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 or SDBL certification so you can take your career to new levels and provide professional supervision in schools around New York State.

Cost
$915/credit hour (25% reduction for partnership schools and districts)
Length
1-2 years
Credits
20-41
Certification
SBL, SDL, and/or SDBL
Currently Accepting Applications
Spring, Summer and Fall

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 or SDBL 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:

 
1. A New York State School Building Leader license (SBL) – Earning SBL certification is required to provide supervision in schools as a principal or assistant principal in NYS public schools.

2. A New York State School District Leader license (SDL) – The SDL program at Canisius will prepare you to take on roles such as superintendent, assistant superintendent or any position with district-wide administrative responsibilities.
 
3. A New York State School District Business Leader license (SDBL) – Holding SDBL certification will qualify you for positions including assistant superintendent for school business operations.
 
You can apply for the SDBL after completing the required courses and internship for the SDBL portion of the program.

If you earn both an SDL and an SDBL, you’ll be eligible for positions that include all district-level roles, such as superintendent and assistant superintendent for school business operations.
 
You might also consider earning an MBA in addition to your SDBL to strengthen your business management skills.

4. A Master of Science in Educational Leadership – Earning an M.S. in educational leadership can greatly improve your career potential and help you stand out from other candidates in the job market.

View Full Course Requirements

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.

Internship FAQ 


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.

See Doctorate Program Course Listing

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 College 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.
 

SVG
Laurel Wreath
Top Ranked
2024 Best Online Graduate Education Programs, U.S. News & World Report
SVG
Laurel Wreath
5% employment growth
for elementary, middle and high school principals between 2021 and 2031.

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Student Resource- New York State Association for Women in Administration

Canisiys NYSAWA

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. 

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