Master of Arts in Educational Leadership

Disclosures and Application Information for Out-of-State Students

Thomas Edison State University (TESU) welcomes out-of-state prospective student applications. TESU will review applications on a case-by-case basis to assure that there are no federal, state, or regional restrictions for accepting the applicant into the Master’s in Educational Leadership programs. TESU participates in some select State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) allowing us to offer distance education programs to students in other SARA member states.  

Please note: TESU is unable to admit students from states in which the TESU Master’s in Educational Leadership programs do not meet state regulations for licensure/certification.

The MA in Educational Leadership program at TESU is designed to prepare graduates with an active, unencumbered endorsement/certification to qualify to sit for the Praxis II educational leadership certification exams, which are required for practice as an educational leader. Because no graduate program can guarantee that graduates will be permitted to practice as an educational leader upon graduation, TESU encourages students to consult the appropriate state agency to determine specific certification requirements (e.g., number of clinical hours). TESU makes no representations or guarantees that completion of its coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state endorsement/certification.  It is the student’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to certification/state endorsement.

For state-specific educational leadership certification/endorsement regulations please view information available on each state’s website.

 The TESU educational leadership programs are currently (July 1, 2024) restricted in the following states.

  • ✅ Meets
  • ❌ Does Not Meet
  • 📌 Additional Course or Training Requirements
  • 🔍 Does Not Offer This Certification and/or Has Different Requirements
U.S. State Supervisor Certificate Principal Superintendent School Business Administration*
  Meets Does Not Meet Meets Does Not Meet Meets Does Not Meet Meets Does Not Meet
Alabama   ❌ ✅   ✅     ❌ 🔍
Alaska   ❌ 🔍 ✅ 📌   ✅     ❌ 🔍
Arizona   ❌ 🔍 ✅   ✅     ❌ 🔍
Arkansas ✅   ✅   ✅     ❌ 🔍
California ✅   ✅   ✅     ❌ 🔍
Colorado   ❌ 🔍 ✅   ✅     ❌ 🔍
Connecticut   ❌ ✅ 📌   ✅   ✅  
Delaware   ❌ 🔍 ✅   ✅     ❌ 🔍
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   ❌ ✅   ✅     ❌ 🔍
Washington D.C.   ❌ ✅   ✅     ❌ 🔍
West Virginia   ❌ ✅     ❌   ❌ 🔍
Wisconsin   ❌ ✅     ❌ ✅  
Wyoming   ❌ ✅   ✅     ❌ 🔍
U.S. Territories Supervisor Certificate Principal Superintendent School Business Administration*
  Meets Does Not Meet Meets Does Not Meet Meets Does Not Meet Meets Does Not Meet
American Samoa   ❌   ❌   ❌   ❌
Guam   ❌ ✅ 📌     ❌   ❌ 🔍
Puerto Rico   ❌   ❌   ❌   ❌ 🔍
Northern Mariana Islands   ❌ ✅     ❌   ❌ 🔍
U.S. Virgin Islands   ❌ ✅ 📌     ❌   ❌ 🔍

Requirements

  • Alaska requires one course in Multicultural Education of cross-cultural communication. This may be taken in an undergraduate program. A course in Alaska studies. Both requirements must be fulfilled during the first two years of a provisional license.
  • Connecticut, Georgia and Mississippi require a course in special education.
  • Guam requires a 3 credit course in Guam history or culture which can be completed during the first year of issuance of the credential
  • Indiana requires the completion of the state Suicide Prevention Program
  • Maine requires a course in each: Maine Civil Rights Law and Special Education Law
  • Massachusetts requires a Massachusetts Sheltered English Endorsement
  • Montana requires completion of the course: An Introduction to Indian Education For All in Montana for principal license and additional courses for superintendent which may completed under employment
  • Nebraski requires a special education course and a course in human relations
  • Information on Puerto Rico is largely unavailable
  • Virgin Islands requires a course in the history of the Virgin Islands which can be completed the first year of employment and have completed 6 credits in special education.

*Most states do not offer certificates in school business administration but the TESU degree may fulfill job requirements.