Nov 11, 2024  
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2021-2022 
    
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2021-2022 [ARCHIVED CATALOG] See drop-down menu above to access other catalogs.

Educational Leadership, Principal/Assistant Principal (Initial Licensure), Postbaccalaureate Licensure


Educational Leadership Licensure Programs, Postbaccalaureate


The postbaccalaureate program in Educational Leadership is designed for educators and other professionals with leadership experience who have a Bachelor’s degree and wish to be licensed as school administrators (PreK-12). Students who successfully complete subject matter content knowledge and the required field experience are eligible for the following professions in school leadership:

School Principal/Assistant Principal (PreK-6)
School Principal/Assistant Principal (5-8)
School Principal/Assistant Principal (9-12)
School Business Administrator (all levels)
Supervisor/Director (all levels)

Courses completed in the Postbaccalaureate in Educational Leadership program may be transferred into the Master of Education in Educational Leadership program after additional admission requirements to the Master’s program have been met.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (official transcript required)
  • A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.8
  • Completed application form
  • Three letters of recommendation (one from immediate supervisor)
  • An essay articulating the candidate’s philosophy of educational leadership
  • Initial licensure in other area dependent upon administrative licensure sought in addition to all Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education administrative licensure requirements. Exceptions are granted on a case-by-case basis as approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
  • Passing score on the Communication and Literacy Skills portion of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure® (MTEL).
    Note: Conditional acceptance into the program may be granted without the passing MTEL® score. However, full admission will only be granted if the passing score is submitted by the conclusion of the second semester in the program.
  • Prerequisite experience:
    • Completion of at least three full years of employment in an executive management/leadership role or in a supervisory, teaching, or administrative role in a public school, private school, higher education, or other educational setting accepted by the Educational Leadership program coordinator
    • Additional requirements for directors, department heads and curriculum specialists in the core academic subjects at the secondary level (5-12):
      • A master’s degree in the arts or sciences in one of the core academic subjects the candidate will supervise
        or
      • At least 18 credits of advanced graduate studies in one of the core academic subjects (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, History, Reading, Foreign Language, Arts) the candidate will supervise
    • Additional requirement for School Business Administrator: a minimum of two years’ experience in financial planning and/or accounting systems

Program of Study


Licensure course (3 credits)


Complete one course from the following, dependent on licensure sought:

Practicum (6 credits)


A six-credit practicum is required; choose one course from the following, dependent on licensure sought:

Exit Requirement


An electronic portfolio review will serve as the culminating performance assessment for licensure endorsement by Bridgewater State University.

Total minimum credits: 24*


*If candidate has SEI endorsement upon admission, EDLE 579 is waived, and 21 total credits are required. Additionally, on a case-by-case basis, an individual course may be waived to bring the minimum number of credits to 18.