Alternate Routes to Licensure
Earn your Virginia teaching license without attending a full-time teacher education program.
If you want to earn a license to teach in a Virginia public school (preK-12), but a full-time teacher education program isn’t right for you, the UVA School of Education and Human Development offers individualized advising and flexible online coursework designed to help you meet the requirements you need for the alternative route to licensure available in Virginia.
We can provide you with personal advising for obtaining the specific license you need. You can also browse through the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)’s licensure page to identify the specific endorsement you want to become licensed to teach. Based on your past work experiences and college degree(s) and/or technical certifications, we can point you toward the most appropriate path to licensure. The VDOE’s “Routes to Licensure” webpage provides an overview of the different paths to licensure.
Note: Final licensure requirements are determined and approved by the Virginia Department of Education. Please partner with your district HR/licensure expert as you move forward with your next steps.
Requirements
Though you may be eligible for hire on a Provisional License before you have completed these requirements, in order to obtain the 10-year renewable teaching license, you will need to meet the requirements within the following five categories:
-
Endorsement course work
These relate to the specific content area you are interested in teaching. These are course requirements that are usually met through a person's undergraduate degree, but if there are any courses you are missing from this category, you can take these at any accredited college or university. Look for the specific endorsement course requirements area on the VDOE's licensure website.
-
Professional studies course work
These relate to the more pedagogical aspects of the teaching license. Depending on the specific endorsement you are seeking, there are slightly different requirements. UVA provides these courses on-line for the different endorsement areas.
Professional Studies Course Series -
Professional teacher's assessments
Refer to the VDOE’s webpage describing the assessments for the specific endorsement areas.
-
Field experience
In a traditional teacher education program, there are multiple field experiences, including a “student teaching” period. Those seeking licensure through the alternative route must complete one year of full time teaching (in their specific endorsement area) in an accredited Virginia public or nonpublic school. The hiring institution will apply for a 3-year, non-renewable provisional license on your behalf; you then have those three years to complete any unmet licensure requirements. You do not need to have fulfilled all other requirements before doing your field experience.
-
Other requirements
There are additional statutory requirements that do not fall under the other categories:
- Complete an online module in Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention.
- Provide evidence of completion of certification or training in: Emergency first aid, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), The use of automated external defibrillators (AED). Training must have a hands-on component.
- Complete the dyslexia training module.
- Complete the use of restraint and seclusion module.
- If you are going to teach middle or high school civics, economics, history, or government, you will need to complete the Virginia History or State and Local Government Module