How to Obtain a Teaching Certificate in VA

By Leyla Norman

There are several routes to obtaining a teacher's certification in the state of Virginia. They include getting the traditional bachelor's degree in education route, as well as a few alternative certification routes. Since teachers are in high demand today, alternative certification is an attractive option to those who want to start a new career in education and have a bachelor's degree.

Complete a Virginia Department of Education-approved teacher education program. Over 36 colleges and universities in Virginia are included in the list of approved teacher education providers. This route to receiving your teaching certificate includes four years of study, and it is the traditional method of obtaining a teaching license in Virginia.

Submit a complete application packet that contains a license application and official transcripts if you are an out-of-state applicant. You must have completed a teacher education program at a regionally accredited institution or hold a current, valid teaching license from another state. You will have to complete professional teaching assessments approved by the Board of Education as well if you have not completed three years of full-time work as a teacher of kindergarten through twelfth grade in another state.

If you hold certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) or certification from a nationally-recognized program that is approved by the Board of Education, you will be approved to hold a Virginia teaching license.

Complete an alternative licensure program if you have not completed a teacher education program or already hold a teaching certificate from another state. You can only complete an alternative licensing program if you already hold a bachelor's degree. You can gain coursework credit for the program if you meet certain requirements such as having worked five years or more in the area you want to teach. (This is not applicable to those who want to get certification to teach Pre-Kindergarten through sixth grade.) You will also have to pass professional teacher's assessments.

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