Admissions | Principal License

Graduate Certificate
Master's Degree
How to apply

The Principal License Program is committed to attracting, enrolling, and retaining a diverse student body that mirrors Oregon’s K-12 student population and who are committed to promoting social justice, equity, and cultural competence.

Graduate Certificate Admissions Timeline
Application Opens	By September 1
Priority Application Deadline*	January 15
Final Application Deadline	February 15
Final Application Materials Due**	March 8
Program Start	Spring

Additional Timeline Information

Graduate certificate admissions requirements

Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
Possess a master’s degree from an accredited institution and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in the highest degree earned
Possess a current Oregon (or Washington) teaching or personnel service license
Have at least three years of successful licensed teaching or personnel service experience

Master’s Degree Admissions Timeline
Program Start	Fall	Spring	Summer
Final Application Deadline	August 15	February 15	May 15
Final Application Materials Due**	September 5	March 8	June 5

*Submitting your application by the priority deadline will allow you access to the scholarship application due by February 1st.

Master's degree admissions requirements

Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
Possess a current Oregon (or Washington) teaching or personnel service license
Have at least three years of successful licensed teaching or personnel service experience

Additional Timeline Information (both options):

*Submitting your application by the priority deadline will allow you access to the scholarship application due by February 1st.

**Recommendations can sometimes take longer to arrive. You can submit your application before these have arrived. This deadline is to allow a short grace period for your recommendations to arrive, if necessary.

Enrollment in each cohort is limited and the earlier you apply, the better your chance of being admitted to the upcoming cohort. Applications are reviewed as they are received and will close once the cohort is full. After submission and all application materials have arrived, your application will be reviewed by staff and faculty. We make every effort to communicate admissions decisions within 4 weeks once all materials have arrived.

Required Application Materials

Below is the list of the materials and information you will need to provide as part of your online application. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application.

Unofficial transcripts from your bachelor’s degree-granting institution and from any institution at which you have earned graduate-level credit
English Language Proficiency: Automatically assessed in your application materials. Learn more about your options for proving proficiency.
Résumé outlining your work and/or volunteer experience in an educational setting
Statement of purpose: The PSU Principal Licensure Program cultivates leaders dedicated to confronting the inequities of our educational system. Our graduates possess the racial and cultural competence to navigate discomfort while challenging the status quo driven by ethical actions that reflect their commitment to change.
- Using a keen instructional lens, our graduates are strategic and visionary leaders who co-create a learning culture through actions that transform systems and champion shared responsibility for equitable opportunities and outcomes for EVERY student.
  Our graduates are relational leaders and active listeners who encourage curiosity and work collaboratively. They prioritize others, demonstrate clear and strong communication skills, and exhibit emotional intelligence, resilience, and persistence to build bridges and cultivate joy in their school community.
- Our reflective graduates are continuous learners who foster cultural intelligence and advocate for racial and social justice.
- College of Education Principal Licensure Program Pillars
  - Visionary & Strategic Leader
  - Cultivates Cultural Intelligence
  - Instructional Leader
  - Advocate for Educational Justice
  - Transformative, Ethical Decision-Maker
- Describe your current work and career plans for the future. Write 5 paragraphs, one for each of the 5 elements of the College of Education Principal Licensure Program Pillars above. In each paragraph describe how you have demonstrated leadership in that element through your practice. Give specific examples of school improvement efforts in curriculum, instruction or change in your school and/or district that you initiated and implemented.
Recommendations: Submit contact information for at least two references via the application. Your references must be currently licensed administrators with at least three years of licensed administrative experience. Portland State University will contact your references and provide them with instructions for submitting recommendation forms.
Teaching or personnel service license: Submit a copy or screenshot of your information from the TSPC system
Designation of Mentor form: Your Mentoring Supervisor must be an Oregon licensed administrator with a minimum of 3 years of licensed administrative experience.

Admissions Review Process

We review your application for the following:

Academic Requirements: Via your transcripts, we assess whether you meet the university’s minimum admissions requirements.
Statement of purpose: Essays will be reviewed in terms of alignment with the Program Pillars, your ability to communicate, and the connection between your career goals and our program.
Two Recommendations: Your references must be currently licensed administrators with at least three years of licensed administrative experience.

Ready to apply?

Review the PSU Graduate School's minimum admissions requirements.
Create an account or sign into the Portland State University Admissions Application system.
Select "Start New Application"
Then select "Graduate Application."
For the college, select "College of Education"
For the program of study, select either:
“Principal License, Graduate Certificate"
“Educational Leadership and Policy: Principal License, MS and License"
1. For the master's degree, 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.
Select the term you plan to start the program. Please note that the graduate certificate only admits for a spring start each year.

Questions? Contact Stefanie!

Post-Admissions

You will be notified of your admission decision to the program via an email and formal digital letter from the Graduate School. After admission, you will be assigned a faculty advisor and staff student success advisor, both of whom will support you through your program. The college provides an online orientation module to help you take your next steps to begin your program. You will also be invited to a live orientation session to ensure that you’re fully prepared to begin.

A few additional things to keep in mind:

All students must submit their official transcripts to the Graduate School after admission.
You must register for coursework in the term that you are admitted in order to validate admission to the program. If you do not, your admission status will be canceled.
If you’re unable to begin in your term of admission, you may request a one-year deferral by emailing askcoe@pdx.edu. This request must be made before the start of the program.