Alberta Principal Certification

Alberta Education's Leadership Quality Standard (LQS) is applicable in public, separate, francophone, charter and funded accredited independent school authorities. The LQS governs leadership certification and aims to help individuals entering leadership roles in education to have a common level of preparation.

The LQS includes the following 9 competencies:

  1. Fostering Effective Relationships
  2. Modeling Commitment to Professional Learning
  3. Embodying Visionary Leadership
  4. Leading a Learning Community
  5. Supporting the Application of Foundational Knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit
  6. Providing Instructional Leadership
  7. Developing Leadership Capacity
  8. Managing School Operations and Resources
  9. Understanding and Responding to the Larger Societal Context

Any teacher can obtain the leadership certification by completing approved leadership coursework. Teachers may complete the coursework at any time. They must meet all the requirements - including holding an Alberta permanent professional teaching certificate - before being granted a leadership certificate. For more information on principal certification, please review Alberta Education's Professional Practice Standards.

Coursework

The following two courses meet the academic requirements for principal certification. Note: EDU 520 is offered in every term; EDU 521 is offered in all but Summer Term.

EDU 520 Theoretical and Professional Foundations of School Leadership

Explore the foundational dimensions of school leadership including instructional leadership, fostering effective relationships, supporting the application of foundational knowledge about Indigenous Peoples, visionary leadership, leading learning communities, modelling continuous professional learning, developing leadership capacity, understanding the social context influencing schooling, and managing school operations and resources. Note: This course is a partial fulfillment of the academic requirements for school leader certification through Alberta's Leadership Quality Standard.

EDU 521 School Leadership: Theory and Practice

Prerequisite: EDU 520

Hone leadership practices grounded in research to demonstrate mastery of Alberta's Leadership Quality Standard (LQS). Includes a job-embedded learning component in which participants visit, observe, and collaborate with one other school leader or leadership team in a school setting of their choice, in which the Alberta Program of Studies is offered. Successful completion of this course fulfills the academic requirements for school leader certification through Alberta's Leadership Quality Standard. Students will be sent a consent form, to give the Faculty permission to release their academic information to TWINS.

To optimize your learning experience, we recommend that you have a minimum of two years of teaching experience. Please check the Academic Calendar for course schedules or contact our Graduate Administrator for more information.


Tuition

Each course is $1498.00 plus non-instructional fees. International tuition is assessed at a higher rate.

Admissions

These courses can be taken as an open studies student, as an elective in a graduate program (in consultation with your program advisor), or as required courses in the Graduate Certificate in School Leadership.

Please note: While aspiring school leaders from other parts of Canada or the world will find value in the courses, the curricular context is Alberta.

Additional Information