Mississippi Administration/Principal Certification
Mississippi principal certification happens in two stages: an Entry-Level Administrator License and a Standard Career Level Administrator License, both at the Class AA, AAA, or AAAA level. Entry-level status requires a master’s degree in educational leadership, three years of teaching experience, and a passing Praxis SLLA score. Standard career status requires five years as a school administrator.
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A single principal can reshape a struggling school’s trajectory within a few years, and Mississippi treats the license that puts someone in that role as a real credential, not a formality. The Mississippi Department of Education requires two tiers of administrator licensure, entry-level and standard career, each tied to specific coursework, an exam, and a set number of years leading a school. Here’s what each tier requires, how the Mississippi principal certification process works, and what to expect once you apply.
Use the links below to jump to the requirements, exam, experience rules, and application steps for Mississippi administrator licensure.
- Education requirements for entry-level and standard licenses
- Praxis exam requirements
- Teaching and administrative experience rules
- Reciprocity for out-of-state administrators
- How to apply and what to send
- Criminal history and background check rules
Education Requirements
For the Entry-Level Administrator License, you need to complete an approved master’s, specialist, or doctoral degree program in educational administration/leadership from a state-approved or regionally accredited college or university. Your program must submit an institutional recommendation confirming you completed it. This credential qualifies you to sit for the Praxis exam and apply for your first administrator license.
Learn more about the graduate school process. Contact schools offering educational administration degree programs in Mississippi.
Once you’re working as an administrator on an Entry-Level license, moving to Standard Career Level requires completing the required Orientation to School Leadership (OSL) credits through approved School Executive Management Institute (SEMI) providers. No additional degree is required at this stage, but the OSL credits must be completed before the state will approve the standard license.
Examinations
Entry-Level candidates must pass the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA), administered by ETS. If you tested in Mississippi, your scores are reported directly to the Department of Education. If you tested in another state, you’ll need to submit your original score report yourself. Standard Career Level candidates don’t sit for any additional exams. Once you’ve cleared the SLLA and met the experience requirement, the exam portion of licensure is behind you.
Experience Requirements
To qualify for the Entry-Level Administrator License, you need a Five-Year Standard Educator’s License and three years of education experience. You also need to already have an entry-level administrator job lined up. Mississippi doesn’t issue this license speculatively. You apply once a district has hired you into an administrative role, not before.
Moving to Standard Career Level requires holding the Entry-Level Administrator License and putting in five years of experience as a school administrator. That five-year clock is what separates a provisional first license from the credential that carries no renewal contingency tied to experience.
Reciprocity for Out-of-State Administrators
If you already hold an administrator license from another state, you may be eligible for Mississippi licensure through the state’s reciprocity process. The Mississippi Department of Education reviews out-of-state credentials to determine whether they meet current Mississippi licensure requirements. Contact the Office of Educator Licensure before assuming your credential will transfer directly. If you’re still working under an out-of-state teaching license rather than an administrator license, start with Mississippi’s teacher reciprocity requirements instead.
Document and Application Requirements
You can apply online through the Mississippi Educator Career Continuum Archive (MECCA), or download the paper Licensure Application Packet for either the Entry-Level or Standard Career Level license. Your application needs to include:
- Official sealed college transcripts documenting your administrator preparation program and graduate degree (or official electronic transcripts through eScrip-Safe for member institutions)
- Original Praxis score reports if you tested out-of-state
- Completed application
- Institutional program verification, signed by a representative of your teacher preparation program
- Application fee
Mail the completed packet to Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Educator Licensure, P.O. Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771.
Criminal History Background Check
The Mississippi Department of Education doesn’t require a criminal history background check as part of the administrator licensure application itself. That said, no district can hire you as a school administrator without one. Mississippi Code 37-9-17 requires a criminal history check and a child abuse registry check before you can start work.
Your fingerprints get submitted to both the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the FBI as part of that process. You can’t work as an administrator in any Mississippi school until those checks clear, regardless of whether your license application has already been approved.
Contact Information
For details on approved educational administration and leadership programs, visit the Office of Teaching and Leading for a list of participating colleges and universities and their program contacts.
For questions about administrator licensure itself, contact the Office of Educator Licensure at the Mississippi Department of Education, 601-359-3483.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a principal in Mississippi?
It depends on your starting point. If you already hold a Five-Year Standard Educator’s License and complete a master’s-level educational leadership program, you can apply for an Entry-Level Administrator License as soon as you’ve secured an administrative job and three years of teaching experience. Moving to Standard Career Level status takes another five years in an administrative role.
Do I need a doctorate to become a principal in Mississippi?
No. A master’s degree in educational administration or leadership from a state-approved or regionally accredited program satisfies the Entry-Level Administrator License requirement. A specialist or doctoral degree also qualifies, but neither is required.
What score do I need on the Praxis SLLA for Mississippi licensure?
The Mississippi Department of Education sets the required passing score for the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA). Check the current score requirement directly with the Office of Educator Licensure before you register for the exam, since passing scores are set and periodically reviewed by the state, not by ETS.
Can I become a principal in Mississippi without a teaching license first?
No. The Entry-Level Administrator License requires you to already hold a Five-Year Standard Educator’s License along with three years of teaching experience. Mississippi’s path to administration runs through the classroom first.
- Licensure happens in two stages — an Entry-Level Administrator License comes first, followed by a Standard Career Level License after five years of administrative experience.
- The Praxis SLLA is required once, not twice — Entry-Level candidates take the exam, but Standard Career Level candidates don’t sit for any additional test.
- You need a job before you need the entry-level license — Mississippi requires applicants to have already an administrative position secured, not just the degree and exam behind them.
- A background check is a hiring requirement, not a licensing one — the state doesn’t require it for the application itself, but no district can hire you without it under Mississippi Code 37-9-17.
Find accredited educational administration and leadership programs in Mississippi, including application requirements and licensing timelines for your certification path.
