To become a principal or vice-principal in Ontario, Ontario Certified Teachers must meet the Ontario College of Teachers’ admission requirements and successfully complete PQP Part 1 and PQP Part 2, including the required Leadership Practicum.

PQP Part 1 develops the foundations of your leadership practice and includes the development of an approved Leadership Practicum Proposal. PQP Part 2 builds on that learning and supports the implementation and documentation of your practicum.

Admission requirements apply before you begin PQP Part 1. Review the PQP Part 1 course page or contact us to determine whether you’re ready to enroll.

At OISE, the Principal’s Qualification Program is designed to help you do more than complete the requirements for the qualification. The program connects current research and the Ontario Leadership Framework to authentic school leadership challenges, helping you build the judgment, confidence, and practical capacity to lead effectively.

Across PQP Part 1 and PQP Part 2, you’ll learn through case analysis, facilitated discussion, peer collaboration, applied projects, and a Leadership Practicum connected to your professional context. Learning is assessed through a competency-based model that emphasizes professional growth, feedback, and demonstrated proficiency rather than traditional grades.

Learners in the redesigned program have highlighted the value of connecting research directly to leadership practice, developing their own leadership philosophy, and gaining concrete, actionable approaches they can apply in schools.

Admission requirements for PQP Part 1 are set by the Ontario College of Teachers and assessed by OISE as part of the application process.

Under the standard admission pathway, applicants must be Ontario Certified Teachers in good standing, have at least five years of successful certified teaching experience, hold qualifications in three divisions including Intermediate, and meet the required academic qualification through graduate study and/or Specialist Additional Qualifications.

Alternate pathways are also available for some Technological Education teachers, Indigenous Language teachers, and Primary–Junior teachers of Indigenous ancestry who do not hold an acceptable postsecondary degree.

Review the PQP Part 1 course page for OISE admission details. If you are exploring one of the alternate pathways, review the Ontario College of Teachers’ alternate pathway requirements. If you are unsure whether you qualify, contact us and we can help you review your eligibility.

The Leadership Practicum is an applied component of the Principal’s Qualification Program that connects your learning to authentic leadership work in a school setting with the support of a qualified mentor.

PQP Part 1 - Leadership Practicum Proposal

During PQP Part 1, you will develop a Leadership Practicum Proposal focused on a meaningful leadership or school-improvement priority in your professional context. Your proposal must be approved before you can be recommended to the Ontario College of Teachers for the PQP Part 1 qualification.

PQP Part 2 - Leadership Practicum and Report

During and after PQP Part 2, you will implement and document your approved practicum. The practicum must:

• take place in a school setting;
• include a minimum of 50 hours, with up to 20 hours of observation; and
• be supported by an actively practising, PQP-qualified principal or vice-principal in good standing with the Ontario College of Teachers.

Once your practicum is complete, you will submit a Leadership Practicum Report for review and approval. We recommend completing and submitting your practicum within two years of completing PQP Part 2 so that you can be recommended to the Ontario College of Teachers for the PQP Part 2 qualification.

If more than two years have passed since you completed PQP Part 2 with us, contact us to discuss your circumstances and next steps.

Participants are expected to make every effort to attend the scheduled synchronous sessions. These live sessions are an important part of the learning experience, providing opportunities to engage in facilitated discussion, work through authentic leadership challenges, hear different perspectives, and connect course learning to your own professional context.

We understand that working educators may occasionally have commitments that prevent them from attending a session. Missing a synchronous session does not result in an automatic academic penalty; however, you may miss valuable dialogue, collaborative learning, and opportunities to engage directly with your facilitator and peers.

If you know that you will be unable to attend a scheduled session, we encourage you to communicate with your facilitator and continue engaging fully with the other course activities and requirements.

Synchronous sessions are typically two hours in length and may be scheduled on weekday evenings or on weekends, depending on the course offering.

Confirmed dates and times are posted on the individual PQP Part 1 and PQP Part 2 course pages as soon as they are available.

We recommend reviewing the schedule for your intended offering before enrolling so you can plan for the live sessions in advance.

Learning in both PQP Part 1 and PQP Part 2 is assessed through a competency-based model rather than traditional percentage or letter grades.

You’ll demonstrate your learning through applied leadership tasks such as case scenarios, portfolio activities, projects, reflection, and practicum-related work. Performance is assessed using three levels: Developing, Proficient, and Advanced.

To successfully complete the course, you must demonstrate Proficient or Advanced performance across the required tasks. If a task is assessed as Developing, you may use facilitator feedback to revise and resubmit it, within the limits outlined for the course.