Utah Principal Certification
Utah principal certification comes through a school leadership license area of concentration, issued to teachers who already hold a Utah educator license, earn a master’s degree, and pass a school leadership exam. The Utah State Board of Education requires completing a Board-approved preparation program under Rule R277-305 before principals, vice-principals, or assistant principals can be licensed.
Utah routes every school principal, vice-principal, and assistant principal through the same credential: a school leadership license area of concentration, added on top of a base educator license and governed by Utah Administrative Rule R277-305. Getting Utah principal certification means finishing a master’s degree, passing one of two Praxis exams, and completing a preparation program approved by the Utah State Board of Education (USBE).
Use the links below to jump to eligibility requirements, exam options, preparation programs, and the application process.
- What you need before you apply
- Choosing your exam: Praxis 5412 or the SLLA
- Completing a USBE-approved preparation program
- Applying for your license and passing a background check
What You Need Before You Apply
Utah’s school leadership license area of concentration sits on top of a base educator license, not in place of one. Under Rule R277-305, entering a Board-approved school leadership preparation program requires holding a Utah professional educator license (or an equivalent out-of-state license), clearing a USBE fingerprint background check, and having been rated “effective or higher” on your most recent educator evaluation. Programs also require a confidential recommendation from your immediate administrative supervisor or an LEA-level administrator, plus a program interview, though a program may waive these four entry requirements for up to 10% of an incoming cohort. If your base license needs to be renewed or reinstated first, see Utah Teacher Certification Renewal.
The credential itself is a single area of concentration that covers three roles: principal, vice-principal, and assistant principal. Utah doesn’t issue separate licenses for each title, so a candidate who completes the requirements once can serve in any of the three roles a district hires them for.
Once admitted to a program, Rule R277-305 sets two paths to the school leadership license area of concentration itself. Most candidates take the first: earn a master’s degree or higher, pass a school leadership assessment approved by the state superintendent, and get a recommendation from the USBE-approved program. Candidates who already hold a valid NASDTEC Stage 2 license in school leadership from another state can qualify through that credential instead, without repeating a full Utah preparation program.
Choosing Your Exam: Praxis 5412 or the SLLA
Utah accepts two ETS exams for the school leadership assessment requirement, and candidates choose one. The Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision test (Praxis 5412) is a two-hour, selected-response exam covering curriculum design, staff development, and instructional improvement. The School Leader Licensure Assessment (SLLA, test code 6990) runs four hours and adds constructed-response questions to a similar set of topics, including strategic leadership, instructional leadership, and community engagement. Both exams draw from the same content categories, so most candidates choose based on which format their university preparation program builds coursework around, rather than picking one exam as objectively easier.
Both exams use the same 100-200 scale score. Utah’s current required passing score for the SLLA is 151, per ETS’s official state passing-score list. ETS publishes passing scores separately for the 5412 exam and updates them periodically, so confirm the current 5412 cutoff directly with USBE or ETS’s Utah requirements page before registering. When registering for either exam, candidates testing in Utah or with a Utah profile address have scores sent to USBE automatically. Those testing elsewhere need to select Utah (state code 8375) as a score recipient.
Completing a USBE-Approved Preparation Program
USBE currently approves school leadership preparation programs at seven Utah universities: Brigham Young University, Southern Utah University, the University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, Weber State University, and Western Governors University. Each embeds the required master’s coursework with a school leadership licensure track, so candidates typically complete both the degree and the licensure requirements in the same program.
Rule R277-305 requires these programs to include school-based clinical experience that’s significant in depth and duration, occurs across multiple schools, and covers both elementary and secondary settings. Candidates work under the mentorship of a licensed educator and are evaluated by a school district administrator or university faculty member throughout the program, building toward competencies like using student performance data and supporting educator technology use. Programs structure these clinical placements as multiple, progressively complex experiences rather than a single internship, so candidates typically rotate through more than one school before finishing their preparation program.
Applying for Your License and Passing a Background Check
Once a candidate finishes their preparation program and required exam, their preparation program submits the license recommendation to USBE. All candidates for a Utah educator license, including the school leadership concentration, must also clear a fingerprint background check through the Utah Schools Information Management System (USIMS). After setting up a USIMS profile, candidates schedule fingerprinting at an approved LiveScan site, which charges its own usage fee on top of any background check fee paid through Utah’s online licensing system.
Questions about a specific application or program requirement go to the Utah State Board of Education directly, since program rules can vary by university and by candidate. Candidates should also confirm current fingerprinting fees with their chosen LiveScan site before scheduling an appointment, since usage fees differ from site to site and are separate from any fee paid through the state’s online licensing system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a school leadership license in Utah?
It’s the credential Utah requires to work as a school principal, vice-principal, or assistant principal. It’s issued as an area of concentration added to a base Utah educator license, under Administrative Rule R277-305.
Do I need a master’s degree to become a principal in Utah?
Yes. Rule R277-305 requires a master’s degree or more advanced degree as part of the school leadership license area of concentration, along with passing a school leadership exam and a recommendation from an approved preparation program.
Which exam do I need: Praxis 5412 or the SLLA?
Utah accepts either the Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision test (Praxis 5412) or the School Leader Licensure Assessment (SLLA, 6990). Both cover similar school leadership content, so the choice often comes down to which format your preparation program recommends.
Do I need teaching experience before pursuing a Utah principal license?
Yes. Entering a Board-approved preparation program requires holding a Utah professional educator license (or equivalent out-of-state license) and having been rated “effective or higher” on your most recent evaluation, along with a supervisor recommendation and a program interview.
Can an administrator licensed in another state work as a principal in Utah?
Utah accepts a valid NASDTEC Stage 2 license in school leadership from another state as an alternative path to the Utah school leadership license area of concentration, without repeating the full preparation program. For requirements in other states, see Principal Certification.
- The license sits on top of a base credential — entering a preparation program requires a Utah professional educator license (or equivalent out-of-state license), a background check, and a qualifying evaluation rating.
- Two exams qualify — Praxis 5412 or the School Leader Licensure Assessment (SLLA, 6990) both satisfy the school leadership assessment requirement.
- Seven USBE-approved programs — BYU, SUU, the University of Utah, USU, UVU, WSU, and WGU all offer approved school leadership preparation tracks.
- Rule R277-305 governs the credential — it sets the master’s degree, exam, clinical experience, and preparation program requirements for Utah’s school leadership license.
Find accredited educational leadership and school administration programs in Utah, including application requirements for your school leadership license.
