Program Details | Principal License

Total creditsEstimated resident costEstimated Washington border costEstimated non-resident cost
Master's Degree - 56$32,494$35,055$45,206
Graduate Certificate - 40$24,380$26,484$33,740

Program cost estimates are based on 2024/25 PSU tuition and fees only. This chart is provided to help you estimate the minimum tuition and fees for program completion. Additional fees may apply depending on the course of study that you choose to pursue and the specific courses for which you enroll, so you may also find it useful to review detailed tuition and fee information and the full cost of attendance for PSU programs.

Financial aid and scholarship options may be available to offset program costs. Visit COE Scholarships for specific details on how to qualify and apply.

If you already have a master’s degree and are only seeking the Principal License graduate certificate, you will need to complete the 40-credit cohort-based graduate certificate curriculum.

If you do not yet have a master's degree, you will need to complete the 16-credit master's core coursework first prior to joining the program cohort.

Graduate certificate curriculum (40 credits)

Licensure cohort coursework begins each Spring term. Direct instruction and group problem-solving assignments will be completed throughout the program. In addition, each cohort member completes a full-year guided practicum experience during the school year.

Program of study

Term# of creditsCourse titles
Spring8

ELP 569 Principal Leadership: Introduction to Culturally Responsive Leadership (4 credits)

ELP 586 Principal Leadership: High Leverage Practices to Promote Inclusion and Equity (4 credits)

Summer8

ELP 571 Principal Leadership: Culturally Responsive Teaching & Learning (4 credits) 

ELP 506 Principal Leadership: Special Topics (4 credits)

Fall8

ELP 570 Principal Leadership: Culturally Responsive Human Relations (4 credits)

ELP 573 Principal Leadership: Clinical Practicum I (4 credits)

Winter8

ELP 585 Principal Leadership: Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students and Families (4 credits)

ELP 574 Principal Leadership: Clinical Practicum II (4 credits)

Spring8

ELP 572 Principal Leadership: Becoming a Systems Thinker (4 credits)

ELP 575 Principal Leadership: Clinical Practicum III (4 credits)

The Principal License clinical practicum experience

The Clinical Practicum Experience is the heart of our program; through this, interns receive real world practice, access to critical decisions, and quality mentoring at their sites. The 360-hour field-based administrative practicum is the equivalent of working 120 hours per quarter or 12 hours per week in a building-level administrative capacity. During the practicum, the administrative intern, supported by their on-site supervisor, seeks opportunities to develop fully as an educational leader and to acquire proficiency in the seven areas of administrative responsibility as outlined by TSPC's Performance Standards.


Master’s degree plus graduate certificate licensure cohort (56 credits)

Professional Studies Master's Core courses (16 credits) must be completed prior to the Graduate Certificate coursework. Master’s core coursework can be started in fall, winter or spring terms. Once you have completed the Master's Core courses, you will be eligible to join the Principal License Graduate Certificate cohort the following spring term. Please note that you will not be eligible to be licensed until the master's degree has been awarded and appears on your transcript.

Professional Studies Master's Core

Master’s core courses are not cohort-based and you can take as many or as few courses as fit your schedule per term. Please refer to the ELP Department Planning Guide to see when the Master's Core courses are offered throughout the year. (Be sure to choose the correct year tab at the bottom.) Use the Master's degree plus Graduate Certificate Program of Study for course planning.

  • ELP 511 Principles of Education Research & Data I (4 credits)
  • ELP 520 Developmental Perspectives of Adult Learning (4 credits)
  • ELP 551 Social Foundations of Education (4 credits) OR ELP 554 Philosophy of Education (4 credits) (Please note that either ELP 551 or ELP 554 is required, not both.)
  • ELP 568 Educational Organization and Administration (4 credits)

In your final term of Master’s Core coursework, you will add the Graduate Certificate to your student account by submitting the electronic GO-19 form. Contact elpadmit@pdx.edu with any questions.


Course descriptions

For course descriptions, please consult the Bulletin or Class Schedule.

Licensure

Candidates seeking recommendation from PSU for the Principal License must:

  • Possess a master’s degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
  • Have completed the Principal Licensure program at Portland State University
  • Have completed three years of successful licensed teaching or personnel service experience in public schools or regionally accredited private schools at the time of application
  • Apply for the Principal License within 1 year of completing the program. Currency of your coursework is a consideration by TSPC in granting licensure
  • Contact the College of Education Licensure Office with any questions about licensure