Catholic School Leadership Graduate Certificate Programs

Updated: Nov 16, 2023

Catholic schools are an important, integral part of the U.S. schooling system. As faith schools, there is a requirement for such teachers and school leaders to not just be of the faith but understand the importance of Roman Catholic teaching.

To help this area of schooling develop schooling professionals into leaders, there are a number of
available Catholic school leadership graduate certificates. These give you an advantage in entering Catholic schools.

What Are the Online Catholic School Leadership Graduate Certificate Requirements?

Academic institutions that offer Catholic school leadership graduate certificates will expect
applicants to have checked off a list of requirements:

A relevant accredited four-year bachelor’s degree in education
Many years of experience in education is preferred
A minimum 3.0 GPA on the 4.0 scale. Some may have higher, and others slightly lower GPA
requirements
Already working in a Catholic school or aiming for such a role
Academic transcript copies
A CV or resume
The application form included with the fee
The schools may ask for a personal statement
You may be required to attend a personal interview
Non-native speakers of English will be required to provide test scores from any number of
permitted English language certifications, including but not limited to TOEFL, IELTS, and
PTEA

What Kinds of Classes Are Included in the Online Catholic School Leadership Graduate Certificate Curriculum?

What course titles can you expect to encounter in the course of a Catholic school leadership
graduate certificate? The below will be a mix of mandatory and elective courses:

Fundamentals of the Catholic Faith for Catholic School Leaders
Leading for Catholic Mission
Applied Catholic School Leadership
The History, Philosophy, and Mission of the Catholic School
Catholic Schools and School Law
Non-Public School Finance and Development
Non-Profit Leadership for Catholic School Leaders
Strategic Resourcing
Strategy and Political Leadership in Catholic Schools
The Catholic School Principal
Organizational Leadership and Planning

What Type of Career Can I Pursue With an Online Catholic School Leadership Graduate Certificate?

The Catholic school leadership graduate certificate program opens a range of careers in this area of education:

School President: The head of the school, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day functioning of the school. This role is less involved in teaching and more involved in logistics, management, and finances.
School Principal: The head teacher of a school, you are the public face of the school,
responsible for teaching strategies and allocation of resources, and may have some teaching
responsibilities as well.
Associate Provost: Working in colleges and universities, this is less about school
management and more about strategic planning, outreach, teaching, and management
methods.
School / University Dean: Responsible for departments and overseeing major decisions, in
the U.S., the Dean is the top administrator in a school.