South Carolina Administration/Principal Certification
South Carolina principal certification requires a master’s degree, a state-approved administrator preparation program, three years of teaching experience, and a passing score on the Praxis Educational Leadership exam. The South Carolina Department of Education also runs CCAPP, an alternative pathway that lets career changers with outside leadership experience qualify without a traditional degree program.
Sponsored School(s)
The South Carolina Department of Education issues Administrative Certificates for five school leadership roles: Elementary Principal and Supervisor (Tiers 1 and 2), Secondary Principal and Supervisor (Tiers 1 and 2), and District Superintendent. Each tier has its own combination of degree, exam, and experience requirements, and the state also runs a separate pathway for career changers who’ve led in business, government, or the military rather than a classroom. If you earned your teaching certificate in another state, start with South Carolina’s teacher reciprocity requirements before applying for an administrative certificate.
Certification Paths at a Glance
| Certification Path | Education Required | Licensing Exam | Experience Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary Principal & Supervisor – Tier 1 | Master’s degree + state-approved program | Praxis Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (5412) or School Leaders Licensure Assessment (6990) | Valid SC Professional Teaching Certificate (elementary) + 3 years teaching PK-8 |
| Elementary Principal & Supervisor – Tier 2 | Principal Induction Program (year 1) | Proficient/Exemplary PADEPP rating (year 2) | Valid Tier 1 elementary principal certificate |
| Secondary Principal & Supervisor – Tier 1 | Master’s degree + state-approved program | Praxis Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (5412) or School Leaders Licensure Assessment (6990) | Valid SC Professional Teaching Certificate (secondary) + 3 years teaching grades 7-12 |
| Secondary Principal & Supervisor – Tier 2 | Principal Induction Program (year 1) | Proficient/Exemplary PADEPP rating (year 2) | Valid Tier 1 secondary principal certificate |
| District Superintendent | Master’s degree + state-approved program | Praxis School Superintendent Assessment (6991) | Valid SC Professional Educator Certificate + 3 years of educator experience |
South Carolina is also phasing in a unified School Principal, PK-Grade 12 certification field alongside the Elementary and Secondary tiers below. Principals already certified at the Elementary or Secondary level can keep that certificate or add the PK-12 field, and educator-prep programs must align their coursework to the PK-12 span by September 1, 2026.
Education Requirements
Elementary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 1
- Master’s degree
- Completion of an advanced state-approved program for the training of elementary principals and supervisors
Elementary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 2
- Complete the Principal Induction Program in your first year as an elementary principal
Secondary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 1
- Master’s degree
- Completion of an advanced state-approved program for the training of secondary principals and supervisors
Secondary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 2
- Complete the Principal Induction Program in your first year as a secondary principal
District Superintendent
- Master’s degree
- Completion of an advanced state-approved program for the training of school superintendents
Learn more about the graduate school process. Contact schools offering educational administration degree programs in South Carolina.
Certification Exams
Elementary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 1
- Pass the Praxis Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (5412) exam or the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (6990)
Elementary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 2
- Receive a rating of Proficient or Exemplary on the Program for Assisting, Developing and Evaluating Principal Performance in your second year as a principal
Secondary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 1
- Pass the Praxis Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (5412) exam or the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (6990)
Secondary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 2
- Receive a rating of Proficient or Exemplary on the Program for Assisting, Developing and Evaluating Principal Performance in your second year as a principal
District Superintendent
- Pass the Praxis School Superintendent Assessment (6991)
Experience Requirements
Elementary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 1
- Valid South Carolina Professional Teaching Certificate at the elementary level
- Three years of teaching experience in grades PK-8
Secondary School Principal & Supervisor – Tier 1
- Valid South Carolina Professional Teaching Certificate at the secondary level
- Three years of teaching experience in grades 7-12
District Superintendent
- Valid South Carolina Professional Educator Certificate
- Verification of at least three years of educator experience
The Career Changers Alternative Principal Pathway (CCAPP)
South Carolina also certifies principals through a route that skips the standard administrator preparation program. The Career Changers Alternative Principal Pathway, created under State Board of Education Regulation 43-64, lets candidates with a business, corporate, agency, or military leadership background qualify for an assistant principal role without first earning graduate credits in educational leadership. It works on the same principle as South Carolina’s alternative routes into classroom teaching: professional experience substitutes for part of the traditional preparation program.
To start CCAPP, a candidate needs a master’s degree, at least three years of leadership, supervision, or upper-level management experience outside education, and a recommendation from the superintendent of the South Carolina public school district that wants to hire them as an assistant principal. The superintendent acts as gatekeeper, screening candidates for the judgment and disposition the job requires before recommending them to the state.
CCAPP certification starts as a one-year certificate and runs on a three-year track toward full principal certification. Each year, the employing district must confirm the candidate completed a full year as an assistant principal and earned a successful rating on the district’s evaluation instrument, then request a one-year extension from the South Carolina Department of Education. By the end of Year Three, the candidate must also complete the state-approved training program tied to their individual development plan. After three years of successful assistant principal experience, the candidate becomes eligible for full Tier 1 principal certification.
Documents and Application Requirements
Once you have met educational, examination, and experience requirements, you may apply for an administrative certificate online. Send the following documents to the Office of Educator Certification:
- Official, sealed college transcripts
- Application fee
- Electronic fingerprinting (see below)
- Copies of Praxis score reports
- Recommendation for educator certificate verifying completion of a South Carolina administrator preparation program
- Verification of Teaching Experience form
- Copies of your South Carolina Professional Certificates
Mail all of the above to:
Office of Educator ServicesSouth Carolina Department of Education
8301 Parklane Road
Columbia, SC 29223
Criminal History Background Check
If you already hold a South Carolina teaching certificate, you’ve likely completed the SLED and FBI fingerprint-based background check required for initial certification. Whether you need to repeat it depends on your circumstances: the SCDE requires a new fingerprint check if the certification process wasn’t completed within 18 months of the original application, and background clearances from other states or agencies don’t transfer. Contact the Office of Educator Certification to confirm whether your existing clearance is still valid for an administrative certificate.
Where to Get Help
For more information on administrator preparation programs in South Carolina, contact these colleges and universities directly.
For more information on administrative certification in South Carolina, contact the South Carolina State Department of Education Office of Educator Certification, Recruitment and Preparation at 803-896-0325.
Frequently Asked Questions
What degree do you need for principal certification in South Carolina?
Traditional Tier 1 certification requires a master’s degree and completion of a state-approved administrator preparation program. Candidates using the Career Changers Alternative Principal Pathway (CCAPP) also need a master’s degree, but in any field, plus at least three years of outside leadership experience instead of a principal-specific program.
What exam do South Carolina principal candidates take?
Tier 1 elementary and secondary candidates pass either the Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision exam (5412) or the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (6990). Superintendent candidates take a different test, the School Superintendent Assessment (6991). Tier 2 candidates don’t retake an exam. Instead, they earn a Proficient or Exemplary rating on the state’s principal evaluation instrument, PADEPP, during their second year on the job.
Can you become a principal in South Carolina without classroom teaching experience?
Only through CCAPP. That pathway is built for candidates from business, government, or military leadership roles rather than teaching, but it still requires a district superintendent’s recommendation and a successful year as an assistant principal before the certificate renews.
How long does South Carolina principal certification take to complete?
For the traditional route, expect the length of a master’s program plus three years of qualifying teaching experience, since both often run concurrently for working teachers. Tier 2 certification then adds a one-year induction period with an on-the-job performance rating.
- Traditional certification needs a master’s degree and a passing exam score — Tier 1 elementary and secondary candidates complete a state-approved administrator program and pass Praxis 5412 or 6990, while superintendent candidates pass the separate Praxis 6991 assessment.
- Tier 2 adds a one-year induction requirement — new elementary and secondary principals complete the Principal Induction Program and earn a Proficient or Exemplary PADEPP rating in their second year.
- CCAPP offers a non-teaching path to assistant principal — candidates with three years of outside leadership experience and a master’s degree can qualify with a district superintendent’s recommendation.
- Applications go through the Office of Educator Certification — candidates submit transcripts, Praxis scores, and program verification directly to the South Carolina Department of Education.
Find accredited educational administration and principal certification programs in South Carolina, including application requirements and licensing timelines for your credential path.
