How to Become a Principal: A Teacher’s Guide to the Transition
The short answer for how to become a principal: earn a master’s degree in educational leadership or administration, complete the administrative credential your state requires, and build several years of classroom experience first. Most states also require passing a school leadership licensure exam. Exact requirements vary by state, but the move from teaching to principal typically takes three to seven years.
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Nearly every school principal spent years teaching before stepping into administration. The move from classroom to office isn’t just a title change. This guide covers how to become a principal: the credential and licensing requirements, the realistic timeline, and the research on why former teachers make strong school leaders.
Use the links below to jump to the credential requirements, typical timeline, and research on why former teachers make strong principals.
- What you need to become a principal
- How long the transition takes
- Why teaching experience matters for principals
- What teachers say makes a good principal
What You Need to Become a Principal
Every state requires a valid teaching license before you can pursue an administrative credential. Most also require a master’s degree in educational leadership or educational administration, the standard graduate track for aspiring principals. A few states accept a related graduate degree, but leadership and administration programs line up most closely with what state licensing boards look for.
After finishing a graduate program, candidates apply for an administrative or principal license through their state’s Department of Education or Board of Education. Many states require passing the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) or another state-approved leadership examination before issuing that license. The state Board of Education reviews the application, confirms coursework and internship hours, and approves candidates to serve as principals or assistant principals.
Because these requirements vary by state, check your state’s specific principal or administrative certification requirements before enrolling in a graduate program.
Many teachers move into an assistant principal role first, rather than stepping directly into the principal’s office. It’s a common bridge position: in many states, assistant principals qualify under the same or a closely related administrative credential required for principals, and the role lets a former teacher build experience in discipline management, scheduling, and staff supervision before taking on full accountability for a school.
Principal Certification Requirements by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
How Long the Transition Typically Takes
Most states require several years of classroom teaching before a teacher can apply for an administrative credential, often somewhere in the two-to-five-year range depending on the state. Graduate programs in educational leadership typically take one to two years to finish, and many teachers complete coursework while still teaching full time.
Add up licensure requirements, a graduate degree, and required internship or practicum hours, and most teachers spend three to seven years moving from their first classroom job to their first year as a principal. That timeline shortens for teachers who start earning credits toward a leadership degree early or who take on department chair or instructional coach roles that build administrative experience along the way. Some districts also run their own leadership pipeline programs, pairing a mentor principal with teachers who show early interest in administration, which can speed up the timeline further.
Why Teaching Experience Makes for Effective Principals
Principals spend much of their day talking with teachers, parents, and students, the same audiences teachers already know how to manage. That familiarity shows up in how principals lead. A principal who has run a classroom understands what realistic lesson pacing looks like, what a teacher needs from an observation, and where a curriculum decision will create friction for the people implementing it.
Former teachers also bring practiced skills in resource management. Teachers learn early to stretch a limited supply budget or plan a unit around whatever materials are actually available. Principals face the same constraints at a larger scale, deciding which programs get funding when a budget shrinks and which positions get filled first when it grows.
The job also demands the same persistence teachers already practice daily: showing up for a struggling student, adjusting an approach that isn’t working, and staying steady through a difficult stretch of the year. Teachers who move into administration are drawing on habits they’ve already built, not starting from zero.
If you’re ready to look at what comes after the classroom, find certification information in your state.
What the Research Says About What Teachers Want From Principals
A 1995 study published in the Economics of Education Review, “What Makes a Good Principal? How Teachers Assess the Performance of Principals,” examined which principal characteristics teachers actually valued. Researchers Dale Ballou and Michael Podgursky found that neither outside work experience nor prior experience as an administrator at another school moved the needle on how teachers rated their principal.
What did matter was time spent in the classroom. Teachers rated principals with greater teaching experience more favorably than those with less teaching experience. Teachers in the study rated principals more highly on statements like knowing what they want for the school and clearly communicating expectations to staff. Those ratings tracked with how much classroom experience a principal had.
The takeaway for anyone considering the move: years in the classroom aren’t just a prerequisite for certification. They’re the experience teachers themselves say actually makes a principal effective.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a teacher before becoming a principal?
In nearly every case, yes. States require a valid teaching license and classroom experience before granting an administrative or principal credential. A handful of private schools appoint principals without a teaching background, but public school administrator licenses are built around prior teaching service.
What degree do I need to become a principal?
Most states require a master’s degree in educational leadership or educational administration in addition to your teaching license. Some states accept a related graduate degree, but a leadership-focused program lines up most closely with licensure requirements and typical hiring preferences.
How many years of teaching experience do I need before becoming a principal?
This varies by state, but many require somewhere between two and five years of classroom teaching before you’re eligible for an administrative credential. Check your state’s Department of Education for the exact requirement.
Do all states use the same principal certification exam?
No. Many states require the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) or another state-approved leadership examination. Your state’s Board of Education can confirm which exam applies to your license.
Can I become a principal without a master’s degree?
It’s uncommon in public schools. Most states require a master’s degree in educational leadership, educational administration, or another approved graduate degree as part of principal licensure, though acceptable degrees and pathways vary by state.
- A master’s degree and administrative license are the standard path — most states require a graduate degree in educational leadership, educational administration, or another approved field, plus a separate principal credential beyond your teaching license. However, acceptable degrees and pathways vary by state.
- Classroom experience comes first — most states require two to five years of teaching before you’re eligible for an administrative credential.
- The full transition usually takes three to seven years — factoring in required teaching experience, graduate coursework, and licensure exams like the SLLA.
- Teachers rate longevity in the classroom highly — research from the Economics of Education Review found teachers rated principals with greater teaching experience more favorably than those with less.
Find accredited educational leadership and principal certification programs to help you meet your state’s administrative licensing requirements.
