Program Overview

One of the distinctives of Seattle Pacific's undergraduate teacher education program is its academic rigor. Another, is that you can complete a bachelor's degree and the teacher certification process in four years.

Whether you want to be certified with an endorsement to teach pre-school, elementary school, secondary, pre-kindergarten through secondary, or special education, you will complete the requirements for the Residency Teacher Certification in the School of Education while completing a bachelor's degree at SPU. Your chosen academic major will match your teaching endorsement.

Earning a Residency Teacher Certificate at SPU identifies you as someone of significant academic achievement.

Residency Teacher Certification Program

The professional program leading to a Residency Teacher Certificate at Seattle Pacific consists of four stages of study:

• Education Foundations
• Endorsement Content
• Methods
• Professional Year

Each of these stages builds upon the preceding stage, supporting a developmental approach to teacher preparation.

Education Foundations

You will gain a broad base of knowledge in the first stage of the Residency Teacher Certification Program. In Education Foundations courses, you will be introduced to the theory and background of teaching, and you will observe this theory being applied by completing field experience requirements.

As a teacher candidate, you will also be required to reflect on the application of educational theory through discussion and writing. During the Education Foundations stage, you will meet with the certification office to plan your certification program and discuss the application process to the Residency Teacher Certification Program.

Endorsement Content

Your academic major will prepare you with the required content for your endorsement area. You may choose to pursue Residency Teacher Certification with an endorsement in elementary education, early childhood education, a secondary content area(s), music, art, theatre, or special education. For a full list of which academic majors correlate with endorsement areas, please contact the Certification Office.

Methods

During the Methods stage, you will begin to apply the content knowledge that you have gained for your intended endorsement by completing Methods coursework and spending time in a school setting.  This provides an opportunity to synthesize your knowledge of educational foundations, subject matter, methodology, classroom management, assessment, and student development.  

Professional Year

In the Professional Year, students will complete a year-long internship which provides practical, real-world teaching experience and serves as a bridge between academic coursework and becoming a certified teacher.

Certification Programs

Professional Certification Disclosure

SPU’s Undergraduate Teacher Certification Program meets the educational requirements for certification in the state of Washington. Each state has different professional licensure and certification requirements. Eligibility for certification/licensure may involve more than degree completion and may include professional examinations, background checks, and fingerprinting. The requirements for certification/licensure can change without notice.

The state professional licensing boards make the ultimate decision as to whether or not an individual will be eligible for licensure based on the rules and regulations in place at the time the individual submits their application for licensure. Find information here about certification/licensure in the state where you intend to teach.

Certification

All teacher certification candidates are subject to Washington state requirements for the Residency Certificate. These requirements are updated periodically by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and will take precedent over SPU policies. The School of Education will make every effort to keep students apprised of state changes. Students are also encouraged to visit the School of Education office in Peterson Hall for updates on state requirements.

Upon successful completion of the Residency Certification Program and a baccalaureate degree, the SPU School of Education recommends students to OSPI for their Residency Teacher Certification. Once OSPI receives program completion verification from SPU, students must complete the application process through the OSPI “e-Certification” system in order to receive their certificate.

The Residency Teaching Certificate allows you to teach in Washington state. All teachers must take action to maintain a current teaching certificate as per OSPI regulations. Students are strongly encouraged to monitor their certification status on the “e-Certification” system and keep apprised of current certification requirements on the OSPI Certification website.