School of Education

College of Education and Professional Studies
School of Education
Ellensburg
Black Hall, room 228

https://www.cwu.edu/academics/education/

School of Education General Information

The School of Education is administered through CEPS and the School of Education Executive board. The provost/vice president for academic and student life in collaboration with the CEPS dean appoints faculty to serve on the advisory council, which advises the School of Education Executive board on program policies.

Teacher Certification Program

Admission to the university, major or minor programs does not guarantee a student admission into the Teacher Certification Program. Students in any teacher preparation program must be fully admitted to the Teacher Certification Program to enroll in “phase 2” Education-related courses.

Certification in Washington State is regulated through the Professional Educator Standards Board and the WACs set by the State Legislature. Due to the ever changing nature of education in Washington, all current requirements to be a certified teacher can be found at the Teacher Certification Program website at https://www.cwu.edu/academics/teacher-certification/.

Admission Requirements

Students pursuing any degree in education will need to meet specific course prerequisites, testing, GPA requirements, and be of good moral standing for full program admission. For specific admission requirements and to apply online, please read the Teacher Certification Program Admission website at https://www.cwu.edu/academics/teacher-certification/program-admission.php.

Each applicant for admission to the Teacher Certification Program will be notified in writing, via their CWU e-mail of the status of their application.

Full Admittance Status
Full Admittance Status will be awarded to applicants that meet all program requirements at time of application.

Conditional Admittance Status
Conditional Admittance Status may be awarded if GPA is between 2.800 and 2.999 and/or you are missing any of the admission requirements. This status gives you the opportunity to enroll in “phase 1” courses of teacher preparation programs. You are in the program roster and you will not have to re-apply to the Teacher Certification Program.

Denied Admittance Status
Denied Admittance Status may be awarded if GPA is below 2.8 and/or you are missing any of the admission requirements. This status gives you the opportunity to enroll in “phase 1” courses of teacher preparation programs. You are in the program roster and you will not have to re-apply to the Teacher Certification Program.

Please be aware that:

No grade lower than a C in major, minor, and foundation coursework, will be accepted for certification.

Students must maintain the posted GPA requirements at https://www.cwu.edu/academics/teacher-certification/ for the last 45 graded quarter credits (whole terms) or overall CWU/transfer cumulative.

Transfer Students

Students entering the university with a transferable associate of arts (AA) or a direct transfer agreement (DTA) from an accredited Washington community college, will need to meet the admission requirements for the Teacher Certification Program. Admissions to the program are separate from the university’s admission requirements. This may include taking a general education course unsatisfied by the AA/DTA. Check your community college’s equivalency sheet to make certain your courses are equivalent to CWU’s courses for these requirements.

Endorsement Areas

CWU offers degrees leading to dozens of endorsements. These majors and minors meet the endorsement competencies defined by the Professional Educator Standards board, and lead to Washington state approved endorsements. Students should contact the departments to request information about program requirements.

For a full list of current endorsements offered please see our Endorsements page on our website at https://www.cwu.edu/academics/teacher-certification/endorsements/endorsement-programs.php.

Certification Requirements for the School of Education

Certification in Washington State is regulated through the Professional Educator Standards Board and the WACs set by the State Legislature. Due to the ever changing nature of education in Washington, all current requirements to be a certified teacher can be found at the Teacher Certification Program Certificate Types website at https://www.cwu.edu/academics/teacher-certification/.

Endorsement-Only Program

CWU’s Endorsement-Only Program is available to certified teachers who hold Residency Teaching Certificate or higher. Teachers interested in adding an endorsement from CWU can find the program options and application on the Teacher Certification Program Adding an Endorsement website at https://www.cwu.edu/academics/teacher-certification/endorsements/adding-endorsements.php. Once an application, program fee and transcripts are received, a credit evaluation will be completed and used as the contract for required coursework.

Certification Only

Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in an endorsable area, who desire certification must follow the guidelines for admission to the Teacher Certification Program. Certification-only students may earn the residency-teaching certificate by satisfactorily completing the foundation courses of the Secondary Education Major in the Curriculum, Supervision, Educational Leadership Department. Final approval of the required endorsement courses lies with the individual’s content area.

Recency of Coursework

Education courses older than 10 years at the time of graduation/certification will need department approval.

Accreditation and State Compliance

School of Education admission regulations are administered by the College of Education and Professional Studies.

Central is in compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

CWU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). NWCCU is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the regional authority on educational quality and institutional effectiveness of higher education institutions in the seven-state Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

CWU’s School of Education is approved by the state of Washington’s Professional Educators Standards Board and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to offer programs, which lead to teacher certification. To be awarded Washington certificates, candidates must be at least 18 years of age.

Completion of the School of Education does not guarantee certification by the state of Washington. To be certified, the candidate must demonstrate good moral character and personal fitness as defined by WAC 180-79A-155.

Candidates of Central Washington University’s Teacher Certification Program, complete requirements to be recommended for certification or endorsement in the state of Washington. Completion of the Teacher Certification Program requires students to maintain a 3.0 GPA, graduate with an endorsable degree and pass state assessments.

Except for Washington State, CWU has made no determination if this program will lead to licensure in your state or the state in which you are seeking licensure. Please reference the resources below to determine licensure requirements and/or transfer policies in your state.

The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) have negotiated licensure reciprocity agreements (https://www.nasdtec.net/page/interstate?) among states. This means that if you earn licensure in Washington you may be able to gain licensure in your own state based on proof of a valid Washington license.

Please note: requirements for licensure can change without notice, therefore it is important to contact your State Department of Education to confirm reciprocity with your state. A list of state contacts and information can be found at the U.S. Department of Education at https://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html?src=gu.