Virginia Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

Who Licenses Teachers in Virginia, and Which Exams Does It Use?

Virginia licenses teachers through Virginia Department of Education, Office of Licensure, and the exams it requires are the Praxis tests from ETS.

For the programs themselves, the online master's in education programs at universities in Virginia are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

How Do I Get a Virginia Teaching License With an Online Master's?

Getting a Virginia teaching license with an online master's works through reciprocity when the program is approved by the state where it is based, because the regulation lets a person from any state qualify by completing a state-approved preparation program at an accredited four-year institution. The license is the Collegiate Professional License, which lasts ten years and needs a bachelor's degree plus the required assessments.

The graduate degree earns the Postgraduate Professional License, also ten years, for someone who already qualifies for the Collegiate license and holds an appropriate graduate degree. Teaching in a division before finishing can mean a Provisional License valid up to three years. Our elementary education and reading and literacy rankings do not track approval by any state.

Which Exams Does Virginia Require for Teacher Licensure?

Virginia requires its teacher licensure candidates to pass exams the Board of Education prescribes, and ETS lists Praxis Subject Assessments for specific endorsement areas. The Praxis Core serves for entry to approved programs. Early/primary, elementary and some special education endorsements, and reading specialists, also pass a reading instructional assessment, and principals pass a school leaders assessment.

Exams are only part of the conditions for initial licensure in regulation 8VAC20-23-40, which add dyslexia awareness training, a study of child abuse recognition and current first aid, CPR and defibrillator certification. A teacher on a provisional license completes those in the first year, and school counselors also complete mental health recognition training.

Can I Transfer a Teaching License to Virginia From Another State?

A teaching license can transfer to Virginia from another state, and universal licensure by reciprocity covers a valid full-credential license held at least three years, with no service requirements or assessments. The Department of Education's own page adds that those three years must be in non-virtual classroom settings.

Other holders of a full-credential license still qualify but must meet the assessments unless exempt. National Board certification, a military spouse's license and a program accredited by CAEP each get special treatment in the same regulation. The table below is the 2020 Education Commission of the States reading, so the universal route is not in it.

Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Licensure for Virginia Online Master's Students?

NC-SARA membership is silent on teacher licensure for Virginia online master's students. NC-SARA says SARA does not address licensing board approval for teacher education programs, though Virginia has belonged since October 2014 through SREB. Membership means a school can serve you from outside the state under one set of rules, while the Virginia Board of Education still sets who is licensed. SARA does require participating schools to tell you whether a program meets licensure requirements where you are.

What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From Virginia?

Ask an online program before enrolling from Virginia whether it has judged its curriculum sufficient for a Virginia license. 34 CFR 668.43 makes a school that advertises licensure preparation publish the states where the program does and does not meet requirements, and notify you before enrollment if it did not or could not decide.

The Virginia follow-ups are practical. Is the program state-approved where it sits, at an accredited four-year institution? Does it include supervised student teaching? Which Praxis subject test does your endorsement need? Does it cover the dyslexia, child abuse and CPR requirements, and for counseling the 200 hours of internship?

Which License Do Virginia Principals and School Counselors Need?

Virginia principals add an administration and supervision endorsement to a license, and the approved-program route asks for a master's degree, three years of licensed instructional experience, a 320-hour internship and the school leaders assessment. An out-of-state leader can also qualify with a current license carrying that endorsement, on the same master's and experience terms.

A school counselor needs a master's degree from a state-approved counselor program with 100 clock hours of internship and practicum in preK-6 and 100 in grades 7-12, plus two years of full-time teaching or school counseling. The Pupil Personnel Services License carries the counseling endorsement. Compare educational leadership and school counseling programs against these hours.