Leadership Fields

School Principal - Tier 1 (PK-Grade 12)
School Principal - Tier 2 (PK-Grade 12)
District Superintendent (PK-Grade 12)
Career and Technology (CTE) Center Director (Grades 6-12)

Requirements for Adding Leadership Fields

The following requirements must be met:

• Hold a master's degree conferred by a Regionally Accredited institution of higher education;
• Complete an Approved Preparation Program through a Regionally Accredited institution of higher education;
• Earn a qualifying score on the appropriate Subject Area Exam; and
• Complete any additional requirements provided as outlined for the given field in Regulation 43-64 Requirements for Initial Certification at the Advanced Level.

Seeking Program Pre-Approval

Prior to beginning a program, educators must request approval using My SC Educator Portal. Once a program approval request is submitted through the portal, educators must upload a PDF copy of program description information to the portal. This is generally available through the provider's website or academic bulletin; please contact the provider if you encounter difficulties locating their program description information.

Approval for online programs cannot be given via phone or email.

How to Add Leadership Fields

Once all eligibility criteria are met, educators must submit all of the following in order to apply for adding a certification field:

• Submit a request using My SC Educator Portal
• Submit Official Transcripts
• Verify program approval and completion
  • If you attended an out-of-state institution, have the dean, assistant dean, or certification specialist complete a College Recommendation Form - Service & Leadership Fields Form on your behalf; they may email the completed form to certification@ed.sc.gov or you may then upload the completed form using My SC Educator Portal.
  • If you attended an in-state institution, contact the dean, assistant dean, or certification specialist to request verification of program completion be submitted on your behalf; the institute provides this information directly to the SCDE using their provider portal.
• Submit Official Exam Score Reports
• Submit experience verification
  • Have your employer complete an Experience Verification Form on your behalf to verify current or prior employment in a relevant position; they may email the completed form to certification@ed.sc.gov or you may then upload the completed form using My SC Educator Portal.