Ed.S. in Educational Leadership: Earn Your Florida Principal Certification Online

Already hold a master's? Earn an Education Specialist degree and prepare for Florida certification in Educational Leadership, the principalship credential, in one focused online program from the CAEP-accredited National College of Education. Campus presence in the Tampa area.

  • CAEP-Accredited College of Education
  • Florida Educational Leadership Credential Track
  • Prepares You for the FELE
  • Online With Embedded Internship

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Our stunning Tampa Florida Campus is conveniently located on West Hillsborough Ave. just west of Tampa Airport

Map showing the campus location
Map showing the campus location

Why Choose NLU for Educational Leadership?

FELE Ready
FLORIDA EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP CREDENTIAL

NLU's Florida State Credential track prepares you to take the FELE and earn Florida certification in Educational Leadership, the principalship credential.

30 SH
Post-master's specialist degree

Earn a higher credential without starting a second master's.

$104,070
Median salary, school principals (BLS, May 2024)

An Ed.S. also moves you up the district salary schedule before a principal appointment.

20,800/yr
Projected principal openings each year (BLS)

Sitting leaders retire and move into district roles every year.

Tampa
Campus presence in the Tampa area

A specialist degree built for Florida school leaders, online with an embedded internship.

Get Started Today

Program at a Glance

How long?
30 SH
Post-master's specialist degree
What credential?
FELE Ready
Prepares you for the Florida Educational Leadership Examination
What salary?
$104,070
Median, school principals (BLS, May 2024)
What demand?
20,800/yr
Projected principal openings each year (BLS)

What You'll Learn

  • Design and lead a school mission, vision, and improvement process
  • Build a strong, supportive school culture
  • Lead curriculum, instruction, assessment, and data systems
  • Manage school operations, resources, and governance
  • Evaluate teachers and build professional capacity
  • Prepare for Florida certification in Educational Leadership (the principalship)

Full Course List

Change Leadership
Leading continuous improvement and organizational change grounded in evidence.
Equity
Building a strong, supportive school culture.
Community
Engaging families and community to strengthen student learning.
Law
The legal foundations principals must know, including special education law.
Operations
Managing technical, human, and financial resources and making sound systems decisions.
Curriculum
Ensuring a coherent curriculum and using data for accountability and program evaluation.
Teacher Evaluation
Leading teacher evaluation and professional development that improve instruction.
Internship
A 6-hour school-based internship assessed against 36 leadership competencies.

Next start: September 21, 2026 — seats filling fast.

Admissions Requirements

  • A master's degree from an accredited institution
  • A valid teaching certificate (Florida applicants: a Florida Professional Educator's Certificate)
  • Documented teaching experience
  • A faculty interview and an on-site written scenario response
  • A leadership portfolio (an advisor helps you assemble it)
Request Info
Built for the Florida Principalship

The Florida State Credential track prepares you to take the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) and earn certification in Educational Leadership, the certification for the principalship in Florida.

No Second Master's Required

The Ed.S. recognizes the master's you already have: a higher credential in 30 hours that also pays on the district salary schedule, without starting a second master's.

Graduate Having Already Led

A school-based internship assessed against leadership competencies, so you complete the program having already led and managed in a real school, ready for the FELE.

Where Will Your Ed.S. Take You?

20,800
Projected principal openings each year (BLS)
School Principal
Assistant Principal
Dean of Students
Curriculum Director
District Administrator
Future Superintendent

The path from the classroom to the principal’s office in Florida runs through one credential: Florida certification in Educational Leadership. NLU’s Ed.S. prepares you for the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) and delivers a specialist degree that moves you up district salary schedules.

With roughly 20,800 principal openings projected nationally each year as sitting leaders retire and move into district roles, graduates step into a market that consistently needs prepared, certified candidates. School principals earn a median salary of $104,070 (BLS, May 2024). When the superintendency comes into view, NLU’s doctoral track is the established next step.

Get Started Now

How to Apply in 3 Simple Steps

  1. Request Information

    Submit the form above. An NLU enrollment specialist will reach out within one business day to confirm your eligibility: a master's degree and a valid teaching certificate.

  2. Build Your Application With an Advisor

    This program includes a portfolio, a faculty interview, and an on-site written scenario. Your advisor walks you through each piece, including your student-growth data and recommendation letter.

  3. Interview and Start Classes

    Complete your faculty interview and submit your application at nl.edu (no fee). Next start: September 21, 2026. Your advisor maps your course sequence and internship placement.

Get Started

Take the First Step

No commitment required. An NLU advisor will reach out within one business day to map your path to Florida principal certification.

Take the First Step
  • CAEP-Accredited College of Education
  • Florida Educational Leadership Credential Track
  • Prepares You for the FELE
  • Online With Embedded Internship

*Salary data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals (SOC 11-9032), May 2024.

**Job openings: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 to 2034 projections.

***Florida certification pathway and curriculum: SmartCatalog, National Louis University, Educational Leadership Ed.S. State Credential Track (FL); candidates may take the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) toward Florida certification in Educational Leadership.