Teaching Elementary Education, Certificate in (Graduate certificate)

The graduate Certificate in Teaching Elementary Education prepares students to become teachers in high-needs and hard-to-staff elementary schools. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of science, social studies, literacy and mathematics pedagogy and content. The program provides RTR students field experiences during a one-year residency to expose them to classroom teaching and classroom management. Provisionally licensed teachers can complete clinical experiences in their own classrooms. Graduates will be prepared to teach in elementary (PK-6) classroom settings and will meet the needs of elementary students with a focus on urban and high-needs schools. This program is available in an online format.

Information on the RTR program can be found at teachRTR.org.

Graduates will receive a credential for successfully completing the program. The certificate does not provide full teacher licensure; however, the course work may be used to fulfill the requirements for provisional teacher licensure through a public school system.

Student learning outcomes

1. Learner and learning: Students will understand human development and learning theories appropriate to the age group they will teach and acquire an awareness of the diversity of the school-age populations’ cultural backgrounds, learning strengths and needs.
2. Content: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the subjects they will teach.
3. Instructional practice: Students will demonstrate an ability to plan and implement effective teaching and measure student learning in ways that lead to sustained development and learning.
4. Professional responsibility: Students will develop an understanding of purposes for education and a defensible philosophical approach toward teaching and demonstrate professional dispositions.

VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs

The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.

It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the Graduate School website and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.

Graduation requirements

As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.

Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on graduation requirements.

Apply online today.

Admission requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School, the following requirements represent the minimum acceptable standards for admission: 

1. Acceptance into the RTR program or verification and recommendation from hiring school district of employment in a Virginia school as a provisionally licensed teacher in elementary education
2. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with no more than nine credits of content courses needed to meet state licensure requirements
3. Three letters of recommendation addressing the student’s potential for graduate study in education
4. Statement of intent
5. Transcripts of all previous college work
6. Satisfactory scores on the VCLA 

Prospective students interested in the RTR program should contact teachrtr@vcu.edu for additional details on admission into the RTR program. 

Please visit the School of Education website for further information.

Degree requirements

In addition to general VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, students are required to complete course work in core and elective courses.

1. Credit hour requirements: Students are required to complete a minimum of 27 credit hours.
2. Grade requirements: Receipt of a grade of C or below in two courses requires review of the student’s academic progress. Courses with a grade below C cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements.
3. Internship requirements: Students must complete an internship or residency in an approved school.

Curriculum requirements

The curriculum for the Graduate Certificate in Teaching Elementary Education is designed to help hard-to-staff schools meet their critical teaching shortages in elementary education through a year-long residency experience or within their own accredited school classroom. The focus of the required course work will be content, pedagogy and assessment. The courses will prepare students to understand how to meet the needs of all students.

The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this certificate is 27. 

Contact
Office of Strategic Recruitment
soeinfo@vcu.edu
(804) 827-6847

Additional contact
Joan Rhodes, Ph.D.  
Associate professor and graduate program director
jarhodes2@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1305