Eligibility Requirements

The Virginia Department of Education has several prerequisite eligibility requirements for individuals interested in pursuing a teaching career through the Career Switcher Program. The applicant must have:

• A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
• At least five years or 60 months of full-time work experience
• Completed the content area endorsement requirements or the equivalent through course work, verifiable experience, or CLEP tests
• Passed the Praxis I: Academic Skills Assessments and the Praxis II: Subject Assessment.
• Pass the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA)

Pre-Admission Requirements

• Attend an information session
• Complete endorsement requirements - Applicants must complete all endorsement requirements before beginning the Career Switcher program.
• Visit the Endorsement Web and fill out Online Endorsement Review and send supporting documentation with Endorsement Review Cover Letter to licensure specialist (CEHD Licensure Specialist, 4400 University Dr, MS4B3, Fairfax, VA 22030).
• Students will receive an email notifying them that the Endorsement Review has been updated and should print out the Endorsement Review Summary and send to Admissions Office with supporting documentation.
• Register to take Praxis I, Praxis II and VCLA tests so that scores can be submitted by the application deadline to GMU (please allow 4-6 weeks for scores to arrive). Applicants may submit qualifying SAT or ACT scores in lieu of Praxis I.

Admissions

• Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of study. Some applicants with a lower GPA may be admitted provisionally if there is sufficient evidence of potential success.
• Two sealed official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Applicants do not need to send in transcripts for courses taken at George Mason University.
• Complete graduate application to include application fee and a 750 -1000 word goal statement that addresses the reasons for choosing to become a secondary teacher. Steps for Applying.
• Three letters of recommendation from former or current employers or university professors, targeting work experiences and academic abilities. Please use the Letters of Recommendation Form.
• Endorsement Review Summary (see Pre-Admission Requirements above)
• Passing Praxis I, Praxis II and VCLA test scores
• Career Switcher Application Form indicating specific teaching area and other information
• Report on Experience documenting at least five years of full-time work experience
• Interview and writing sample. Applicants will be notified of date and time by mail.
• If you are an applicant with international credentials, please consult the Information for International Applicants
  • Transcript Guidelines for International Applicants
  • English Language Requirement for International Applicants
  • Instructions for Applicants with International Credentials and Those Seeking F-1 or J-1 Visas

Supporting documentation should be sent in one package to:

George Mason University
CEHD Admissions
4400 University Dr., MS 4D1
Fairfax, VA 22030

Application Deadlines

Priority Application Deadlines*

Completed applications received after the deadline are reviewed on a 1st come/1st served basis contingent on faculty availability to review, teacher shortage/demand factors, and/or space availability.