Interested in obtaining your Virginia Teaching license through an accelerated route?
- All face-to-face instruction – (NEW) Hybrid at the Loudoun location ONLY)
- Small (restricted) class sizes
- A teaching practicum field experience in Phase I
- Methods of Instruction modules in your area of endorsement
The program was very thorough and I felt was well organized . . . I feel that I am fully prepared and confident to teach now.” — David C.
The Career Switcher program at Shenandoah University enabled me to continue teaching high school by day. In the evening, my classmates and I discussed our daily teaching successes and missteps. All of us have been guided by the most thoughtful, experienced, and interesting teaching professionals in Northern Virginia. Their immeasurable insight makes this program and future teachers like me successful.” — Brian F.
Short Links:
Email us at cseduc@achador.net with Career Switcher program questions.
Program Overview
The Career Switcher Program consists of two Phases:
Phase I
Phase I (consisting of 150 hours), teaches our students how to teach, and includes topics on the foundations of education, human growth and development, curriculum, instruction and assessment, teaching with technology, classroom management, reading in the content area and more. In addition to this instruction, Career Switchers will also be placed in participating schools systems to observe classes and to teach selected lessons (a 40 hour practicum field placement). This placement will begin approximately five weeks after beginning Phase I. Upon successful completion of Phase I, Shenandoah University issues Career Switchers a Phase I Certificate of Completion and submits the student’s credentials to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for review. This packet contains student’s original Career Switcher application form, the fee for processing the application, documentation of 3 years full time work experience, official transcripts, a record of your passing scores in Praxis Subject Assessment, and confirmation of your successful completion of Phase I of the Career Switcher program. Once the Department of Education has reviewed your packet, they issue a Career Switcher Provisional License with endorsement(s) to teach in your subject area(s). The student’s first one year, Career Switcher provisional teaching license is issued immediately. The Career Switcher provisional license is valid for one year and may be renewed two additional times for one year terms each, if needed. The “renewal” or activation of the two remaining dormant licenses is done by the school division who hires you, under contract, to teach.
Phase II
Once the Career Switcher secures full time employment OR half-time employment with a public school division or a state-approved accredited private school in Virginia, the student enters Phase II of Career Switchers. During this first year of teaching, Career Switchers will work with a trained mentor teacher who will help improve skills and performance, support morale, and work with the new teacher to put theory into practice. Career Switchers are also required to meet again with Shenandoah University as a class for an additional 20 hours of professional development. These workshops provide an opportunity for the new teachers to discuss experiences in the classroom, update skills in curriculum and instruction, classroom and behavior management and human growth development. It is only upon successful completion of Phase II that Career Switchers will have completed all of the requirements necessary to receive full-licensure to teach in Virginia. After Phase II, students are eligible to receive a ten-year renewable license. The school system that employs the Career Switcher will submit the recommendation for the ten-year renewable license. Failure to complete all the requirements in Phase II means students are not eligible to receive their ten-year renewable license.
Please note that the Career Switcher Provisional license issued after completion of Phase I is recognized only in Virginia. Once Phase II is completed and the Professional License is issued, there is reciprocity with most states.
Application Information
Apply Now To The Career Switcher Program! Here are step-by-step guidelines for applying to Shenandoah University’s Career Switcher Program:
STEP 1:
Advanced Tuition Deposit/Registration A non-refundable, $100 registration fee must be submitted with your Career Switcher application, as a limited number of slots are available each semester in the Career Switcher program. This deposit reserves a position for you in the next Career Switcher class. This deposit is applied towards your Career Switcher tuition, with the balance of tuition due at the time of registration. To complete the online registration form and pay $100 registration fee please select the term below for which you would like to register:
| Pay Deposit/Registration Fee |
STEP 2:
Application Please complete the Career Switcher Program Application Form and mail it to: Shenandoah University Extended and Distance Education 1460 University Drive Winchester, VA 22601 You only need to submit these two documents to reserve a spot in an upcoming program. (We prefer that you mail us additional required documents as you acquire them).
STEP 3:
Prepare for and schedule a PRAXIS Subject Assessment as soon as possible. These exams are required in order to join the program and take significant time to schedule. The PRAXIS Subject Assessment should be taken in the subject(s) you wish to teach. The test measures your knowledge of the subject matter. For a complete list of PRAXIS Subject Assessment test identifiers recognized by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), click PRAXIS SUBJECT ASSESSMENT TEST CODES and then print. Only a single passing PRAXIS Subject Assessment score is required for entry into our program. Students holding multiple endorsements are also accepted into our Career Switcher program. For general information about the Praxis Subject Assessment Exams, visit ETS’ WEBSITE. For specific information about individual tests, review the PRAXIS Subject Assessment Test Preparation section of ETS’ website. Most PRAXIS Subject Assessment tests are given at a central location, on Saturdays. It is important to plan ahead as deadlines exist and late registration fees can be expensive. Please check the ETS website for current scheduled PRAXIS SUBJECT ASSESSMENT TEST DATES AND LOCATIONS. Allow at least four weeks after you take the test to receive the results, which are to be forwarded to the Office of Extended and Distance Education via email.
STEP 4:
Submit remaining documents to the Office of Extended and Distance Education as you receive them. Those documents include your official, sealed transcripts from all previous colleges or universities attended, your official test scores and a resume. These documents are in addition to your advanced tuition deposit and your application. About six weeks prior to the scheduled start date of the next session (Fall or Spring), the Coordinator will forward an email regarding your current application status. The Office of Extended and Distance Education will inform you via email when you are fully qualified for the Career Switcher program. All application materials and final tuition payment must be submitted to the Office of Extended and Distance Education approximately three (3) weeks prior to the beginning of the program. The exact date is provided to students in the registration materials.
State Reciprocity – SARA
Shenandoah University is a member of NC-SARA, the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. View the licensure requirements for out-of-state students enrolling in Shenandoah programs leading to licensure. Click on the tab at the bottom of the screen to locate your program. Note that these requirements are subject to change. Please contact your program with questions.
Email us at cseduc@achador.net with Career Switcher program questions.
This is a phenomenal program with phenomenal instructors. The past four months have been exciting, challenging and rewarding. Anyone who wants to teach should seriously consider the career switchers program through Shenandoah University. The program personnel have been friendly, efficient, and helpful from start to finish.” – Cheryl L.
This program not only allowed me to become a teacher but gave me an entirely new perspective on teaching. The work, though consuming and intense, was equally rewarding. I felt honored to have been in this program which allowed me to experience the joys of teaching. I look forward to many more hours in the classroom.” – Robin P.
Application Timeline
Timeline – Suggested test dates in order to meet the requirements for entry into programs for Fall and Spring.
Fall Application Timeline
| EVENT | FALL START DATE |
|---|---|
| Register and take Praxis Subject Assessment | By July 13,- at the latest Some test titles have a different reporting and testing schedule from other test titles. Please refer to www.ets.org for testing and reporting dates. |
| Latest date to submit an application | August 1, – at the latest (We prefer that applicants submit an application earlier in the term in order to hold a seat for the Fall term, then add required credentials as completed) |
| Complete criminal background check | Prior to August 9 |
| Phase I Program begins | Mid-August |
| Phase I field experiences begin (approximately) | Mid-October |
| Phase I program ends | Mid-December |
| Phase II program begins | When full time teaching contract by school division has been issued |
| Phase II class meetings (approximate) | September through April |
| Phase II mentor assigned | within 2-3 weeks of start of school year and hiring |
Spring Application Timeline
| EVENT | SPRING START DATE |
|---|---|
| Register and take Praxis Subject Assessment | By November 16,- at the latest Some test titles have a different reporting and testing schedule from other test titles. Please refer to www.ets.org for testing and reporting dates. |
| Latest date to submit an application | December 15, – at the latest (We prefer that applicants submit an application earlier in the term in order to hold a seat for the Spring term, then add required credentials as completed) |
| Complete criminal background check | Prior to January 1 |
| Phase I Program begins | Early January |
| Phase I field experiences begin (approximately) | Mid-March |
| Phase I program ends | Late May |
| Phase II program begins | When full time teaching contract by school division has been issued |
| Phase II class meetings (approximate) | September through April |
| Phase II mentor assigned | within 2-3 weeks of start of school year and hiring |
Prerequisites
Prerequisites For The Career Switcher Program
Career Switcher prospects must submit a complete application package prior to being accepted into the Career Switcher Program:
- Advanced Deposit Form
- Application Form
- Report on Experience Form(s) verifying three years of full-time work experience (or its equivalent)
- Transcripts showing a Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited college/university (must arrive to us in the sealed/stamped envelope from the issuing institution’s Registrars Office)
- Passing Praxis Subject Assessment (subject area content) score
- An up-to-date resume
- Criminal background check (this is initiated through the University)
Detailed information regarding submission of these forms and documents may be found below in the Application Information section. Shenandoah University can review your transcripts and discuss your background and interests with you in order to help determine what subjects you are best suited to teach. If you earned your Bachelor’s Degree outside of the USA, please note that you must have your transcript evaluated by an accreditation agency. This must be a course by course evaluation. There is a list of agencies approved by the VDOE to review transcripts from foreign countries. Endorsement Areas Offered through SU’s Career Switcher program Shenandoah University accepts the following areas of endorsement in our Career Switcher program:
- Mathematics 6-12
- English 6-12
- History and Social Science 6-12
- Earth Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Foreign Languages PreK-12
- Technology Education
- Family & Consumer Sciences
- Business & Information Technology
- Marketing Education
- ALL Middle School Subjects
- Health and Physical Education PreK-12
- Music PreK-12
- Art PreK-12
- English as a Second Language PreK-12
- Computer Science
Please note that Elementary Education and Special Education are not areas of endorsement offered through the Shenandoah University’s Career switcher program. Criminal Background Checks Prior to final acceptance to the SU Career Switcher program, all participants must undergo a criminal background check through Shenandoah University. Information will be distributed to students about this process. Please note that this background check includes a Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) check. The fee for this check is in addition to the tuition for the Career Switcher program. Applicants with any concerns regarding their criminal background check should contact the Coordinator of Extended and Distance Education prior to applying for the program. Some school divisions require their own background check and students completing a field experience in those districts will complete an additional background check at the school division’s expense. Students will be notified of this additional check when beginning their practicum field experience.
Email us at cseduc@achador.net with Career Switcher program questions.
Locations & Schedules
The Shenandoah University Career Switcher Program Is Offered at the Winchester main campus and the Loudoun and Fredericksburg locations.
Please click the term and locations below for the schedule for your class location:
| Winchester | Fall 2024 Schedule |
| Loudoun | Fall 2024 Schedule |
| Fredericksburg | Spring 2025 Schedule |
|
Phase II Meeting Schedule
|
2024-2025 |
Open Houses
Interested In Learning More About Shenandoah University’s Career Switcher Program? Attend One Of Our Upcoming Open House Events.
Virtual Open Houses
Live Zoom Meetings all begin at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, February 5th at 7 p.m.
Email us at cseduc@achador.net with Career Switcher program questions.
Tuition & Refund Policy
Tuition
The program cost is $4,995 for the Fall/Spring 2023-2024 term. All course materials are included* in the program cost. This payment covers all instruction in Phase I of the program. Phase II tuition cost is $255, starting with the Fall 2022 cohort. *An additional background check fee of $60-70 is payable at the beginning of the program, as well as a $100 in-state/ $150 out-of-state licensure fee at the end of Phase I.
Refund Policy
Once classes begin, program withdrawals and refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis. Withdrawal and refund requests must be made in writing to the Director of Extended and Distance Education. Withdrawal requests are then reviewed by the Hornet Central Manager, whose decision is final. Any authorized tuition refund will be pro-rated depending upon the request submission date.
Contact Us
Asst. Coordinator of the Career Switcher program: Ms. Kimberly Otyenoh Phone: (540) 535-3552 E-mail: kotyenoh@achador.net
Coordinator of the Career Switcher program: Mrs. Suzanne Park Phone: (540) 535-3579 E-mail: spark@achador.net
Director of the Career Switcher program: Mr. Dennis Keffer Phone: (540) 535-3544 dkeffer@achador.net