Professional Studies Courses

The School of Education within the College of Education and Human Development offers Professional Studies courses for provisionally licensed teachers. All of these courses are offered fully online and may be taken by Graduate Non-Degree students.

Professional Studies courses (full listing is below) are for teachers who have been hired by a school division and have been cited with deficiencies in one or more area. These courses are all offered 100% online. If you are looking for a full initial licensure program, please consult this page.

How to Enroll

To enroll in these courses, apply as a Graduate Non-Degree student here. In addition to the application, you will need to provide a resume and official transcript(s). International students may have to meet additional requirements; visit this page for details.

Educator Discount

Virginia educators are eligible for a tuition discount; base rates for the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) are listed here.

For Virginia In-State Educators: PreK-12 educators in Virginia may receive a 15% discount off of the university’s approved tuition rate for in-state CEHD graduate students. For application deadlines and requirements, see this page.

For Virginia Out-of-State State Educators: Out-of-state CEHD students who are Virginia educators may receive an automatic discount of approximately 40% off of the university’s approved tuition rate for out-of-state graduate students. For further details, see this page.

Course Breakdown

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) professional studies requirements and corresponding Mason courses, by category of endorsement area, listings are below. All courses are offered every semester.

Early/Primary Education PreK-3 and Elementary Education

VDOE Professional Studies Requirement	Mason Course
Human Development and Learning (birth through adolescence)	EDUC 501: Human Development and Learning (3 credits)
Curriculum and Instructional Procedures	EDUC 502: Curriculum and Instruction – Teaching All Learners (3 credits)
Assessment of and for Learning	EDUC 503: Assessment of and for Learning (3 credits)
Foundations of Education and the Teaching Profession	EDUC 504: Foundations of Education (3 credits)
Classroom and Behavior Management	EDUC 505: Classroom and Behavior Management in PreK-12 Classrooms (3 credits)
Language and Literacy – Reading and Writing, and Language Acquisition	EDUC 506: Foundations of Literacy (3 credits)
	EDRD 628: Word Analysis: Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling for K-12 Learners (3 credits)

Middle Education, Grades 6-8

VDOE Professional Studies Requirement	Mason Course
Human Development and Learning (birth through adolescence)	EDUC 501: Human Development and Learning (3 credits)
Curriculum and Instructional Procedures	EDUC 502: Curriculum and Instruction – Teaching All Learners (3 credits)
Assessment of and for Learning	EDUC 503: Assessment of and for Learning (3 credits)
Foundations of Education and the Teaching Profession	EDUC 504: Foundations of Education (3 credits)
Classroom and Behavior Management	EDUC 505: Classroom and Behavior Management in PreK-12 Classrooms (3 credits)
Language and Literacy – Language Acquisition, and Reading in the Content Areas	EDRD 628: Word Analysis: Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling for K-12 Learners (3 credits)
	EDRD 619: Literacy in the Content Areas (3 credits)

Adult Education, Secondary Education, and PreK-12 Licensure Areas

VDOE Professional Studies Requirement	Mason Course
Human Development and Learning (birth through adolescence)	EDUC 501: Human Development and Learning (3 credits)
Curriculum and Instructional Procedures	EDUC 502: Curriculum and Instruction – Teaching All Learners (3 credits) *
Assessment of and for Learning	EDUC 503: Assessment of and for Learning (3 credits)
Foundations of Education and the Teaching Profession	EDUC 504: Foundations of Education (3 credits)
Classroom and Behavior Management	EDUC 505: Classroom and Behavior Management in PreK-12 Classrooms (3 credits)
Language and Literacy – Reading in the Content Area	EDRD 619: Literacy in the Content Areas (3 credits) **

*If you are provisionally licensed in ESL PreK-12, take EDCI 519 Methods of Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners. If provisionally licensed in Foreign Language PreK-12, take EDCI 560 Methods of Teaching Foreign/World Languages.

** If candidate is provisionally licensed in Music Education, Theater, Visual Arts, or Health & Physical Education, take EDRD 501 Literacy and Curriculum Integration.

Special Education

Most individuals who hold provisional licensure in Virginia in Special Education need courses specific to the area of disability on their license; these content area specific courses may concurrently meet professional studies requirements. Consult with the Special Education program prior to taking courses to ensure you are meeting licensure requirements efficiently. These courses meet only the professional studies requirements and will not apply to content-specific requirements.

VDOE Professional Studies Requirement	Mason Course
Human Development and Learning (birth through adolescence)	EDUC 501: Human Development and Learning (3 credits)
Curriculum and Instructional Procedures	EDUC 502: Curriculum and Instruction – Teaching All Learners (3 credits)
Assessment of and for Learning	EDUC 503: Assessment of and for Learning (3 credits)
Foundations of Education and the Teaching Profession	EDUC 504: Foundations of Education (3 credits)
Classroom and Behavior Management	EDUC 505: Classroom and Behavior Management in PreK-12 Classrooms (3 credits)
Language and Literacy – Reading and Writing, and Language Acquisition	EDUC 506: Foundations of Literacy (3 credits)
	EDRD 628: Word Analysis: Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling for K-12 Learners (3 credits)

Contact Us

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Kristine Healy at khealy@gmu.edu.