School principals must first acquire a bachelor's degree in education, including the accumulation of a specific number of hours in a supervised teaching setting. In addition, school principals must obtain a master's or doctoral degree in administration or another education-related field.
All states require teachers to pass an exam to become licensed. Candidates for a school principal position may also be required to obtain additional supervisory certification or a school administrator license.
Most schools prefer principal candidates have prior experience in teaching and some may require a minimum number of years in teaching. Teaching experience provides the candidate with first-hand exposure to the types of challenges his teaching staff and students will face.