Principal (Certification)
This program of study fulfills the education requirement for students who wish to obtain a state of NJ Principal Certificate of Eligibility. The student must already hold a master’s or doctoral degree, a teaching certification or educational services certificate, have completed five years of teaching or educational services experience under a valid NJ certificate or out-of-state equivalent. The NJ principal endorsement authorizes the holder to be employed as a Principal, Vice Principal, Director, or Assistant Superintendent.
Please note: You must have five years of experience to earn the Principal certification from the state of NJ, but can apply to this program with less experience or with a provisional certificate in anticipation of meeting those NJ certification requirements. If you work in a private school, you can pursue this program without earning the certification from the state.
Please refer to our programs of study page for a comprehensive list of all of the graduate programs offered within the university.
Acceptance into this program requires a master’s or doctoral degree, a standards teaching certification or educational services certificate, and previous completion of five years of teaching or educational services experience.
In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have
created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the
application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps
needed to apply, as well as all corresponding supplemental materials for your specific
program of interest.
- Application Deadline: Rolling Admission.
- Submit Online Application: Please create your online account and submit your application by following the general application instructions and pay (or waive) the non-refundable $60 application fee. Once this step has been completed, the online portal will allow you to upload your supplemental materials.
The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Principal (Certification) program:
- Transcript: One from each college attended.
- Two Short Answer Questions (250-350 Words each). The prompts are:
- Describe a time when you demonstrated leadership in your school/district OR describe a challenge you have faced that has influenced your leadership approach.
- The Ed. Leadership Department at Montclair State University aims to prepare culturally responsive and anti-racist leaders who create more equitable schools and a more just society. Describe some ways you could contribute to supporting equity and diversity in your school/district.
- Teacher Certification: One.
- Resume: Required.
- Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.
This program is 30 – 33 credits. For more information, please visit the Principal (Certification) program listing in the University Catalog.
If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Email: graduate@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-5147
Fax: 973-655-7869
If you have specific inquiries regarding your program of interest, please contact the Principal (Certification) Program Coordinator:
*During the summer months, there will be a rotating department chair available to answer your inquiry. Find the updated summer chair for this program.*
Program Coordinator: Carlos McCray
Office: University Hall 2117
Email: mccrayc@montclair.edu