The Educational Leadership Program for Aspiring Principals (ELPAP) trains high quality candidates to lead school improvement efforts. Its unique cohort model of leadership development focuses on helping students learn and model the competencies and confidence of instructional leaders.

There are three ways to earn the principals' certificate: (1) admission into the certificate-only ELPAP program, which may be completed part-time in one year; or (2) admission into the M.S.Ed. degree program in Educational Leadership, with the principals' certificate program taking place in either the first or second year, preceded or followed by the remaining five courses and the master's research paper (3) admission to the Ed.D degree program.

The program is offered in an executive education format during which a cohort of students attend one class per week in each of the fall, spring and summer terms and attend an internship seminar one Saturday per month.
It begins in late August and is completed in the following July.

All students complete five courses (including the 240-hr internship) at the end of the first year in order to earn faculty approval for the certificate. Those students pursuing the M.S.Ed, degree program in Educational Leadership take courses in the second year,completing an additional 5 classes and writing a master's research paper to earn the degree.