University of Houston College of Education

Take your Next Step in School Leadership

You’ve built experience in education. Now you’re ready to make a bigger impact. The University of Houston’s principal preparation program helps experienced educators prepare to become certified principals in Texas, with flexible pathways designed around the realities of working professionals.
Explore Principal Certification

Find Your Path to Principal Certification

Tell us a little about where you are in your career, and we’ll help you explore the UH pathway that fits.

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Two Paths. One Next Step.

Where you start depends on the education you already have.

M.Ed. + Principal Certification

Need your master’s degree? UH’s M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision prepares working educators for school leadership while putting them on the path toward principal certification. Complete it in as few as two years.

Principal Certification Only

Already hold a master’s degree? Take a more direct route through UH’s certification-only option. It’s designed to be completed in as little as one calendar year.

Find Your Path

Leadership Preparation Built for Educators

You don’t need an introduction to education. You need preparation that builds on the experience you already have. UH’s principal preparation program combines coursework, practical experience, and field supervision to help experienced educators prepare for the responsibilities of school leadership

Flexible Format

Take your courses either 100% online or hybrid, whichever is more convenient for you.

Real-World Training

Build practical leadership experience through more than 160 practicum hours.

UH Mentorship

Receive feedback in the field from a UH supervisor as you progress through the program.

Are You Ready for
Principal Certification?

Basic requirements for admission into UH’s principal-preparation program include:

  • GPA of 2.5 or higher based on your last degree earned
  • Valid Texas teacher certification
  • At least a bachelor’s degree

    To ultimately earn principal certification, candidates also must hold at least a master’s degree, have two years of classroom teaching experience in a public or accredited private school, successfully complete required coursework and field experiences, and pass the required Texas certification assessments.

    See If You Qualify

    Prepare to Lead in Texas Schools

    Becoming a principal means expanding your impact beyond your own classroom. It means supporting teachers, shaping school culture, and helping create the conditions where students and educators can succeed.

    UH gives you a path to turn the leadership experience you’ve already built into the credential required to become a public school principal in Texas.

    You can get UH quality no matter where you live in Texas.

    • Tier 1 Research Institution
    • Faculty with significant school leadership experience
    • Preparation to lead diverse schools

      What Our Graduates Say

      “The program was grounded in pragmatic, applicable solutions rather than abstract theory, things I could take directly back to my campus. Equally valuable were the professional relationships I built through the cohort. Those connections have outlasted the program itself.”
      Andrew Casler
      “The University of Houston prepared me to lead, challenged me to grow, and opened my eyes to greater achievement. What began as a journey toward principal certification became a lifelong commitment to learning, leadership, achieving goals, and inspiring a legacy where others can be supported as they reach their fullest potential.”
      Tabitha Felicia Alvarado

      Your Next Step Starts at UH

      Advance your interest in education with a career in school leadership.
      Get Started

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