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Administrator I Certification

McDaniel’s Administrator I Certification program prepares you for a career in school administration as an Assistant Principal or Instructional Supervisor in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. This flexible program is available online.

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Degree Types
Graduate Certificate
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Program Cost
$552 per credit
Key
Format
Online
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Total credits
18

About The Program

Academic institutions need skilled, dynamic leaders who have the vision and drive to create learning communities where both students and staff learn and thrive. At McDaniel College, our Administrator I Certification program will prepare you for these opportunities. Designed for educators who want to advance their careers, the Administrator I program:

  • Is available 100% online, as well as in districts throughout Maryland where students benefit from a local cohort
  • Consists of five courses and an internship for a total of 18 credit hours. The internship may be completed in the school district in which one works.

How It Works

Once enrolled, you’ll study:

  • Role of the Principal
  • School Culture & Professional Capital
  • Leading School Improvement & Change
  • Monitoring and Aligning Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment
  • School Law

Upon completion of the above and fulfillment of the internship requirement, you will be eligible to apply to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for the Administrator I Certificate.

Note that Certification is the domain of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

What You Need to Know About Admin I

Admissions Requirements

Applicants to the program must submit:

  • Application for graduate study
  • Transcripts verifying completion of an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university
  • Transcripts verifying completion of a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
  • Copy of a Teaching Certificate - Maryland State Department of Education Standard Professional Certificate (SPC I or SPC II) or Advanced Professional Certificate (APC).  Teachers who hold a license or certification from states outside of Maryland may also provide a copy of their teaching certificate.  Students holding Provisional or Conditional teacher certification would not be eligible for this certificate program.
  • Evidence of an undergraduate or graduate course in special education (students may take this as a corequisite requirement while in the certificate).

State Authorization & Professional Licensure

Program & Course Details

Administrator I Certificate Catalog

Find Out More

Discover more about this program and others at one of our monthly, virtual open houses!  

Register

Apply

This program begins in Fall, Spring, and Summer. 

Start Your Application

Program Coordinator

Margaret Pfaff, Ed.D.
mpfaff@mcdaniel.edu
410-857-2508

Request More Info

Special Opportunities

Grad students in classroom.

Transfer Your Courses

Once you complete the Administrator I program, you’ll have the option to transfer all of the courses in this certificate to an M.S. in Innovations in Teaching and Learning, an M.S. in Secondary Education, or an M.S. in Elementary Education as an area of specialization.

Certification and Reputation

McDaniel’s Administrator I program has been evaluated at the state and national level to ensure you’ll get great value and lasting degree equity. Our program is:

  • Nationally Recognized — a status granted by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC)
  • Approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Maryland Higher Education Council (MHEC)
  • Aligned to the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards and the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL)

McDaniel College is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Administrator I Post-Bachelor's Certificate program has been awarded initial accreditation status by AAQEP through June 30, 2029. Accreditation acknowledges that a program prepares effective educators who continue to grow as professionals and has demonstrated the commitment and capacity to maintain quality.

Official seal of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP)

Advancing Your Career

Upon successful completion of the program, you’ll be qualified for the following career paths in Maryland and Pennsylvania:

  • Assistant Principal
  • Instructional Supervisor (Maryland Only)
  • Principal (with the passing of assessments required by each state)
Mary Kay Connerton

McDaniel alum Mary Kay Connerton named 2024 Maryland Teacher of the Year

Mary Kay Connerton has been named the 2023-24 Maryland Teacher of the Year! Connerton, who earned McDaniel’s Administrator 1 Certificate in May 2019, teaches at Annapolis High School in Anne Arundel County. She will now compete for the esteemed National Teacher of the Year Award, to be announced April 2024.

McDaniel College has a tradition of producing top educators, including Maryland Teachers of the Year. Michelle Shearer M.S. ’96, who was the 2010-11 Maryland Teacher of the Year, also was named the 2011 National Teacher of the Year. Rhonda Holmes-Blankenship M.S. ’05, who was a 2013 finalist for National Teacher of the Year, was named Maryland Teacher of the Year for 2012-13. Jody Zepp ’94 was the 2014-15 Maryland Teacher of the Year.

Read about all of the 2023 Maryland Teachers of the Year with ties to McDaniel.

Related Programs

Educational Leadership, M.S. Innovations in Teaching and Learning (formerly Curriculum & Instruction)

Find Out More

Discover more about this program and others at one of our monthly, virtual open houses!  

Register

Apply

This program begins in Fall, Spring, and Summer. 

Start Your Application

Program Coordinator

Margaret Pfaff, Ed.D.
mpfaff@mcdaniel.edu
410-857-2508

Request More Info
McDaniel College
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Westminster, MD, 21157
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