Elementary Education Licensure/Master's Degree (PK-6)

The FAST TRAIN Elementary Education Program (PK-6) is specifically designed for prospective teachers and educators who are working abroad or who plan on going overseas to teach and want a license and/or Master’s degree in elementary education.  Upon successful completion, this program provides teacher candidates with a Virginia State License and can lead to a Level I -IB Teacher Award under the IB Award Scheme.  Please see IB Program for details.

The courses listed in the elementary curriculum are scaffolded to include elements of Virginia state requirements, NCATE requirements and IB standards.  As a result, transfer credit from other elementary programs may not be accepted.

Curriculum
The program course work consists of:

  1. Six courses (18 credit hours) to obtain a Virginia teaching license
  2. Five additional courses (for a total of 33 credit hours) to obtain a Master’s degree (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction

For detailed information about the course work, view the curriculum.

Program Formats
Students in the program can participate in one of two ways:

  • Summer Program: With this format, courses take place over two summers (three summers for those finishing the Master’s degree) and consist of five weeks of intensive summer study at the Fairfax, Virginia, campus and some online courses during the year.
  • Evening Program: With this format, courses are offered during the week at the Arlington, Virginia, campus for those living in the local Washington, D.C. area.

For a detailed schedule, view the program schedule.

Field Experience
Field experience is required for all licensure courses and most Master’s degree courses.

  1. Consists of 15 to 20 hours per course
  2. Includes observation, tutoring and working with students in small groups in a classroom
  3. Takes place in selected local schools or schools in overseas sites where students are currently working

Internship
A teaching internship is also required for licensure. In lieu of a teaching internship, a student may teach for one year, full time, in an accredited international school as an elementary teacher (students can not teach locally).

Endorsement Requirements
Endorsement requirements also exist for elementary education students.

  1. 36 hours of general education course work
    • 6 credit hours of English
    • 12 credit hours of the Social Sciences
    • 6 credit hours of Mathematics
    • 6 credit hours of the Natural Sciences
    • 3 credit hours of the Humanities
    • 3 credit hours of Art or Music)
  2. Must be college level or a student may test out of certain subjects
  3. Must be completed prior to student teaching

Testing
Elementary education students must also take qualifying exams before obtaining a license. Students who plan on student teaching must have fulfilled all of the testing requirements prior to student teaching:

  1. Praxis II
  2. Virginia Reading Assessment (VRA)
  3. Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA)