Ohio Teacher Certification

How to Become a Teacher in Ohio

To enter a classroom in the state of Ohio as a teacher, a prospective teacher must obtain a Ohio teacher certification. The state of Ohio utilizes a four-tier teacher licensure structure, from an initial license to advanced licenses.

Spotlight School

DeVry University

Popular Programs:

• Master's-Education
• Graduate Certificate-Management of Education Corporation/Corporate Training Divisions
• Graduate Certificate-Education Leadership
• Graduate Certificate-Curriculum Leadership

Ohio Teacher Education Requirements

The initial license is called a resident educator license. For that license, a candidate must complete a bachelor’s degree that includes the completion of an approved teacher education program. For early childhood, middle childhood, and intervention specialist certification, applicants need 12 semester hours of coursework on teaching reading. After four years with a resident educator license, a teacher may apply for a professional educator license (the second tier). The third tier (Senior Professional Educator License) and fourth tier (Lead Professional Educator License) require a master’s degree or higher, and at least nine years of teaching experience, in addition to other requirements.

Profiles of Well Known Schools

University of Akron: The University of Akron is home to the College of Education (COE) and offers students’ about 34 bachelor degrees, 41 masters degrees, 5 doctorates and 45 endorsements. The faculty members include 71 full-time and 140 part-time professors with doctorate degrees in related areas of instruction. The College of Education houses four complete academic units that is responsible for shaping current and future educators in the state of Ohio and beyond. The College of Education is one of the largest in the entire university with 2800 undergraduates and 1200 graduate students. There are over 30,000 alumni that have graduated from the University of Akron College of Education giving graduates a vast network of support and connections. UA continues to strive to develop educators who are student advocates, thorough researchers, lifelong learners and competent practitioners.

Ohio Teacher Testing Requirements

To become a teacher in Ohio, prospective teachers must obtain a passing score on the Praxis series of tests. Praxis I is a general knowledge test, and is used by most Ohio colleges and universities as a requirement for entry into teacher education. In those cases, each university sets its own qualifying scores for the Praxis I. Praxis II is made up of a Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) assessment, which assesses a candidate’s professional and pedagogical knowledge. The Praxis II Subject Assessment tests are related specifically to the content area in which certification is sought.

Candidates wishing to teach a foreign language must pass the Tests in World Languages provided by ACTFL, including the Oral Proficiency Interview and the Written Proficiency Test.

Ohio Teacher Salary and Jobs

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2011.

Ohio Teacher Interview

Interview with Megan Wheeler, Ohio First Grade Teacher

School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Ohio

Request free information from the following schools to learn more about your options for choosing a teacher degree program. We recommend you: Request information from one or more of these schools

Brandman University Online

Popular Programs:

• MA in Education (Leadership in Early Childhood Education)
• BA in Early Childhood Education
• MA in Educational Leadership and Administration (Tier 1)
• MA in Education with Instructional Technology Emphasis
• And more...

Concordia University Online

Popular Programs:

• B.S. in Early Childhood Education (Birth - 5 Years)
• M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction: Curriculum & Instruction: Early Childhood Education
• Special Education (Early Childhood/Elementary)
• Educational Administration: (EDD)
• And more...

Western Governors University

Popular Programs:

• M.A. Teaching (K-8)
• Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Program (K-8)
• B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies (K-8)
• M.A. Teaching - Mathematics (5-9 or 5-12)
• And more...

DeVry University

Popular Programs:

• Master's-Education
• Graduate Certificate-Management of Education Corporation/Corporate Training Divisions
• Graduate Certificate-Education Leadership
• Graduate Certificate-Curriculum Leadership

Indiana Wesleyan University

Popular Programs:

• Associate of Science in Christian Ministries
• Principal Licensure Program
• Educational Specialist Degree
• Career Builders for Educators
• And more...

Locations: Cleveland

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Teacher in Ohio

Question: How do I become a substitute teacher in Ohio?

Answer: To be a substitute teacher in Ohio, you must have a college degree and pass a criminal background check. Individual school districts may have other requirements. To find a position, you must apply directly to the school districts in which you hope to work.

Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Ohio

Art Academy of Cincinnati
1212 Jackson Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1706
(513) 562-6262

Ashland University
401 College Ave
Ashland, OH 44805
(419) 289-4142
www.exploreashland.com

Baldwin-Wallace College
275 Eastland Rd
Berea, OH 44017-2088
(440) 826-2900
www.bw.edu/admission/

Bluffton University
1 University Drive
Bluffton, OH 45817-2104
(419) 358-3000
www.bluffton.edu/admission

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
220 McFall Ctr
Bowling Green, OH 43403
(419) 372-2531
go2.bgsu.edu/choose/welcome/

Student Review: “Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a great school, and has many goals that will lead the school into the right direction. I hope one day to see BGSU as one of the top schools in the nation for several majors. My major is Early Childhood Education, as BGSU is known for their outstanding education program already, I hope the school continues to improve the incoming students and challenge them to new levels. I am proud to have attended BGSU. The school is surrounded by an amazing town that supports the school and an amazing student body that continuously has school spirit. With the new on campus housing, I can see BGSU attracting more and more students every year. There is still work to be done (on old buildings) but every year, something new gets accomplished.” -Allison W., student at Bowling Green State University

Capital University
1 College and Main
Columbus, OH 43209-2394
(614) 236-6011

Case Western Reserve University
10900 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 368-2000
admission.case.edu/admissions/default.asp

Cedarville University
251 N. Main Street
Cedarville, OH 45314-0601
(937) 766-2211

Student Review: “Cedarville University has a well-deserved reputation for excellence. They force their students to test their limits and reach their full potential. I always felt that I was getting the best education, and my professors were all very knowledgeable and devoted to our success. They made themselves available to all their students, going out of their way to make sure we did the very best we could. My grievances against them are few; the largest problem I have with them is the way they represent their financial aid program. They advertise what wonderful financial aid they have, but you have to keep a 3.7 or higher to keep even $3000 scholarships. Needless to say, in a school that averages about $25000 per year, it’s not enough. You will be paying off loans for a long time if you go here. But with the excellence and the discipline and the experience you will gain there, it is well worth it.” -Ally M., student at Cedarville University

Central State University
1400 Brush Row Rd
Wilberforce, OH 45384-1004
(937) 376-6011
www.centralstate.edu/prospects/admissions/index.html

Cincinnati Christian University
2700 Glenway Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45204-3200
(513) 244-8100
www.ccuniversity.edu/about/admissions/

Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115-2214
(216) 687-2000

College of Mount St. Joseph
5701 Delhi Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45233-1670
(513) 244-4200
www.msj.edu/view/admissions-apply.aspx

Defiance College
701 N Clinton
Defiance, OH 43512
(419) 784-4010
www.defiance.edu/admissions.html

Gods Bible School and College
1810 Young Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202-6838
(513) 721-7944
www.gbs.edu/admissions_and_aid/index.htm

Heidelberg University
310 E Market St
Tiffin, OH 44883-2462
(419) 448-2000
www.heidelberg.edu/admissions

Hiram College
Hinsdale Hall Third Floor
Hiram, OH 44234-0067
(330) 569-3211
admission.hiram.edu

John Carroll University
20700 N Park Blvd
Cleveland, OH 44118-4581
(216) 397-1886
www.jcu.edu/admission

Kent State University Kent Campus
Kent, OH 44242-0001
(330) 672-3000

Student Review: “Kent State University was a great experience for me, both academically and socially. My favorite aspect is the campus itself, it is a large sprawling area that has plenty of outdoor area to study in peace. The campus is beautiful and the professors, at least in my area of study are all very helpful and personable with every student. The university has many nationwide respected programs. There are so many student organizations on campus to get involved with. I personally didn’t have time for that many, but you can gain much knowledge and experiences from just these alone. Also there are many food choices on campus for students living there and commuting; all of these are expensive, but their convenience of being right on campus is very nice.” -Jordan F., student at Kent State University

Lorain County Community College
1005 North Abbe Rd
Elyria, OH 44035-1691
(440) 366-5222

Malone University
2600 Cleveland Avenue NW
Canton, OH 44709-3897
(330) 471-8100
www.malone.edu/d41

Miami University-Oxford
500 High St
Oxford, OH 45056
(513) 529-1809
www.miami.muohio.edu/admission_for/

Mount Union College
1972 Clark Ave.
Alliance, OH 44601-3993
(800) 992-6682
www.mountunion.edu/admission

Mount Vernon Nazarene University
800 Martinsburg Rd
Mount Vernon, OH 43050-9500
(740) 392-6868
admissions.mvnu.edu

Student Review: “My experience at Mount Vernon was an overwhelmingly positive one. The professors are very approachable and always willing to guide and mentor students entering education. The best thing about the education program is that, as a student, you are placed into a field experience in your first semester and you even teach a bit in your content area! This was great for those students who weren’t sure if they wanted to teach or not because they discovered right away if it was for them. Mount Vernon also boasts a teacher placement rating of near 100%, attributed to the fact that they send out incredibly qualified educators. Their graduates continually display some of the highest Praxis scores within the state of Ohio. The only aspect I would like to see improved is an increase in exposure to alternate assessment scoring and reporting methods.” -Chris M., student at Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Muskingum College
163 Stormont Street
New Concord, OH 43762
(740) 826-8211
www.muskingum.edu/home/

Student Review: “I dislike the general lack of assistance of finding field experience placements for students such as me who can not drive. This lack of assistance is not fair in a rural area with a teaching program designed to require these field experience hours every semester for Education majors. Also, I feel like the education program itself is unorganized and noninformative in general. The positve things are the Foreign Language education sector which is extremely good thanks to the World Languages department alone. I do believe my university produces quality teachers because of the plethora of field experience needed, but I do not believe they facilitate fulfilling the requirements well. Also, I would say the program is good at trying to branch out for diversity in a rural area. I like how it focuses on individuals with disabilities and meeting diverse needs.” -Brittany J., student at Muskingum College

North Central State College
2441 Kenwood Circle
Mansfield, OH 44901-0698
(419) 755-4800
www.ncstatecollege.edu/studentsvcs/admissions/

Northwest State Community College
22600 State Route 34
Archbold, OH 43502-9542
(419) 267-5511
www.northweststate.edu

Notre Dame College
4545 College Rd
Cleveland, OH 44121-4293
(216) 381-1680
www.notredamecollege.edu/admissions/index.html

Oberlin College
70 N Professor St
Oberlin, OH 44074
(440) 775-8411
www.oberlin.edu/admissions/index.shtml

Student Review: “The teaching program of my college was spectacular. As I am in a major in Piano Performance at the conservatory of music, I took up Music Pedagogy which is the teaching program in music. From music history, to aural skills, to performance, the program gave me everything I needed to prepare for the area of study. Every week, History class would have one history teacher giving a lecture on a different time period from various perspectives. Aural skills taught me rhythm’s, cadences and phrases, a key tool for teaching. I was put into a college choir where we performed a church symphony of Wolgang Amedeus Mozart. It was amazing. The experience and the education I gained was second to none. I loved every second of it, everybody in charge would make sure that every student understood everything that is going on. The entire course really changed the way I look at music forever. I now approach whatever I do with extra detail, and I focus on things like emotion and conveying feelings. It was life changing, and I have no regrets whatsoever.” -Charles F., student at Oberlin College

Ohio Christian University
1476 Lancaster Pike
Circleville, OH 43113
(740) 474-8896
www.ohiochristian.edu/admissions/undergrad/index.htm

Ohio Dominican University
1216 Sunbury Road
Columbus, OH 43219
(614) 253-2741

Ohio Northern University
525 S. Main St
Ada, OH 45810-1599
(419) 772-2000
www-new.onu.edu/admissions

Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute
1328 Dover Rd
Wooster, OH 44691-4000
(330) 264-3911
www.atiadmissions.org/

Ohio State University-Main Campus
190 N. Oval Mall
Columbus, OH 43210
(614) 292-6446
www.osu.edu/futurestudents/

Student Review: “During my time in the teaching program, I especially enjoyed the opportunities I was given to be inside the classroom and actually practice the art of teaching, not just talking about it in a college classroom. I was able to work with an adult learner to teach basic computer skills. This was my first time really teaching someone something in a formal setting and it made me more at ease when I was eventually put in the classroom because I had experience working one on one with a student. I was also able to experience many different classrooms in three different schools before my student teaching experience which helped me get acclimated to the high school environment again. One thing I like about those three experiences was that each schools was different from the other; one being a career-tech school, one being a suburban school, and one being in an urban setting.” -Chase M., student at Ohio State University

Ohio University-Main Campus
Athens, OH 45701-2979
(740) 593-1000

Student Review: “I am now a senior at Ohio University. I have taken many different courses and I feel that my education courses will greatly help me in the classroom later in life. During the summer months I work at a summer camp and I have taken information I have learned about children and their learning styles into my counselor experience. Many of my professors used to be school teachers, so they were experienced in the field. I have had internships and volunteer hours of working in the classroom with multiple age groups which has helped me determine which age group I would like to work with. Overall I think the teaching program at my university is excellent and will really help me in the real world once I graduate.” -Tana M., student at Ohio University

Ohio Wesleyan University
61 S Sandusky Street
Delaware, OH 43015-2370
(740) 368-2000
admission.owu.edu/

Otterbein College
One Otterbein College
Westerville, OH 43081
(614) 890-3000
www.otterbein.edu/admission/index.asp

Owens Community College
30335 Oregon Rd
Perrysburg, OH 43551
(567) 661-7000
www.owens.edu/enroll_future/index.html

Shawnee State University
940 Second St
Portsmouth, OH 45662
(740) 354-3205
www.shawnee.edu/off/adms/index.html

Terra State Community College
2830 Napoleon Rd
Fremont, OH 43420-9670
(419) 334-8400

The College of Wooster
1189 Beall Avenue
Wooster, OH 44691
(330) 263-2000
admissions.wooster.edu/

The University of Findlay
1000 N Main St
Findlay, OH 45840-3653
(419) 422-8313
www.findlay.edu/admissions/default.htm

University of Akron Main Campus
302 Buchtel Common
Akron, OH 44325-4702
(330) 972-7111
www.uakron.edu/admissions/

Student Review: “The University of Akron is a great school with a great commuter atmosphere and professors who are dedicated to your success. The school offers many programs and classes in almost every discipline imaginable, and has almost no prerequisite requirements for any of the classes, allowing a student to take any class he or she deems will benefit his or her education. The professors at the University come from all over the world and are experts in their respective fields; the laboratories in the biology and chemistry building are state of the art and are open during campus hours to all students to conduct research or work on lab projects for classes. The university also has a lot of free activities that students can participate in and famous artists, such as 303 frequently visit the school and give free performances.” -Angad S., student at University of Akron

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
2624 Clifton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0063
(513) 556-6000

Student Review: “One of the things that I have liked about the University of Cincinnati are the teachers. In my program, it seems like all of the professors care about the students’ success both inside and outside the classroom. If they understand that you are someone who is quiet and introverted, like me, then they seem to identify that and know the ways to approach the subject with you to help you out. There is a lot to do on campus – clubs, fraternities, stores, restaurants, etc. The dorms are pretty great too; I lived in two of the dorms for two years and loved my experience there.” -Brian J., student at University of Cincinnati

University of Dayton
300 College Pk
Dayton, OH 45469
(937) 229-1000
admission.udayton.edu

University of Rio Grande
218 N College Ave
Rio Grande, OH 45674
(740) 245-7206
www.urg.edu/admissions/index.php

University of Toledo
2801 W Bancroft
Toledo, OH 43606-3390
(419) 530-4636
utoledo.edu/admission/

Urbana University
579 College Way
Urbana, OH 43078-2091
(937) 484-1301

Ursuline College
2550 Lander Rd
Pepper Pike, OH 44124
(440) 449-4200
www.ursuline.edu

Walsh University
2020 East Maple St
North Canton, OH 44720-3396
(330) 499-7090
www.walsh.edu/visit

Wilmington College
1870 Quaker Way
Wilmington, OH 45177
(800) 341-9318

Wright State University-Main Campus
3640 Colonel Glenn Highway
Dayton, OH 45435-0001
(937) 775-3333
www.wright.edu/admissions/

Xavier University
3800 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45207-1092
(513) 745-3000
www.xavier.edu/admission

Youngstown State University
One University Plaza
Youngstown, OH 44555-0001
(877) 468-6978
www.ysu.edu/admissions/

Page edited by Charles Sipe.