Doubts about effectiveness and relevancy have made the academic preparation of superintendents a reform issue in most states. Attention being given to this topic has inevitably rekindled several fundamental questions such as: To what extent is the academic preparation of superintendents consistent among and within states? What forces control academic preparation and state licensing? Though the historical association between state licensing and preparation in school administration has been documented (Ashbaugh & Kasten, 1992; Wise, 1994), the cause and effect relationship remains uncertain. Academic requirements for entering practice in any profession typically have been shaped by member scholars and practitioners, and the requisite knowledge and skills are pursued through the delivery of a rather homogeneous curriculum. As exemplified in the medical profession, a uniform curriculum that developed in the early 1900s became the basis for both accreditation and state licensing (Connelly & Rosenberg, 2003). In education, however, there are strong suspicions that the inverse has been true; that is, professional preparation curricula have been shaped by licensing criteria (Wise, 1994). This article discusses research conducted in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio--contiguous states that require persons to complete an approved program of study to obtain a superintendent license. The primary purposes of this study were to determine (a) the extent to which interstate licensing policy was homogeneous, (b) the extent to which interstate and intrastate preparation program requirements were homogeneous, and (c) whether licensing criteria, institutional accreditation, and professional accreditation influenced preparation program requirements. Findings are discussed in relation to the role and function of professional standards boards in the three states, and implications for future policy are considered.