Holding a teaching license means that teachers are competent and can be entrusted to act in a professional manner with the students they teach, the colleagues with whom they work and the communities in which they live and serve.
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The teacher education program at Wittenberg University is designed to permit candidates to meet the licensure requirements for teaching in the State of Ohio. Our program is approved by both the State and the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The information contained here represents the official and current policies and procedures for teacher licensure. Each year programs are reviewed and may be revised to reflect changing requirements. For this reason, students are expected to meet with their Education Department advisor each semester to keep informed of any changes in program requirements.
The Wittenberg Education Faculty are proud to announce that the department and its’ programs has earned national accreditation by demonstrating excellence in the areas of content and pedagogy, clinical partnerships and practice, candidate recruitment, progression and support, program impact, and quality assurance and continuous improvement from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Wittenberg has just earned CAEP national accreditation through 2029.
STUDENT HANDBOOK – Initial Licensure: this handbook is a quick reference tool for any student seeking their Initial teaching license from Wittenberg and the state of Ohio.
The following licensure programs are included as part of the CAEP accreditation process:
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Upon graduation from Wittenberg, candidates who have successfully completed the teacher education requirements are eligible to receive an Ohio Resident Educator License.
Students who major in education may earn licensure in (beginning with the Class of 2022):
Students majoring in areas other than education may seek licensure in the following secondary education areas:
- Adolescence to Young Adult Licensure (7-12):
- Integrated Language Arts (English major)
- Integrated Mathematics (Math major)
- Integrated Social Studies (History/Social Studies major)
- Life Science (Biology major)
- Physical Science: Chemistry (Chemistry major)
- Physical Science: Physics (Physics major)
- or P-12 areas: Multi-Age (P-12):
- Spanish
- German
- Visual Art
- Drama/Theater
Reading (K-12) endorsement: Available at the graduate level
A license that is endorsed for reading allows a currently licensed teacher to teach as a reading specialist with students in grades K-12. To earn an endorsement for reading, an applicant must have the following:
- Ohio 12 hr Reading Core;
- Take or transfer in at least a 3 credit Phonics course;
- Have completed a teacher education program or related program from an institution accredited at the state and regional level;
- Have attained a baccalaureate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale
Once a candidate has met the above requirement and been admitted, candidates will need to complete the following graduate courses: Education 515 (which can be transferred in OR waived if taken at the Undergraduate level and approved by faculty), EDUC 525, 585, 605 and 610 (all must be taken at Wittenberg).
Principal Licensure
Those who wish to work towards the Principal Licensure can do so as part of their MA in Education program or separately if a master's degree has already been achieved.
Post Baccalaureate Program for Licensure
Talented, well-educated and mature adults will fulfill a critical need in our society. Wittenberg has a strong cohort of adults seeking teacher licensure by adding it to degree studies already completed here or at another institution. We provide initial licensure programs for:
- Intervention Specialist - grades K-12 (formerly Special Education) in conjunction with the Primary Education (P-5) program
- High School - grades 7-12 - in a range of integrated subject areas
- Multi-age - grades Preschool-12 areas: Art, Foreign Languages, Music
Note: The M.A. in Education is not a program for initial provisional licensure. If you already have a degree, but are seeking licensure, you belong in the Professional Studies Program undergraduate post-baccalaureate licensure program.
Additional information and requisites for Ohio Licensure
The authority to license teachers is a responsibility entrusted to the State. When candidates graduate from Wittenberg University's state-approved Teacher Education Program, they are eligible to earn an initial Ohio (Resident Educator) License. This license is effective July 1 of the year of graduation and is valid for 4 years. Should candidates complete their studies at the end of Fall Semester, they may request that licenses be backdated to July 1 so they can teach on the license the remainder of the school year.
Students are required to have valid State and Federal background clearance checks (Ohio BCI&I and FBI) in effect at the time of application for a license. These reports must be initiated prior to the student teaching term and are valid for one year from the date of the initial check. Candidates are provided with information about the acquisition of these reports at the beginning of their final year. Additionally, the state of Ohio requires that students take and pass content and educational pedagogy tests appropriate to the licensure program they are completing. More information about these state-required tests are provided to students as they begin their last year in the program.
Upgrading their initial license to a professional license in Ohio requires an individual to successfully complete the Resident Educator Program upon employment with a school district. The Resident Educator Program includes Instructional Mentoring from a trained mentor and a system of formative assessments. The mentor and superintendent will then sign the Resident Educator's application for a professional license, completing the transition to a five-year professional license.
Procedure for Applying for Ohio Licensure
Application for the Ohio Resident Educator License is generally made during Spring Semester of the senior year or when all requirements have been met. A meeting is scheduled early each Fall Semester for purposes of explaining procedures for applying for teacher licenses.
All candidates who complete requirements for teacher licensure are encouraged to apply for that license, even if they are not sure they will pursue a teaching position after graduation. Delay in applying for teaching licensure may result in additional coursework if licensure requirements change after candidates graduate.
Program Ratings & Accreditation
Wittenberg University's Education Department regards educational accountability as a central element of public trust. For this reason, we report to the community numerous candidate performance data. Specifically, we want our constituents to know at what rates our teacher candidates successfully navigate requirements by the Ohio Department of Higher Education and CAEP requirements. This includes: a candidate's ability to Impact Student Learning; their Effectiveness as Teachers; Satisfaction of Employers and Completers; our Graduation Rates, Licensure Pass Rates, Job Placement Data and Title II Reports.