Instructional Leadership, Graduate Certificate
This program is designed for students who already have a master’s or specialist in education degree and seek a Tennessee Instructional Leadership License.
Program overview
The Instructional Leadership Graduate Certificate, offered fully online through Distance Education, is designed for K12 educators—teachers, counselors, school psychologists, speech pathologists, and others—holding an MS, EdS, or EdD/PhD in education or a related field who want to build the knowledge and skills needed for effective K12 leadership. Delivered through 21 graduate credit hours of coursework in areas such as school finance, policy and law, curriculum, supervision, and professional learning communities, the program includes a clinical fieldwork experience in an approved Tennessee school.
Students may pursue the certificate as a standalone credential or add it to an existing degree program. Upon completing all coursework, fieldwork, and required assessments, including passing the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) above the state cut-off score, graduates are recommended for a Tennessee Instructional Leadership License (ILL).
Why study Instructional Leadership?
Studying Instructional Leadership prepares experienced K12 educators to move into formal leadership roles with both the credentials and practical skills to lead schools effectively. The UT program grounds coursework in the profession’s National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards, the State of Tennessee’s Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS), and TN Literacy Standards, so candidates build expertise in curriculum, finance, policy, law, and personnel supervision that directly maps to real leadership expectations.
A key strength is the required fieldwork: because the experience is grounded in professional standards, candidates view it as the work of leadership rather than coursework assignments, and standards-based assignments are shaped collaboratively by the mentor, facilitator, and candidate, meaning students actively lead problem-solving at their school site rather than just observing. The program’s national accreditation and state approval also mean graduates emerge recommended for Instructional Leadership Licenses through the Tennessee Department of Education, opening the door to principal and other administrative positions.
What can you do with a graduate certificate in Instructional Leadership after graduation?
After completing the Instructional Leadership Graduate Certificate and meeting all licensure requirements, graduates are positioned to pursue formal school leadership roles in K12 settings. Because the certificate program prepares candidates to be recommended for a Tennessee Instructional Leadership License (ILL-B) once they pass the School Leaders Licensure Assessment above the state cut-off score, graduates can move from classroom or support roles, teaching, counseling, school psychology, or speech pathology, into positions such as assistant principal or principal in Tennessee schools.
The program’s fieldwork component also means graduates leave with hands-on leadership experience, not just theory: candidates complete a supervised clinical practice at an approved school where they take the lead on real problems and initiatives, building a portfolio of practical leadership work that supports their transition into administration. Beyond principal-track roles, the credential also strengthens candidates for instructional coaching, curriculum coordination, and other leadership positions that don’t require full licensure but benefit from advanced training in school finance, policy, supervision, and curriculum. Because the program is accredited by CAEP and SACS and is a charter member of UCEA, the certificate is also recognized nationally, which can support career moves beyond Tennessee for graduates willing to pursue licensure reciprocity in another state.
Featured Courses
EDAM 583 – Educational Leadership-Principalship
Will look at the principalship, specifically the primary roles, traits, and functions of highly effective building-level administrators. Will approach the principalship as a complex, multi-faceted profession that requires individuals to demonstrate a number of important leadership traits as well as fulfill a number of interrelated roles within schools. t.
EDAM 514 – Leading Professional Learning Communities
Leading Professional Learning Communities is designed to assist aspiring school leaders in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and dispositions associated with leading professional learning communities in schools.
EDAM 544 – School Finance and Business Management
Provides a significant grounding in education resource management theory and practice, so as to allow students to acquire a working knowledge of the context of school finance at the national, state and local levels, and understand the strategies and mechanics of school resource utilization that are most closely associated with increased student academic success.ity to acquire social goods and benefits.
EDAM 554 – Education Policy and Law
Provides for the development of practical knowledge to better understand and influence the laws and policies that govern the operations and conduct of their organizations as administrators. Aspiring leaders will gain knowledge and political, policy, and legal issues that will help them effectively perform their professional duties within the boundaries of constitutional, statutory, and case law, as well as local, state, and federal policies and administrative rules and regulations.
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