Assistant Principal

Cost per credit hour

In-state: $432.
Out-of-state: $1,250. See details and other costs

Credit hours

15 required credit hours. Most courses are equal to 3 credit hours. Browse course list

Program duration

Finish in as little as 1 year. Explore program requirements

Admissions

No application fee. Apply for fall, spring, or summer term. View application process & deadlines

Program Highlights

Qualify for the Maine K-12 Assistant Principal certification, which allows you to serve as an assistant principal in the state of Maine.
Take advantage of the flexibility to choose a mode of study that is blended (a mix of online and in-person courses) or fully online.
Make progress toward a future degree: Apply course credits from your certificate toward a master’s degree in Educational Leadership.
Engage with a community of more than 30 K-12 school districts in southern Maine that focuses on promoting equity for all learners and preparing them for the future.

Program requirements

Our program is designed to meet state requirements for assistant principal certification in Maine and to provide the foundational coursework for a master’s degree in educational leadership.

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Faculty expertise

Our EdD and PhD faculty have extensive K-12 school leadership experience. They also regularly present at regional and national conferences, and publish their research findings in books and journal articles.

Meet our faculty

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Future degree planning

Interested in earning your Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership in the future? The credits you earn through this certificate program can be applied to our Educational Leadership MSEd. Some restrictions may apply.

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Frequently Asked Questions

In this certificate program, you’ll gain the skills to meet the requirements to become an assistant principal in Maine.

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Educational Leadership

Master’s Program

Next Steps

Our graduate admissions counselors are here to answer your questions about the admissions process, our academic programs, and student support services.

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Admission information: Certificate of Graduate Study in Assistant Principal

Application deadlines

We accept applications on a rolling basis and review them continuously.

Application deadline	Fall term start	Spring term start	Summer term start
Recommended	May 1	October 15	March 15
Final	August 1	December 15	April 15

Criteria for admission include successful completion of a bachelor’s degree and relevant professional experience. To earn a certificate, students must complete 75 percent of the required coursework at USM, and earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in each course.

In addition, applicants to the assistant principal certificate are expected to have two years of teaching experience with the expectation of completing a third year of teaching during USM graduate study. The Maine Department of Education requires three years of teaching experience for administrative certification.

Applicants are required to provide the following materials:

General requirements

Application: Online application
Application fee: Waived for all applicants
Transcripts: Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, excluding the seven campuses of the University of Maine System (UMS transcripts are accessible to USM). A transcript is official when sent directly from the institution.
- International College transcripts: In addition to an official copy of the transcript, an official evaluation of college-level transcripts from a NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) approved transcript analysis agency is required.
Resume: Submit a resume or CV that outlines professional, volunteer, and community experience.
Students whose first language is not English may be required to take one of the following: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Pearson Test of English (PTE) or Duolingo. Applicants must submit official scores as part of the application process. See additional information regarding test scores and requirements.

Additional requirements

Personal statement: A personal statement discussing your reasons for pursuing graduate study, your professional goals, and how you think this program of study will contribute to these goals.
Proof of teacher certification: See details below.

About proof of teacher certification

The evidence should be a copy of your teacher certification from the state in which you are certified. Teacher certification must be at the level of provisional or professional, and not at the level of conditional certification.
This program requires that students are certified teachers at the time of admission and for the duration of the program. This is because the program may lead to a certain state of Maine endorsement that requires provisional or professional teacher certification.
Students seeking an exemption to this requirement must write a request for a waiver that includes both an explanation and justification for the request.
Submit your proof of teacher certification or request for a waiver along with your application materials to edocs@maine.edu.

English proficiency test scores

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Where to send application materials

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Applications in progress

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