New Jersey Principal Certification
New Jersey principal certification requires a master’s degree in educational leadership or a related field, a 300-hour internship, and a passing Praxis II score, plus five years of experience under a valid instructional, educational services, or administrative certificate. The New Jersey Department of Education issues the Principal Certificate of Eligibility (Endorsement Code 0200) through the NJEdCert online system. From there, candidates move into a provisional period before earning standard certification.
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New Jersey requires a Principal Certificate of Eligibility before you can accept a job as principal, assistant principal, vice principal, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, or director. The certificate is issued under Endorsement Code 0200 by the New Jersey Department of Education’s Office of Licensure and Certification, and it’s the first of three steps toward standard principal certification. If you’re still comparing certification paths, the New Jersey teaching certification overview breaks down every route side by side.
Education Requirements for New Jersey Principal Certification
You need a master’s degree that fits one of three paths. You can hold a master’s degree in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, or a recognized field of leadership or management from an accredited college or university. You can hold a master’s degree from an accredited college or university and complete a graduate-level program in one of those same areas. Or you can hold a master’s degree from an accredited educational leadership program at an out-of-state college or university. Whichever path you take, all credits and degrees must appear on an accredited four-year college or university transcript.
Learn more about the graduate school process. Contact schools offering educational administration degree programs in New Jersey.
Internship Requirement
You’ll complete a 300-hour internship in educational leadership, aligned to New Jersey’s Professional Standards for School Leaders and structured around the roles and responsibilities of a working principal. This internship stands independent of your other coursework; it isn’t just credit hours folded into a class. Your educational leadership department chairperson submits an electronic Verification of Program Completion form on your behalf once you enter their contact information in your NJEdCert application.
Examinations
You need a passing score on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment, known as the SLLA (test code 6990). If you test at a New Jersey location, ETS sends your score to the New Jersey Department of Education automatically. If you test in another state or online, you have to request that ETS send your score using NJDOE code R7666 on your registration form, and include your Social Security number, or your certificate can be delayed. Passing scores can change without notice, so confirm the current cut score on the Testing Requirements for Certification in New Jersey page before you register.
Certificate and Experience Requirements
Before you apply, you need a valid provisional or standard New Jersey certificate, or an equivalent out-of-state instructional, educational services, or administrative certificate. You also need five years of successful educational experience under one of those certificates. Your employer submits an electronic Record of Professional Experience form once you provide their contact information in your application, and the New Jersey Department of Education makes the final call on whether your experience meets state regulations.
How to Apply for New Jersey Principal Certification
New Jersey processes all certification applications through NJEdCert, the state’s online certification system. Through your NJEdCert account, you can apply for certification, upload transcripts and supporting documents, pay fees, track your application status, and message the department directly with questions. Uploaded transcripts typically take 10 to 15 business days to process from the date the department receives them.
Once you submit your application, forward these documents through NJEdCert:
- Official transcripts showing your master’s degree and required graduate credits
- Praxis II test scores, sent directly from ETS
- Contact information for your employer, so they can submit your Record of Professional Experience form
- Contact information for your educational leadership program chairperson, so they can submit your internship Verification of Program Completion form
- Copies of any out-of-state teaching or administrative certificates you hold
Criminal History Background Check
You won’t need a criminal history background check to apply for the Principal Certificate of Eligibility itself. Once a school district decides to hire you, though, that district will require one before you start. The New Jersey Department of Education’s Office of Student Protection runs the check, working through both the New Jersey State Police and the FBI, and the district walks you through the fingerprinting process. Once approved, your hiring district receives notice of your eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What positions does the Principal Certificate of Eligibility authorize?
It authorizes you to serve as principal, assistant principal, vice principal, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, or director in a New Jersey public school in grades preschool through 12.
Do I need a New Jersey teaching certificate before I apply for principal certification?
Yes. You need a valid provisional or standard New Jersey certificate, or an equivalent out-of-state instructional, educational services, or administrative certificate, along with five years of experience under that certificate.
How long does the 300-hour internship take?
The internship is typically completed alongside your educational leadership master’s program, and timing depends on your specific program’s structure. Your program’s department chairperson verifies the hours directly with the state once you finish.
Where do I apply for New Jersey principal certification?
You apply online through NJEdCert, New Jersey’s certification system. That’s also where you upload transcripts, pay fees, and track your application status.
Does New Jersey have reciprocity for principals certified in other states?
If you hold a valid administrative certificate from another state, New Jersey will generally issue an equivalent certificate of eligibility for the matching endorsement, once you pay the required fee. If your out-of-state endorsement doesn’t have a direct New Jersey equivalent, New Jersey’s certificate of eligibility regulations apply instead, and you may need to pass a New Jersey subject matter test. Review New Jersey’s teacher reciprocity rules if you’re weighing multiple certification paths into the state.
- You need a master’s degree, not just a bachelor’s — the Principal Certificate of Eligibility requires a master’s in educational leadership or a related field, from an accredited college or university.
- The internship is separate from coursework — you’ll log 300 hours in an educational leadership internship independent of your other program requirements.
- Five years of experience is required before you apply — under a valid provisional or standard New Jersey certificate or an equivalent out-of-state certificate.
- Applications go through NJEdCert — New Jersey’s online certification system handles applications, document uploads, fees, and status tracking.
- A background check comes later — it’s not required for the certificate itself, but your hiring district will require one before you start.
Find accredited educational leadership and principal certification programs in New Jersey, along with application steps and internship requirements for your path to certification.
