Licensure Information & Resources

An important requirement for meeting teacher licensure standards in the Commonwealth of Virginia is the successful completion of the required licensure tests. Candidates who fail to complete the required tests successfully are not eligible to be recommended for the Virginia Collegiate Professional License.

The tests must be passed before applying to Gate 3 and may be repeated, should low scores necessitate such action. Candidates should seek advice from advisors regarding the choice of dates for attempting testing.

• Initial Licensure
• Advanced Licensure

The School of Education strives to produce educators who model high standards before their peers. In keeping with this mission, candidates will complete a variety of field experiences in the K–12 school system as part of his/her program. Background checks have become a requirement in our partnerships with the school system. Out of respect for this, we require all licensure candidates and students pursuing any type of field experience to complete a background check through American DataBank.

Visit our Background Check Page for additional information.

Field Experiences Early and ongoing field experiences are crucial for initial licensure preparation. The continuum of field experiences required in Liberty’s program includes practicums in PreK-6 settings and culminates in student teaching during the final semester. Field Experience Summaries are used to track diverse field experiences.

Student Teaching Student teaching requires a full semester (16 weeks) commitment to the classroom (all day, every day) in the last semester of the degree program. It is the culmination of all coursework and field experiences. It is important to prepare thoroughly and decrease outside responsibilities during this semester. You may choose to complete student teaching in the local area or in an external location, including international locations. Student teaching must be completed in an accredited school system.

For Kentucky candidates: prior to Gate 3 acceptance, each candidate shall complete a minimum of 200 clock hours of field experiences in a variety of primary through grade 12 (P-12) school settings.

Visit our Field Experience Page for additional information.

The Gate system is designed as a set of checkpoints to ensure that candidates have completed the necessary requirements to successfully complete the program.

The Gate system is an important part of maintaining a quality program as required by our licensing and accrediting bodies.

Visit our Gate Process pages for additional information:

• Undergraduate Gates
• Graduate Gates

Content competencies are required for all MAT candidates seeking initial state teaching licensure in Elementary Education, Middle Grades Education, or Secondary Education. Typically, content competencies are completed at the undergraduate level; however, in some instances, graduate-level coursework may be used to fulfill competencies.

Visit our Content Competency Requirements page for additional information.

CORE is a web-based subscription that allows for the creation and submission of projects, portfolios, and documents.

For the Spring 2024 semester, initial licensure candidates will utilize LiveText, and advanced licensure candidates will utilize CORE.

For Summer 2024 and forward, all licensure candidates will utilize CORE.

Visit our CORE page for additional information.

The purpose of the School of Education is to develop Christ-centered educators and leaders through rigorous, biblically-based instruction and practical training. The faculty of the School of Education has delineated the dispositions that must be observable in each candidate of our programs at all levels.

View our Framework & Dispositions Page for additional information.

Specific information regarding these trainings can be found within the Licensure Resource Community.

• Statutory Licensure Requirements from the Virginia Department of Education:
  • Behavioral Guidelines: The Use of Seclusion and Restraint
  • Child Abuse Prevention
  • Dyslexia Awareness Training Module
  • First Aid/CPR Training: The Virginia Department of Education requires hands-on/face-to-face training from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association, which must include:
    • Emergency first aid
    • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
    • The use of automated external defibrillators (AED)
• Industry Certification Credential – VDOE
  • Required for Business Ed. and FACS candidates only
    • See Virginia Teacher-Eligible Industry Credentialing Assessments for eligible assessment options.
      • FACS: Broad Field Family and Consumer Sciences Assessment

The completion and submission of the edTPA portfolio is a program requirement that is completed during student teaching. While many states require passing scores on the edTPA for teacher licensure, all Liberty University students seeking initial certification will need to meet this requirement, regardless of state participation.

View the edTPA page for additional information.

Graduates who have successfully completed Liberty University’s Educator Preparation Provider program and who have met all standards for teacher licensure in Virginia can be recommended for licensure in other states. The Commonwealth of Virginia operates within the Interstate Licensure Compact, which means that other states in the compact recognize and freely accept incoming licensure applications from Virginia-based programs.

In most cases, other states will require proof that the student has successfully completed a state-approved teacher licensure program. Assistance in securing this license is provided to all of those who are completing student teaching/internship; this is processed after all coursework has been successfully completed and the degree has been posted.

Licensure information is typically available online for the various State Departments of Education in other states. Those wishing to pursue licensure in other states should obtain the necessary information and application materials for the processing of requests. The Teacher Licensure Office personnel will assist candidates in the preparation and submission of documents required for licensure.

View our state requirements page for additional information.

Per VDOE, an individual who holds an active teaching license may add an additional teaching endorsement to the license by passing a rigorous academic subject test prescribed by the Board of Education. This testing option does not apply to individuals who are seeking an early/primary preK-3 or elementary education preK-6 endorsement or who hold a technical professional license, vocational evaluator license, pupil personnel services license, school manager license, or division superintendent license.

Individuals may not add an endorsement in special education through testing. Also, an endorsement in administration and supervision cannot be added by testing. If the individual holds a provisional license, the Praxis subject area assessment for his or her original endorsement must be completed before additional endorsements can be added through testing; however, please note that only endorsements in special education are allowable on a provisional special education license.

Finally, this option is available for candidates seeking a Virginia teaching license. It is not guaranteed that other states’ Departments of Education will recognize an endorsement added by passing the Praxis Subject Assessment.