Contact Us

Teacher Licensure

Darlene Fritz

Pre-Education Advisor for Transfer Students

Office: RWEC 165

Email: fritzd@wou.edu

Schedule an Appointment

Olivia Flores

Pre-Education Advisor for Freshmen and Graduate Students

Office: RWEC 164

Email: floreso@wou.edu

Schedule an Appointment

Steps for Current WOU Students

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, take the following steps.

Freshman Year

  1. Meet with your pre-education advisor to decide what grades and subjects you want to teach.
  2. Review the requirements for entering the licensure program.
  3. 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.
  4. Print a copy of the advising checklist and bring it to each appointment.
  5. 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.
  6. Complete your first set of classroom observation hours either late freshman year or early sophomore year and get a letter of documentation.

Sophomore Year

  1. Once you have completed ED 200 and ED 259D, take your Civil Rights Exam.
  2. If you have not already taken the SAT with writing or the ACT with writing, take the CBEST to document your basic skills.
  3. Complete your second set of classroom observation hours either late sophomore year or early junior year and get a letter of documentation.

Junior and Senior Year

  1. Request faculty evaluations early junior year.
  2. Once you have completed your content courses, take your content exam or exam(s).
  3. Apply to the Licensure Program by April 1st of junior year for Fall Cohort or October 1st of senior year for Winter Cohort (includes a cover letter and resume).
  4. 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.

Steps for Community College Students

There are many paths that lead to becoming a licensed teacher at Western Oregon University. Each student’s situation is unique and valued. Because of this, we recommend you meet with a Pre-Education advisor at WOU sometime early in your freshman year at your community college so you can create a transfer plan that works around your teaching interests and desired pace of completion.

To be fully prepared to transfer to WOU, we recommend taking the following steps.

Freshman Year

  1. Meet with a WOU pre-education advisor during term one of your freshman year at your community college to review the requirements for entering the licensure program and create a term by term plan to complete your pre-education courses at the pace that works best for you.
  2. Attend a Teacher Licensure Exam Preparation Workshop during your freshman year (you do not need to be a current WOU student to attend these workshops) so that you will know how your courses align with the content you will need to know for your exams.
  3. Complete your first set of classroom observation hours either late freshman year or early sophomore year and get a letter of documentation. Keep this letter for when you apply to the licensure program.

Sophomore Year

  1. Once you have completed your Foundations of Education course and your Special Education course, take your Civil Rights Exam. Have electronic scores sent to WOU, but keep a hard copy and also a PDF of your exam scores for when you apply to the Licensure Program.
  2. If you have not already taken the SAT with writing or the ACT with writing, take the CBEST to document your basic skills.
  3. Apply to WOU one year before you intend to transfer (fall term is best for scholarship eligibility). If you would like to apply to WOU for FREE, attend one of our Fall or early Winter visit events..
  4. Register for fall WOU classes with a WOU pre-education advisor in May.
  5. Register with WOU Admissions for the TSOAR event at WOU, and attend that event in May (transfer student orientation).

Junior and Senior Year

  1. Request faculty evaluations early junior year.
  2. Apply to the Licensure Program by April 1st of junior year for Fall Cohort or October 1st of senior year for winter cohort (includes a cover letter and resume).
  3. 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.