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Education Program Certification and Licensure Admissions Requirements

Certification/Licensure Information

Due to the nature of evolving state policies regarding online educator preparation programs, it is strongly encouraged that prospective students contact their state department of education to inquire about reciprocity and whether online preparation programs are recognized/accepted.  We are not responsible to advise on any state certification/licensure policies other than West Virginia. The Coordinator of Certification and Licensure is available as a resource to students regarding certification questions, but it remains the responsibility of the student to research their particular state certification requirements and to periodically check with the state to see if requirements have changed.

In order to complete a WV State approved program that may lead to teacher certification, ALL students must complete content area requirements prior to their culminating clinical experience (student teaching). 

Content area requirements typically encompass 30 – 48 hours in a single discipline. For Elementary Education teacher certification, a liberal arts background encompassing specific coursework requirements in English (both writing and literature), history (both West Virginia (or other state history) and American), two introductory sciences courses (with lab), wellness/health/PE, humanities (art or music) and  9 credit hours of mathematics (at or beyond Algebra I) will meet content area requirements. Official transcripts will be reviewed for content area requirements and the student will be advised regarding any deficits. All deficit content area coursework must be completed prior to entrance into student teaching.

The Admissions office in conjunction with the School of Education will complete a complimentary review of your transcripts to help determine whether you can meet content area requirements.

Certification/licensure programs for school counselors and teachers require FULL time culminating clinical experience. This means most students will not be able to work during the 16 week culminating student teaching and/or clinical supervision. The certification/licensure program for Administration and Supervision requires a part time 150 hour culminating clinical experience.

Applicants to School of Education certification programs should be aware that most school systems require a background check prior to students having access to a school site. Background check fees vary from state to state and the student will be responsible for paying the fee. The Coordinator of Certification and Licensure will assist the student with the process.

• Students must be U.S. citizens to hold a teaching certificate in West Virginia, however international students may apply for a West Virginia teaching permit which is renewable.
• SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Please be aware that state certification/licensure requirements are subject to change and open to interpretation. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to contact the Coordinator of Certification and Licensure at: edadmissions@apus.edu or their state’s Department of Education regarding the requirements of their state. At this time, APUS makes the following recommendations for students entering our School of Education programs:
  • Residents of the following states are advised not to apply to APUS School of Education programs which lead to eligibility for certification (M. Ed. Educational Leadership, M. Ed. School Counseling, M. Ed. Teaching concentration in Elementary Education, M. Ed. Teaching concentration is Secondary Social Studies, and the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Certification program): Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee
  • Residents of the following states are advised not to apply to APUS School of Education programs which lead to eligibility for teacher certification (M. Ed. Teaching concentration in Elementary Education, M. Ed. Teaching concentration in Secondary Social Studies, and the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Certification program): Colorado
  • Students seeking administrator certification residing in Georgia or Arkansas will have additional coursework requirements which must be completed through a local college or institution approved by the state Department of Education
  • Students seeking certification/licensure in Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, or Texas  must first obtain equivalent certification/licensure in the state of West Virginia

For additional information email info@apus.edu or call 1-877-777-9081.

Education programs at our university have additional specific admission and program requirements, which are listed in the tables below. Please find the appropriate degree program in the left column and identify the requirements for that degree in the boxes on the same row. The instructions for each requirement are listed below the table. The student must satisfy each starred admission requirement before registering for classes. Please send all documents required for admission to your degree program to our university using the document submission instructions below.

Admission Requirements

Program Requirements

* required before student may register for courses

Admissions Requirements

• Official Undergraduate Transcript
  An official undergraduate transcript showing conferral of a Bachelor's degree is required for admission into the School of Education certification/licensure programs. Transcripts can be sent by mail to:

American Public University System
Attn: Student Records
10110 Battleview Parkway, Suite 114
Manassas, VA 20109
Transfer Credit Fax: 304-724-3788
E-mail: documents@apus.edu

• Writing Sample
  Prepare a short essay of at least 300 words (one page) describing why you are interested in this particular degree program.  Your sample should preferably be written in Word® and double-spaced.  The School of Education will review your writing sample to assess your written communication skills as well as your career goals and their alignment with the program objectives.  
• Character References
  Three character references are required from people who can attest to your moral and ethical character.  Examples of such people include supervisors, religious leaders, military commanders, school officials, or other professional references. Forms will be provided to you by your admissions representative. Once forms are completed and signed by the references, send them to us following the document submission instructions below.
• Resume/CV (Curriculum Vitae)
  Please e-mail a copy of your resume or CV to documents@apus.edu
• Documentation of Experience
  Students in the Administration and Supervision degree must provide evidence to show that they have 3 years K-12 experience OR 3 years in management experience in an instructional setting.  Examples of documentation may include such items as letters from supervisors, Human Resources departments or school districts, teacher evaluation reports, etc. 
• Document Submission
  Documents can be sent via e-mail to documents@apus.edu OR via fax to 304-724-3788 OR by mail (address above).

Note: All students in teacher certification/licensure programs (Elementary Education, Secondary Social Studies and Post Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Program) must have access to an accredited, public K-12 school site throughout their entire program. While coursework is completely online, there are assignments and observations required for certification which must be completed by physical presence in a classroom. Students/Pre-service teacher candidates are required to complete 125 hours of field experience prior to admission to student teaching. The responsibility to schedule the field experience hours rests with the candidate.

Program Requirements

Co-requisites and Undergraduate Transcript Review
All students in teacher certification/licensure programs (Elementary Education, Secondary Social Studies and Post Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Program) must complete specific undergraduate courses before they graduate from the degree program. Courses may be completed at our university or another institution. A list of these courses will provided in a separate document.

First Course
Students are required to take the course indicated in the table above as the first course in their degree program. Other courses may be taken in conjunction with the first course, but the students must complete the first required course during their initial class term at our university.

LabPaq
Please be aware that students in the M.Ed Teaching Elementary Education program will need to purchase a classroom science lab pack for EDUC 542: Elementary School Science. The set contains items that can be used in your elementary classrooms and is an investment for you and your future students. The lab materials will be ordered from a company called “LabPaq” will need to be ordered 1 – 3 months prior to the anticipated start of the course, EDUC 542. You can order the lab materials from www.LabPaq.com. The item is # SM-1 and costs $289. You must have purchased and received the LabPaq prior to the start of EDUC 542 in order to successfully complete the course assignments. Therefore, please plan accordingly.

Praxis I
All APUS candidates in the Post-Baccalaureate teacher preparation certificate program are required to successfully complete the PRAXIS I (PPST) unless they are exempt from this requirement.

The School of Education requires Post-Baccalaureate candidates to take the PRAXIS I (PPST) within the first 9 semester hours of their program.  Candidates who are required to take the PRAXIS I must meet the minimum passing scores for West Virginia. Candidates who have not submitted minimum passing scores prior to student teaching will not be permitted to register for the student teaching course.

Praxis II and PLTs
The PRAXIS II: Subject Assessment tests measure knowledge of specific subjects that K-12 educators will teach, as well as general and subject-specific teaching skills and knowledge.  The Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) tests are separate tests which assess development knowledge of specific grade levels.   Pre-service candidates must pass the Praxis II subject assessments and PLT (required for M.ED Teaching—Elementary Education, M.ED Teaching—Secondary Social Studies, and Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Certification program) prior to applying for West Virginia State Certification.  Candidates must show proof of passing Praxis scores prior to receiving institutional recommendation for certification.  Candidates who are not seeking West Virginia Certification must show proof of passing scores on their state assessments prior to being recommended by the Coordinator of Certification and Licensure for state certification.

For more information about the Praxis series or exemptions, please see the West Virginia Praxis Test Requirements.

Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Certification Program

Participants are required to have the access and ability to participate in a secondary classroom for a total of 125 field experience hours during their coursework. Additionally, students will complete a minimum of 14 weeks of student teaching during EDUC697 Clinical Supervision. They will work closely with a currently certified mentor teacher whether or not they are actually employed in that classroom. Individuals working on a permit and currently employed as teachers may participate in this program as a means to obtain their license. The employment location may be used as for the supervised teaching experience in the clinical supervision course. Individuals not employed by a school during participation in this program are required to have access to the classroom as described in the first sentence of this paragraph.

Prior to the clinical supervision course, participants will complete and log assignments during coursework that necessitate on-site classroom participation in a secondary school classroom. The responsibility to schedule the field experience hours rests with the candidate.  Ideally the participant will work in the same classroom for the observation assignments and the clinical supervision, but this is not required.