The Career Switcher Program consists of two Phases:

Phase I
Phase I (consisting of 150 hours), teaches our students how to teach, and includes topics on the foundations of education, human growth and development, curriculum, instruction and assessment, teaching with technology, classroom management, reading in the content area and more.

In addition to this instruction, Career Switchers will also be placed in participating schools systems to observe classes and to teach selected lessons (a 40 hour practicum field placement). This placement will begin approximately five weeks after beginning Phase I.

Upon successful completion of Phase I, Shenandoah University issues Career Switchers a Phase I Certificate of Completion and submits the student’s credentials to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for review. This packet contains student’s original Career Switcher application form, the fee for processing the application, documentation of 5 years full time work experience, official transcripts, a record of your passing scores in Praxis Subject Assessment and VCLA, and confirmation of your successful completion of Phase I of the Career Switcher program.  

Once the Department of Education has reviewed your packet, they issue a Career Switcher Provisional License with endorsement(s) to teach in your subject area(s). The student’s first one year, Career Switcher provisional teaching license is issued immediately. The Career Switcher provisional license is valid for one year and may be renewed two additional times for one year terms each, if needed.  The “renewal” or activation of the two remaining dormant licenses is done by the school division who hires you, under contract, to teach.

 

Phase II
Once the Career Switcher secures full time employment OR half-time employment with a public school division or a state-approved accredited private school in Virginia, the student enters Phase II of Career Switchers. 

During this first year of teaching, Career Switchers will work with a trained mentor teacher who will help improve skills and performance, support morale, and work with the new teacher to put theory into practice.  

Career Switchers are also required to meet again with Shenandoah University as a class for an additional 20 hours of professional development.  These workshops provide an opportunity for the new teachers to discuss experiences in the classroom, update skills in curriculum and instruction, classroom and behavior management and human growth development.

It is only upon successful completion of Phase II that Career Switchers will have completed all of the requirements necessary to receive full-licensure to teach in Virginia.  

After Phase II, students are eligible to receive a five-year renewable license. The school system that employs the Career Switcher will submit the recommendation for the five-year renewable license. 

Failure to complete all the requirements in Phase II means students are not eligible to receive their five-year renewable license.

Please note that the Career Switcher Provisional license issued after completion of Phase I is recognized only in Virginia.  Once Phase II is completed and the Professional License is issued, there is reciprocity with most states.

The Shenandoah University Career Switcher Program Is Offered In Winchester, Leesburg, And Fredericksburg.  

Please click the term and locations below for the schedule for your class location:

Winchester	Fall 2018 Schedule Spring 2018 Schedule
Leesburg	Fall 2018 Schedule Spring 2018 Schedule
Fredericksburg	Fall 2018 Schedule Spring 2018 Schedule
Phase II Meeting Schedule	2018-2019 2017-2018

When is the application deadline for the program?
Applications will be accepted for Leesburg, Fredericksburg and Winchester locations until classes are filled.  However, all prerequisites must be satisfied prior to acceptance into our program.
*Please note the PRAXIS Subject Assessment and VCLA test requirements are listed on the Apply Now! page.

 
Is financial aid available for the program?
There is no financial aid available through Shenandoah University. Participants may apply for educational loans through private lending sources. Our financial aid officer can assist you in this regard. 

Please contact Financial Aid at (540) 665-4538. 

For our Military candidates, GI Bill funds can be used.  Please contact Ms. Niccole Gatliff, VA Certifying Official at 540-542-6508.

Does the program place participants in their practica field placements during Phase I?
Shenandoah University will place Career Switcher students in their practicum field placement with local public schools.  We have partnered with the following public schools:

• Alexandria City
• Arlington County
• Augusta County
• Clarke County
• Fairfax County
• Frederick County
• Fredericksburg City
• Harrisonburg City
• Loudoun County
• Prince William County
• Rockingham County
• Shenandoah County
• Spotsylvania County
• Stafford County
• Warren County
• Winchester City

Note:  All Virginia School Divisions recognize the Career Switcher Licensure program.

 
Does Shenandoah University assist students with finding employment?
Shenandoah University shares participant information with the human resource departments in local schools.  We also provide our students with resume writing assistance, portfolio development, expectations for teaching interviews, job fair notifications and online teaching resources.

Students are expected to complete school division online applications for employment.  Networking is also an important component for a teaching job search.

 
Will I be paid during my initial year of teaching?
You will be paid under contract by your employing school division.

 
Where can I find Additional Information?
Please read through our pages and feel free to contact our office if you have additional questions.

Initial program contact for questions regarding the Career Switcher program:
Ms. Lara Pluska
Phone: (540) 535-3579
lpluska2@su.edu

Phase II  of the Career Switcher program:
Mrs. Jamie Johnson
Phone: (540) 535-3552
jjohnson11@su.edu

Director of the Career Switcher program:
Mr. Dennis Keffer
Phone: (540) 535-3544
dkeffer@su.edu

Prerequisites For The Career Switcher Program

Career Switcher prospects must submit a complete application package prior to being accepted into the Career Switcher Program: 

• Advanced Deposit Form
• Application Form
• Report on Experience Form(s) verifying five years of full-time work experience (or its equivalent)
• Transcripts showing a Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited college/university (must arrive to us in the sealed/stamped envelope from the issuing institution’s Registrars Office)
• Passing Praxis Subject Assessment (subject area content) score
• Passing Virginia Communications and Language Assessment (VCLA) test scores: in both the Reading and Writing subtests
• An up-to-date resume
• Criminal background check (this is initiated through the University)

Detailed information regarding submission of these forms and documents may be found below in the Application Information section. 

Shenandoah University can review your transcripts and discuss your background and interests with you in order to help determine what subjects you are best suited to teach.

If you earned your Bachelor’s Degree outside of the USA, please note that you must have your transcript evaluated by an accreditation agency.  This must be a course by course evaluation.  Click HERE for a list of agencies approved by the VDOE to review transcripts from foreign countries.  

 

Endorsement Areas Offered through SU’s Career Switcher program
Shenandoah University accepts the following areas of endorsement in our Career Switcher program:

• Mathematics 6-12
• English 6-12
• History and Social Science 6-12
• Earth Science
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Foreign Languages PreK-12
• Technology Education
• Family & Consumer Sciences
• Business & Information Technology
• Marketing Education
• ALL Middle School Subjects
• Health and Physical Education PreK-12
• Music PreK-12
• Art PreK-12
• English as a Second Language PreK-12

Please note that Elementary Education and Special Education are not areas of endorsement offered through the Shenandoah University’s Career switcher program.  

 

Criminal Background Checks
Prior to final acceptance to the SU Career Switcher program, all participants must undergo a criminal background check through Shenandoah University.  Information will be distributed to students about this process.  Please note that this background check includes a Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) check.  The fee for this check is in addition to the tuition for the Career Switcher program.

Applicants with any concerns regarding their criminal background check should contact the Coordinator of Education Outreach prior to applying for the program. Some school divisions require their own background check and students completing a field experience in those districts will complete an additional background check at the school division’s expense.  Students will be notified of this additional check when beginning their practicum field experience.

 

Email us at cseduc@su.edu with Career Switcher program questions.

Timeline – Suggested test dates in order to meet the requirements for entry into programs for Fall and Spring.

EVENT	FALL START DATE	SPRING START DATE
Register and take Praxis Subject Assessment and VCLA	By August 1,- at the latest	By January 1,- at the latest
Latest date to submit an application	August 1, – at the latest (We prefer that applicants submit an application earlier in the term in order to hold a seat for the Fall term, then add required credentials as completed)	December 1, – at the latest (We prefer that applicants submit an application earlier in the term in order to hold a seat for the Spring term, then add required credentials as completed)
Complete criminal background check	Prior to August 15	Prior to January 15
Phase I Program begins	Late August	Late January
Phase I field experiences begin (approximately)	Mid-October	Mid-March
Phase I program ends	Late January	End June
Phase II program begins	When full time teaching contract  by school division has been issued	When full time teaching contract by school division has been issued
Phase II class meetings (approximate)	September through April	September through April
Phase II mentor assigned	within 2-3 weeks of start of school year and hiring	within 2-3 weeks of start of school year and hiring

Interested In Learning More About Shenandoah University’s Career Switcher Program? Attend One Of Our Upcoming Open House Events.

Winchester Open House

TBA | @6pm

Bowman Building
Room 112
20 South Cameron Street 
Winchester, VA 22601 

View the Bowman Building on our campus map.

 

Fredericksburg Open House

TBA | @6pm

James Monroe High School
2300 Washington Avenue 
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

View  directions to James Monroe High School

 

Leesburg Open House

TBA | @6pm

Shenandoah University
Scholar Plaza
Room 307
44160 Scholar Plaza 
Leesburg, VA 

View directions to our Leesburg campus (Scholar Plaza) on our campus map.

RSVP in Advance

Email us at cseduc@su.edu with Career Switcher program questions.

 

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Apply Now To The Career Switcher Program!

Here are step-by-step guidelines for applying to Shenandoah University’s Career Switcher Program:

STEP 1:

Submit a Career Switcher Advanced Deposit Form and a Career Switcher Program Application Form:

Career Switcher Advanced Deposit Form

Career Switcher Program Application Form

Advanced Tuition Deposit
A non-refundable, $100 deposit must be submitted with your Career Switcher application, as a limited number of slots are available each semester in the Career Switcher program. This deposit reserves a position for you in the next Career Switcher class.  This deposit is applied towards your Career Switcher tuition, with the balance of tuition due at the time of registration.

Application
Please complete the Career Switcher Application Form and mail it, along with the advanced tuition deposit form and your $100 payment to:

Shenandoah University
Office of Education Outreach
ATTN: Dennis Keffer
1460 University Drive
Winchester, VA 22601

You only need to submit these two documents to reserve a spot in an upcoming program.  (We prefer that you mail us additional required documents as you acquire them).

STEP 2:

Look into preparing for and scheduling PRAXIS Subject Assessment as soon as possible. These exams are required in order to join the program and take significant time to schedule.  The PRAXIS Subject Assessment should be taken in the subject(s) you wish to teach. The test measures your knowledge of the subject matter.

For a complete list of PRAXIS Subject Assessment test identifiers recognized by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), click PRAXIS SUBJECT ASSESSMENT TEST CODES and then print.

Only a single passing PRAXIS II score is required for entry into our program.  Students holding multiple endorsements are also accepted into our Career Switcher program.

For general information about the Praxis II Exams, visit ETS’ WEBSITE.  For specific information about individual tests, review the PRAXIS Subject Assessment Test Preparation section of ETS’ website.

Most PRAXIS II tests are given at a central location, on Saturdays. It is important to plan ahead as deadlines exist and late registration fees can be expensive.  Please check the ETS website for current scheduled PRAXIS SUBJECT ASSESSMENT TEST DATES AND LOCATIONS.

Allow four weeks after you take the test to get the results, which are to be forwarded to the Coordinator of Education Outreach via email.

STEP 3:

Take the VCLA ( Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment) test.  The VCLA is a general test that does not have a mathematics component. This test is available in both paper and electronic versions.  Tests are delivered in a central testing center. The test includes multiple-choice questions in reading and comprehension, and a writing test that includes two essay sections.  You must take both the reading and writing assessments.

Sample tests can be downloaded from both the VCLA and ETS websites referenced above.   Retail on-site and online bookstores will have study guides for most PRAXIS II tests and the VCLA test.

STEP 4:

Submit remaining documents to the Office of Education Outreach as you receive them.  Those documents include your official, sealed transcripts from all previous colleges or universities attended, your official test scores and a resume.  These documents are in addition to your advanced tuition deposit and your application.

About six weeks prior to the scheduled start date of the next session (Fall or Spring), the Coordinator will forward an email regarding your current application status, registration instructions and details on how to initiate your Criminal Background Check.  The Coordinator of Education Outreach will inform you via email when you are fully qualified for the Career Switcher program.

All application materials and final tuition payment must be submitted to the Coordinator approximately three (3) weeks prior to the beginning of the program.  The exact date is provided to students in the registration materials.

 

Email us at cseduc@su.edu with Career Switcher program questions.

 

This is a phenomenal program with phenomenal instructors.  The past four months have been exciting, challenging and rewarding.  Anyone who wants to teach should seriously consider the career switchers program through Shenandoah University.  The program personnel have been friendly, efficient, and helpful from start to finish.”        

– Cheryl L.

This program not only allowed me to become a teacher but gave me an entirely new perspective on teaching. The work, though consuming and intense, was equally rewarding. I felt honored to have been in this program which allowed me to experience the joys of teaching. I look forward to many more hours in the classroom.”      

– Robin P.

Tuition

The program cost is $4,800 for the Fall 2018 term.  All course materials are included* in the program cost. This payment covers all instruction in both Phase I and Phase II of the program.

*An additional background check fee of $60-70 is payable at the beginning of the program, as well as a $50 in-state/ $75 out-of-state licensure fee at the end of Phase I.

Refund Policy

Once classes begin, program withdrawals and refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis. Withdrawal and refund requests must be made in writing to the Director of Education Outreach. Withdrawal requests are then reviewed by the Hornet Central Manager, whose decision is final. Any authorized tuition refund will be pro-rated depending upon the request submission date.

 

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