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Online Education Administration Certification

Have you been thinking about taking your career as an educator in a new direction? Perhaps, into an education administration role for your school or district? Introducing online certificate programs that will help you do just that—the Administrative Certification and Endorsement programs. 

At University of the Cumberlands, all of our school administrator education, principal, and administrative certification programs are designed to accommodate educators who aspire to work in an administrative or content-specific role. These Kentucky-based online education administrative certifications and endorsements provide practitioners with the knowledge, experience, and dispositions needed to guide schools and communities into the future.

 

What is an Education Administration Certification?

An education administration certification is a tool to help you achieve your career goals, helping you stand out from a crowd of similarly skilled professional educators. Aside from the boost it provides your CV, it also helps you develop the tools you’ll need to succeed in leadership roles in your school and your school district. 

University of the Cumberlands online education administration certification programs can equip you to pursue opportunities as a school administrator, district-wide teaching leader, superintendent, instructional supervisor and more. Take the next step on your career path with an administrative certificate targeted to your professional goals. Earn your certification for:

  • Director of Pupil Personnel (Administrative P-12)
  • Director of Special Education
  • Superintendent (Administrative P-12)
  • Supervisor of Instruction (Administrative P-12)

Our online education administration certification programs can be completed in as little as three (3) eight-week terms. They are designed to provide convenience and flexibility, so you can study at a pace that meets your needs.

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Is an Education Administration Certification Worth It?

Depending on the specific online certification and endorsement program you take, you will be equipped for success in a number of education leadership positions. Gain the knowledge and credential you need to become a school principal with a 2021 reported annual salary of $98,420. Focus on the supervisor of instruction endorsement for an instructional coordinator role overseeing Kentucky curriculum standards district-wide—a position that averaged $66,370 in 2021. There are any number of educational leadership opportunities you could pursue with one of these certifications. 

At University of the Cumberlands, we provide career-building programs for educators online in an environment that imparts a breadth of information; an understanding of critical concepts; and a mastery of skills to support a life-long pursuit of educational leadership excellence. It’s an investment in your future that can pay off in the long run with new career opportunities, better learning environments, more student success and a more fulfilling educational career path for you. So, yes, these online education administration certificate programs are definitely “worth it.” 

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Curriculum and Degree Requirements

Our administrative certification online courses in education cover a number of administrative and content-specific roles, all leading toward additional certifications and increased job potential. Our education certification programs in Kentucky are offered in an online format to help working educators balance their busy lives and schedules. The courses are offered throughout the year in six (6) eight-week terms with the opportunity to begin at any time.

The programs range in credit hours but can be completed in as few as twelve months. Graduate credit may be transferred from an accredited institution of higher learning and applied to a certification program provided such credit meets the appropriate graduate degree requirements of University of the Cumberlands.

There are four concentrations to choose from for the online Education Administration Certification: 

Director of Pupil Personnel Concentration
Do you want to gain the knowledge and experience you need to guide our communities and institutions in the right direction? Consider our Director of Pupil Personnel Certification program. As a student enrolled in this program, you will take courses which include School Law, School System Administration, Strategic Management in Education, Issues and Trends in Special Education, School Program Improvement, and more.

Director of Special Education Concentration
This director of special education program provides you with the knowledge, experience and dispositions needed to guide our schools and communities into the future. As a student enrolled in this Special Education Director program, you will take courses in Human Resource Management and Supervision, School and Community Relations, School Law, Consultation and Collaboration for Curriculum Design, and more.

School Superintendent  Concentration
How would you like to become a leader in the academic world and guide our schools and communities into the future? At University of the Cumberlands, we can show you how through this Superintendent Certification program. Courses include Business Management in Public Schools, School Law, School Superintendency, School System Administration and Strategic Management in Education. You will also have the chance to participate in a Practicum Superintendent experience. If you’re looking for a quality school superintendent certification program, consider choosing us. In order to be considered for this concentration, the following requirements must be met: 

Requirements

  • Completed Graduate Application and payment of associated application fee
  • Completed Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree
  • Official Transcript(s)
    • Must be received from ALL degree issuing colleges/universities and show a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale
  • Teaching License & three (3) years of teaching experience
  • Certification Level II for Supervisor of Instruction or Principalship
  • Two (2) years in educational administration
  • Three (3) letters of recommendation

Supervisor of Instruction Concentration
Discover how to play a key role in your academic world. At University of the Cumberlands, we can show you how through this Supervisor of Instruction Certification program. Courses include Intro to Educational Administration, School Program Improvement, School Law, Human Resources Management and Supervision, and more.  Put your commitment to work and learn how to place your positive mark on the educational system.

Click here for Course Details | Click here for Program Resources

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Admission Requirements

Please submit a graduate application before you submit any additional admissions requirements.
The following items are necessary for admission to the online Education Administration Certification programs.

  • Completed Graduate Application and payment of the associated $30 application fee

  • Submit official transcripts from all applicable colleges/universities attended; must be received directly from the issuing college or university.
    • Must show a cumulative degree GPA of a 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale)
    • Transcripts sent in from students cannot be accepted even if they are in a sealed envelope
    • Official transcripts can be accepted two ways:

                    Mailed to:
                    Graduate Admissions
                    649 S. 10th Street Suite C
                    Williamsburg, KY 40769

                    Electronically to:
                    (ie: National Clearinghouse, eScript, Parchment)
                     gradadm@ucumberlands.edu 

  • A valid teaching license 
    • If pursuing the Superintendent program, must have Level II Principal or Supervisor of Instruction
  • Verification of Experience/Employment
    • All Administration programs require at least 3 years of teaching experience
    • If pursuing Director of Special Education, verification needs to include at least 1 year of experience in special education or school psychology 
    • If pursuing the Superintendent program, an additional 2 years of administrative experience is required
    • Form to be used for verification purposes: Verification of Employment
  • Submit three (3) letters of recommendation
  • Documentation of language fluency for non-native speakers of English, such as a score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the 8 International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or a report from Duolingo. This requirement is waived for students who have completed bachelor’s or master’s level coursework in the U.S. at an accredited institution. The minimum acceptable TOEFL or IELTS scores for admission are: 
    • Paper-based TOEFL (PBT) - 550 
    • Internet-based TOEFL (IBT) - 79 
    • IELTS - 6
    • Duolingo - 100

Any international course work completed must have official transcript evaluations completed and submitted to the University by the evaluation form. Evaluations MUST include GPA for admission.
Approved Evaluation Firms are: 

  • World Education Services (WES)
  • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
  • International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
  • Educational Perspectives (EP)
  • Spantran

In order to be recognized as a qualified candidate, the requirements above must be met. If you are not sure if you qualify based on the list above, you may request more information.

For additional admissions information, please contact:

University of the Cumberlands
Graduate & Online Admissions

649 S. 10th Street Suite C
Williamsburg, KY 40769

Phone 606.539.4390
Toll Free 855.791.7199
Email gradadm@ucumberlands.edu

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Certification and Reciprocity 

Certification is the process in which a candidate is recommended for licensure and/or rank change. Upon completion of a degree, certification, or rank change program, it is the responsibility of the candidate to submit the appropriate certification paperwork to the Certification Office. University of the Cumberlands can only submit a recommendation for certification and/or rank change completed through this institution.

Applications for teacher certification/rank change should be turned in to the appropriate certification specialist no earlier than three weeks prior to program completion. Applications for certification/rank change are processed upon verification of successful completion of required assessments and receipt of the candidate’s official transcript verifying completion of the program.

Undergraduate and MAT programs
Ms. Lisa Jones
606.539.4648
lisa.jones@ucumberlands.edu

Advanced Programs
Ms. Kim White
606.539.4525
kim.white@ucumberlands.edu

Certification Office
7792 College Station Drive
Williamsburg KY 40769
Fax: (606) 539-4014

Check Status of CA1
Once an application is processed by the UC Certification Office, candidates may check the status of their CA1 application by logging on to the EPSB website at www.epsb.ky.gov and accessing "View my Application History".

Reciprocity
Certification is provided for the state of Kentucky through the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB), however, certification can transfer to all states through reciprocity. The map below displays the states that have an Interstate Reciprocity Agreement in place with Kentucky; some, not necessarily all certifications will be accepted. 

The interstate agreement, arranged by NASDTEC, is a collection of over 50 individual agreements by states and Canadian provinces. Each individual "agreement" is a statement by that state or jurisdiction outlining which other states' educator certificates will be accepted by that state.

Such an "acceptance" agreement means that the "receiving" state will issue some form of authorization allowing the inbound certificate holder to legally teach or provide service in the receiving state, provided the license issued by the "sending" state is acceptable under the agreement. This authorization may be limited in time by the receiving state, and the receiving state may impose additional requirements which need to be accomplished before the educator can teach or practice after the end of the time limit.

The Interstate Agreement is not a collection of 2-way agreements of reciprocal acceptance. For example, although Georgia affirms with its agreement that it will accept certificates from Connecticut, this acceptance in no way implies that Connecticut will accept Georgia certificates. Also the agreement does not necessarily indicate "full" reciprocity. The educator may have to complete additional requirements, such as coursework, assessments, or classroom experience, before receiving a full professional certificate in the new state. Candidates working out-of-state should contact their state’s certification office for reciprocity eligibility and details.

Teachers certifications from Kentucky are accepted in all states except Alaska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Mississippi

Click here for links to State Boards.

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Certification Submission

Kentucky
Click here to view certification submission details for the state of Kentucky. 

Out of State
It is the responsibility of the candidate to check with their home state regarding certification requirements. If a state licensure application requires verification of degree/certification completion, the application/verification form may be sent directly to the Certification Office. Please be certain to provide your full name, UC student ID number, phone number, and email address in the event that additional information is needed.

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Tuition

Costs for programs of study at University of the Cumberlands are competitive and affordable. Click here to view tuition rates and fees.

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Graduate Student Success

The purpose of Graduate Student Success (GSS) is to assist students with class registration and program management. Click here to navigate the GSS webpage to better understand what to expect throughout the certification program.

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Mid-Point Assessment

You will be working with the Graduate Advising Center (GAC) to make sure you are on track. UC offers a variety of programs in education so certain requirements do not apply to everyone. It is important to review your specific Plan Program/Curriculum Contract to know what is required of you.

GAC has provided a list of items you are required to have turned in by the time you complete your program. The list can be seen on your MyUC account located under the “Student Tab”. The list appears in red and will show the item(s) that are past due. Please do not be alarmed when you see this, it is a computer glitch and you need not worry. We are simply letting you know what is still needed from you at this point, as well as, what will be required of you to complete the program. It is our hope that you will have a smooth transition when you exit your program.

Click here to view the mid-point assessment documents. 

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Accreditation

Click here to view University of the Cumberlands' accreditation information.

In addition to the overall institutional accreditation statement above, the specialized accrediting bodies related to this degree are listed below.

KDE/EPSB – State Accreditation
University of the Cumberlands' School of Education is further accredited through Kentucky's Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB), 100 Airport Road, 3rd Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601. (502) 564-4606. Fax: (502) 564-7080.

CAEP – National Accreditation
The School of Education at University of the Cumberlands (UC) is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) at the initial-licensure level and advanced-level.  CAEP promotes excellence in educator preparation through quality assurance and continuous improvement.  UC’s School of Education has earned national accreditation by demonstrating excellence in the areas of content and pedagogy, clinical experiences, selectivity, program impact, and capacity for continuous improvement.
 
CAEP Address: 1140 19th St NW #400, Washington, DC 20036
CAEP Phone Number: (202) 223-0077

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Faculty

Click here to view a list of the education faculty. 

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Admissions Office

Contact Us

Phone: 606.539.4390
Tollfree: 855.791.7199
Email: gradadm@ucumberlands.edu

Visit Us In Person

649 S. 10th Street Suite C
Williamsburg, KY 40769

CAEP Accreditation

CAEP Logo

 The School of Education at University of the Cumberlands complies with all CAEP standards across programs at the initial and advanced levels.