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Advising & Program Admittance
Prepare NOW to Apply for the Licensure Program
Welcome to the teacher education program at Western Oregon University. During your first three years, you will be learning the content and methods in the subjects you will teach. These three years are considered your “pre-education program.” During your junior year, you will apply to the licensure program where you will have a full year of student teaching prior to graduation. When you graduate with your Bachelor’s Degree, you will be a licensed teacher.
To be fully prepared to apply for the licensure program, we recommend planning ahead using the following mini-deadlines.
- Meet with your pre-education advisor to decide what grades and subjects you want to teach.
- Review the requirements for entering the licensure program.
- Attend a Teacher Licensure Exam Preparation Workshop during your first term at WOU so you will know how your courses align with the content you will need to know for your exams.
- Complete your first set of observation hours either late freshman year or early sophomore year. For more details about these observation hours, visit our Observation Hours page.
- TRANSFER STUDENTS: Schedule a pre-transfer advising appointment. Elementary students schedule with Brenda Plata-Hurtado (platahurtadob@wou.edu). Middle/High students schedule with Julian Elizalde (elizaldej@wou.edu), as early as possible in your Freshman year to align your community college courses with your WOU degree.
- Create a term by term plan to complete your pre-education courses at the pace that works best for you; bring this to each appointment.
- Complete your second set of classroom observation hours either late sophomore year or early junior year. For more details about these observation hours, visit our Observation Hours page.
- TRANSFER STUDENTS: Apply to WOU either online or for free at a “visit” event as early as possible in your Sophomore year (October or November is recommended), then send your “official” transcripts to transcripts@wou.edu. Also, we recommend applying for FAFSA in October, OSAC in November, and WOU scholarships in December/January.
- Once you have completed your content courses, take your content exam or exam(s). You must pass these prior to applying to the licensure program.
- Apply to the Licensure Program. This includes a cover letter and resume, course planning sheet, educator disposition assessment and character questionnaire.
- During your senior year, as you enter the licensure program and start your student teaching, be prepared to be available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for the first term, with an even greater time commitment in your second and third terms.
Applying for the Licensure Program
Once you have completed the majority of your first three years of Pre-Education courses, you will be applying to the Professional Licensure Program. This Program is the final three terms of your Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. During this final year, you will meet regularly on campus with your cohort group for upper-level courses on pedagogy and classroom management. You’ll also be completing a full year of student teaching in a local public school.
Application Deadlines
Fall 2025 Application is now open!
- Application submission opens: December 2024
- Application submission closes: February 14, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST
- Please attend a licensure workshop to gain access to the application. If you have questions please contact your advisor.
You can submit your application at any point during the application period. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Steps for Applying
Cohort groups begin fall and winter terms. You are encouraged to work closely with our pre-education advisor to stay on track and up-to-date with the entrance requirements and application deadlines.
Acceptance into the Professional Licensure Program is criterion based. In other words, you will not be competing with other students for these spots. In order to be prepared to apply (your Junior year), take the following steps.
The following criteria must be met to be admitted into the Professional Licensure Program:
- Institutional GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- ED course GPA of 3.0 or higher, with all courses with an ED prefix a B- or higher. (See WOU’s GPA calculator here)
- For Elementary/Middle and Middle/High preparations, content GPA must also be 2.75 or higher. (See WOU’s GPA calculator here)
- Pass criminal record check and character background checks (paperwork will be processed after you have been admitted to the licensure program, but before you start your student teaching).
- Demonstrate professional ethics and dispositions required of teacher candidates. Dispositions required of teacher candidates include, but are not limited to the following:
- Respect others and value differences
- Build collaborative relationships with peers and instructors
- Communicate respectfully
- Graciously accept feedback for improvement
- Follow standards for academic honesty
- Adhere to codes of ethics and laws
- Pass teacher licensure exams.
- Complete two sets of classroom observation hours (30 hours each). A practicum based education course may be substituted for the first set of observation hours. See your advisor for details.
- Complete all pre-education, concentration, and general education courses by the time the licensure program begins.
You’ll need to upload the following documents when you submit your application.
- Licensure Exam Scores (first page only)
- Cover Letter and Resume
- Course Planning Sheet
- DegreeTracks (PDF)
- Character Questions Form
- Educator Disposition Assessment
We strongly recommend watching our video tutorial on how to prepare your application materials so you don’t miss any essential information.
Before you start filling out your application, please read this letter from Dr. LeJeune, our Licensure Program Coordinator.
- Approximately two weeks after the application deadline, you will receive an email with your admission decision, once the Program Coordinator has reviewed your application.
- If you are admitted to the licensure program, your admission decision letter will include an invitation to attend a mandatory licensure program orientation. This orientation will include instructions on how to to be well prepared for your first day of student teaching including acquiring your NEA insurance ($15), completing your background check ($71 through TSPC) and fingerprinting ($12.95 through Fieldprint), and providing an updated resume to send to your clinical placement.
- If you are in the Fall cohort, you will start your student teaching in August. If you are in the Winter cohort, you will start your student teaching in January.
- Your first term in the cohort your major will change from Pre-Education to Education, and then you can apply for your degree in your WOU Portal. Also, your primary advisor will become your cohort leader. All of the CRN’s for the courses you take while in the licensure program will come from your cohort leader.
- Additional resources to help you as you begin your student teaching and take the final steps to getting your teaching license can be found on the Clinical Practice and Licensure page.
Contact Us
General email: education@mail.wou.edu
BRENDA PLATA-HURTADO
Advisor, College of Education
platahurtadob@wou.edu
JULIAN ELIZALDE
Bilingual Teacher Pathway Navigator, College of Education
elizaldej@wou.edu
DAVID FREEMAN
Education Advisor, Clinical Practice & Licensure
freemand@wou.edu
