over the same period.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be a teacher to study educational leadership?

For programmes that lead to a principal's licence, usually yes. Texas Tech University, for example, requires teacher certification and two years of teaching experience for its M.Ed. Programmes focused on policy or on higher education are open to a wider group.

What is the difference between an Ed.D. and a PhD in this field?

The Ed.D. is designed for practitioners who lead schools, districts or other organisations. The PhD prepares for research and university teaching.

Can educational leadership be studied online?

Yes. The master's and doctoral programmes of Texas Tech University are fully online, and Vanderbilt University offers online and blended options.

Does a master's degree in educational leadership make me a school principal?

No. It is one requirement among several. School systems also ask for teaching experience and, in most US states, a state licence. In Spain public school heads are selected from career teachers by a merit-based competition.