Educational Leadership and Supervision
Advance your career and make an even greater impact on the lives and education of students in your community by earning an educational leadership and supervision advanced certificate or master’s degree online from Canisius University. Our program will provide you with the skills and knowledge for SBL, SDL, SDBL, Administrator with Superintendent extension certifications so you can take your career to new levels and provide professional supervision in schools around New York State.
Earn a Top-Ranked Educational Leadership Master’s Degree or Advanced Certificate Online
Become an inspirational principal or assistant principal. Influence district-wide educational decisions as a superintendent. Oversee school business operations to ensure efficient, high-quality education for every student. Improve on leadership and supervision in schools.
You can do it all by earning an educational leadership master’s degree online or an advanced certificate in our SBL, SDL, SDBL, Administrator certificate with Superintendent extension programs. Designed with working professionals like you in mind, our asynchronous program gives you the freedom and flexibility to earn your educational leadership master’s degree or advanced certificate online while balancing time with work and family.
At Canisius, you’ll join a world-class education program ranked as one of the best online graduate education programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report. You’ll enjoy a minimum of 600 internship hours (SBL, SDL, Master's) or 350 internship hours (SDBL) at your place of employment, working with administration and learning how to apply the latest theories of educational leadership to real-world settings.
Our educational leadership program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and meets the highest quality standards for education training. The program has four sequence options to prepare you for the career of your dreams:
Educational Leadership Certifications: What You Need to Know
New York State is updating its school leadership certification structure. Understanding your options now helps you plan the right path — whether you're aiming for a principal or superintendent role.
What's Changing
In January 2025, the New York State Board of Regents adopted new regulations consolidating two longstanding certifications (the School Building Leader (SBL) and School District Leader (SDL) into a single Administrator certificate. Those pursuing superintendent-level roles will also need a Superintendent Extension.
Both the SBL and SDL certifications will continue to be issued and honored through September 2031. The Administrator + Superintendent's Extension becomes available in September 2026 at Canisius and will be the required credential for district supervisory roles after the 2031 transition is complete.
Your Current Certification Options
School Building Leader (SBL) Qualifies you for positions up to school principal. (Will no longer be offered beginning in Fall 2031)
School District Leader (SDL) Includes two courses beyond the SBL. Qualifies you for positions up to superintendent of schools. (Will no longer be offered beginning in Fall 2031)
Administrator + Superintendent's Extension (effective September 2026) A newly developed NYSED certificate that qualifies you for all building and district leadership roles, including superintendent of schools.
School District Business Leader (SDBL) Qualifies you for district-level positions up to assistant superintendent of school business operations.
Required Classes
Students may take courses in any order; there is no required or correct sequence. Following the completion of 50% of the required course credits for the certificate program in which the student is enrolled, the student may register for the internship course. This is advisable due to the number of hours NYSED requires for internship completion.
Masters in Superintendent and Administrative Leadership
A Master's in Superintendent and Administrative Leadership is available as well. Completion of this program will entitle you to earn one of the certificates listed above.
Connect with Canisius faculty and staff to learn more.
Educational Leadership Master’s Degree Online Program Highlights
- Graduates have a 99% success rate with NYS licensing exams — thanks to the advanced training in our SBL, SDL and SDBL certificate programs.
- Our flexible asynchronous educational leadership master’s degree online lets you learn and work where you live.
- Enjoy educational partnership benefits, such as 25% off tuition.
- A minimum of 600 hours of internship experience for an SBL or SDBL certificate meets the rigorous standards set by NYS and Canisius for supervision in schools.
- We partner with D’Youville University to enable Canisius graduates to continue their education and earn a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership.
- Enter the program at one of three times per year to work around your personal and professional schedule.
Featured Courses in the Educational Leadership Program
- School Law — Learn how to apply laws and legal theories of educational leadership to real situations from a school district administrator and lawyer.
- Human Resources and Personnel — Work closely with a human resource professional from a large urban school system to understand the problems and theories of educational leadership as they relate to actual supervision in schools.
- Administrative Internship — 600 field-based hours (SBL, SDL) or 375 hours (SDBL) in your school or a nearby district working with a college administrator who is a former teacher, principal, assistant deputy and superintendent. Build a robust resume while making connections and mastering new skills.
Career Opportunities for Educational Leadership Graduates
When you earn your educational leadership master’s degree online or advanced certificate from Canisius, you unlock the door to a wide variety of careers:
- With an SBL certificate, you’ll be qualified to become an influential principal or vice principal in an NYS public school.
- Our highly respected SDL program will prepare you for a job as a superintendent, assistant superintendent or district administrator.
- With a combined SDBL certificate, you can take on roles such as assistant superintendent for school business operations to help schools run smoothly and efficiently while still providing excellent educational experiences for students.
New York ranks among the top five states for employment for education administrators, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Internship
One (1) 600-hour internship is required for an SBL, SDL Certificate or a Master's in Educational Leadership. The SDBL Certificate is a 350-hour requirement. The school is committed to working with graduate students to identify and successfully complete an Internship that meets the NYS and Canisius standards while allowing the student to fulfill current professional and personal responsibilities.
Doctorate Program Partnership
D’Youville College and Canisius University have an articulation agreement to help students further their education. Canisius students who have completed the Advanced Certificate in School Building Leader (SBL), School Building and School District Leader (SBL/SDL), or the MS in Educational Leadership can continue their education to earn a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership at D’Youville College. D’Youville will accept up to 35 credit hours from Canisius University toward the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership - leaving only 34 more credit hours to complete the program.
Student Resource- New York State Association for Women in Administration
NYSAWA has served as one of the state’s largest associations for education professionals, providing resources to empower women to achieve both career and personal success.