Gaining a Teaching License At MBU

Teacher Education Program

The Teacher Education Program (TEP) prepares undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate students for teaching licensure by Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Standards. Initial licensure and additional endorsements can be obtained through certain School of Education programs alongside acceptance to TEP and completion of its requirements.

Students do not have to be Virginia residents to apply to the Teacher Education Program, but they will be required to comply with all Commonwealth of Virginia competencies, assessments, and Standards of Learning for their area of endorsement. All licensure students (undergraduate, PBTL, MAT or MEd) must adhere to our accreditation standards by meeting TEP’s Initial or Advanced Licensure Levels of Progression throughout their programs.

Licensure for Undergraduate Applicants

Undergraduate students must first apply to Mary Baldwin. Then, MBU students must apply to the Teacher Education Program (through the myMBU portal) during their first year. They will need a GPA of 2.5 or better in current coursework to be accepted. Once accepted, students can declare a major in Elementary Education or Special Education and receive licensure upon completion of their BA.

Students interested in obtaining licensure in specific subject areas—such as English, History & Social Science, Math, or Science—can pursue an education minor alongside select majors and co-minors to qualify for middle or secondary level licensure. Admission to the Teacher Education Program is required to earn licensure through this pathway. For a complete list of approved major and minor combinations, please visit the Education Minors catalog page. 

MBU also offers Accelerated Bachelors to Masters programs for teacher licensure. These programs save students time and money in earning a dual degree. Students seeking initial licensure in a particular subject through an education minor can pursue the BA to MAT Program. Elementary or Special Education majors can purse the BA to MEd Program to obtain an initial license and additional endorsement. Students must apply to TEP before they can be admitted to the Accelerated Bachelors to Masters.

Licensure for Post-Baccalaureate Applicants

For students who have completed an bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.5 or better but wish to obtain a teaching license without entering a graduate-level program, they can apply to the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure (PBTL) program. PBTL Students complete courses at the undergraduate level to obtain a teaching license in a concentration of their choosing. Applicants are automatically admitted to the Teacher Education Program upon acceptance to the PBTL.

Licensure for Graduate Applicants

Students will need a bachelor’s degree, GPA of 3.0 or better, and English language proficiency to apply to graduate-level programs. Graduate applicants are automatically admitted to the Teacher Education Program upon acceptance to their degree program. Students should choose between the following graduate degrees based upon their level of licensure:

• Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT): Grants initial licensure in one of several endorsement areas. Emphasizes classroom teaching and instructional roles.
• Master in Education (MEd): Provides add-ons or endorsements to an active or expired teaching license, which is a pre-requisite for all MEd licensure programs.
  • To learn about MEd programs that don’t require or lead to licensure, click here.

Licenses Available

This chart displays every teaching licensure endorsement that MBU offers, including initial licenses and add-on endorsements. To learn more about endorsement requirements and curriculum, click each “x” to visit the corresponding catalog page.

License Level	Initial	Initial	Initial	Additional
Licenses / Endorsements	UG	PBTL	MAT	MEd
Elementary Education PK-6	x	x	x	x
Special Education General Curriculum K-12	x	x	x	x
Add-On Special Ed: General Curriculum 6-12	x*	x*	x*	x**
Add-On Special Ed: General Curriculum 6-8	x*	x*	x*	x**
Add-On Special Ed: General Curriculum K-6	x*	x*	x*	x**
Middle Education: History & Social Science	x#	x	x
Middle Education: Language Arts/English	x#	x	x
Middle Education: Mathematics	x#	x	x
Middle Education: Science	x#	x	x
Secondary Biology/Science	x#	x
Secondary English	x#	x	x
Secondary History & Social Sciences	x#	x	x
Secondary Mathematics	x#	x	x
English as a Second Language	x	x	x	x
Gifted Education				x**
Reading Specialist				x

*Students gaining initial licensure at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and MAT levels can still complete these add-ons. They will be added on to the initial licensure upon reception of the license.

**Students can choose to pursue these additional endorsements through a non-degree curriculum. They won’t receive the MEd degree, but they will earn the endorsement or add-on through a lessened course load.

#Students completing these endorsements will also need to complete the TEP Initial Licensure Levels of Progression.

Requirements for Additional Endorsements:

• An active or expired state-issued teaching license (earned at the collegiate professional or post-graduate professional levels).
• Adequate general education and professional studies coursework. For students seeking an add-on license endorsement, a transcript review will determine adequate background for the program.

Additional prerequisites may be required. Visit each endorsement’s catalog page for all admission and endorsement requirements.

Contact an Advisor

If you have questions about applying to an education program at MBU or creating a path to licensure, reach out to our team of trusted advisors who can provide personal attention to your academic goals.

Non-Licensure Seeking Students

MBU’s School of Education offers a wide array of programs for students who don’t seek teaching licensure but still want to study education. As a result, all the programs below can be taken without applying to the Teacher Education Program.

Degrees

• Applied Behavioral Analysis and Autism Studies (BA)
• Applied Behavioral Analysis (BA>MS**, MS)
• Autism Studies (MA)
• Curriculum and Instruction (MEd)
• English as a Second Language (MEd*)
• Gifted Education (MEd*)
• Leadership Through Authentic Learning (MEd)
• Reading Education (MEd*)
• Special Education (Non-Licensure Program) (MEd)

*These programs require an active or expired teaching license for admission.

**This is an Accelerated Bachelors to Masters program. Please speak with an advisor if you are interested.

Minors

• Applied Behavioral Analysis
• Autism Studies
• Education
• English Education*
• History/Social Science Education*
• Math Education*
• Science Education*
• Special Education

*These minors require specific majors or co-minors for program completion. See their catalog pages for details.

Certificates

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (Comprehensive Certificate)
• Applied Behavior Analysis (Post Bachelor’s Certificate, Post-Master’s Certificate)
• Curriculum and Instruction (Certificate)
• International Behavior Analyst Coursework (Certificate)
• Leadership Through Authentic Learning (Certificate)

With these programs, students can elevate their teaching ability, apply for provisional teaching licensure, work in charter and private schools, or pursue education careers outside of teaching

Additional Information