Studies of school superintendents have captured the attention of educational researchers and practitioners alike for decades. Often, these studies have focused on the leadership styles of superintendents, their changing roles and responsibilities over time, and the politics inherently linked to being the leader of an entire school system. However, studies of the pre-service academic preparedness of superintendents are also increasingly important as educators and researchers attempt to gain a better understanding of how superintendents are prepared for their position of leadership. The purpose of this study was to determine North Carolina school superintendents' perceptions of their preparedness for the superintendency. Of particular interest are school superintendents' perceptions regarding pre-service academic preparedness for the superintendency, those domains of knowledge that North Carolina school superintendents feel they most need to know, and how well North Carolina superintendents feel they were prepared for each domain of knowledge during their pre-service academic experience. Using snowball sampling techniques, North Carolina superintendents were interviewed and their responses transcribed and coded to determine patterns and categories for further qualitative analysis and synopsis. Some superintendents selected and interviewed stated that many of the courses taken in their pre-service academic programs were not useful. Too, it was noted that their responses in regard to the utility of these courses often aligned with their responses regarding their perceptions of the most important domains of knowledge. Finally, the North Carolina superintendents interviewed reported that the internships and mentoring they received most impacted their perceived preparedness, and that future programs should be modeled to reflect these perceptions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]