VCU Career Switcher Program
About the program
The Career Switcher program is the ideal program for individuals looking to use their work experience to help them become classroom teachers in the state of Virginia.
Some basic requirements for Career Switchers include:
- BA/BS degree from an accredited college/university
- At least three years of full-time work experience (or six years of part time work experience with at least 20 hours per week)
- Three professional references including a current supervisor and at least one individual that can speak to the applicant's ability to become a teacher
- Qualifying Praxis scores in the preferred endorsement areaThis two-level program offers a direct pathway to becoming a licensed eucator in Virginia:
Level I*
- Level I requires online learning modules
- A synchronous learning session once per week (evening)
- Each module requires 30-50 hours of learning time (depending on the endorsement area)
Level II**
- Obtain a full-time teaching position in your endorsement area
- Complete monthly check-ins with your teacher-coach
- Complete monthly seminar sessions (September-May)
The program cost is currently being revised. New pricing will be effective with the Spring 2025 cohort and will be communicated prior to the Spring 2025 cohort start date.
Rates are as follows:
- $25 application fee (due at the time of application submission)
- $3000 for Level I (due two weeks prior to the start of Level I)
- $500 for Level II (due two weeks prior to the start of Level II)
Endorsement Areas
PreK-12th Grade
- Health and physical education PK-12
- English as a second language PK-12
Secondary (6-12th Grade)
- Foreign languages
- Career and technical education*
- Business and information technology
- Marketing, technology
- Family and consumer sciences
- Sciences
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Earth science
- Physics
- History and social studies
- English
- Mathematics
- Algebra I add-on endorsement (available as an additional endorsement when seeking another endorsement)
- Computer science
*Industry certifications required for some CTE endorsements.
Applying to Career Switcher
The deadline to apply for the Fall 2025 session of Career Switcher is June 30th.
Applying for this program is done via the School of Education’s application system for non-degree programs. Start your application here:
{VCU yellow text bubble with link to application and display text “APPLY HERE!”}
To view the comprehensive list of requirements for the Career Switcher program please refer here along with other helpful resources. Attached is a checklist of all items you will need for your application.
Contact Us
Sharrie Merritte
Program Lead for VCU Career Switchers
merrittesa@vcu.edu