Out-of-State Program Requirements

Obtain a Provisional Professional Teaching Certificate

Are pursuing teacher certification in another state, but want to get your Provisional Professional Teaching Certificate in West Virginia? If so, you will need to meet requirements not limited to the following:

• Your college or university must be regionally accredited.
• Your teacher preparation program must have our approval. This is for equivalent licensure in the state where the college or university is.
• You must have completed your teacher preparation program.
• You must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 for a bachelor’s degree or 3.0 for a master’s degree.

Transfer a Professional Teaching Certificate

To transfer a Professional Teaching Certificate from another state, your license and endorsement must be like what our Office of Certification offers. This means these items are transferrable without any restrictions.

To apply based on a recommendation from your college or university and teacher preparation program, you must have:

• A qualifying grade point average
• Passed all Praxis exams as required by the West Virginia Board of Education
  • You may also qualify for exemptions as stated in the West Virginia licensure testing directory.

Statement of Eligibility

You may inquire about a Statement of Eligibility from the Office of Certification if:

• You have an out-of-state professional teaching license that expired within the last five (5) years
• You have an out-of-state professional teaching license that was valid and renewable or permanent
• You have an out-of-state professional teaching license similar to a West Virginia Teaching Certificate

The Statement of Eligibility allows employment in the West Virginia public school system within approved endorsement areas. Once employed, you may apply for a Provisional Teaching Certificate. This certificate may be converted into a professional certificate by meeting Policy 5202, Minimum Requirements for the Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel and Advanced Salary Classifications.

Career Technical Education Certificate

Individuals transferring an out-of-state certificate that is equivalent to a Career and Technical Education Certificate must review WVBE Policy requirements, the West Virginia CTE Endorsements and Testing Manual and application form V7A to review eligibility criteria.

Those transferring an out-of-state certificate similar to a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Certificate must:

• Review Policy 5202 requirements
• Review the West Virginia CTE Endorsements and Testing Manual
• Submit a Form V7A application

Using Documentation from Outside of the United States to Meet Qualifications

You may apply for teacher licensure in West Virginia using official transcripts and a valid license from another country. To do so, a foreign education credential service approved by the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE) or the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) must review your documents. Our Office of Certification will determine your eligibility and credibility. We will conduct a thorough analysis of a qualifying foreign education credential service’s report and other documents. 

See Policy 5202 for more details.