Oregon Teacher Certification

How to Become a Teacher in Oregon

The state of Oregon offers several different licensure options for candidates wishing to earn an Oregon teacher certification and teach in Oregon. Those candidates following a traditional route to certification will first be issued an Initial Teaching License, after which they can become eligible for more tenured levels of certification such as Basic Teaching, Standard, Teaching, and Continuing Teaching. Eligible applicants who seek certification through an alternative route may receive an Emergency Teaching certificate, a Restricted Transitional Teaching license, a Limited certificate, a Three-Year Career and Technical Education Teaching License, or a NCLB Alternative Route Teaching license, depending upon their qualifications.

Quick Guide

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

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Oregon Teacher Education Requirements

Oregon State SealEligible candidates for teacher certification are traditionally those who have completed an approved teacher preparation program that culminated in a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institute of higher learning. Certain levels of certification such as the Standard Teaching designation require that the candidate hold a master’s degree or higher. Candidates who have not completed a teacher preparation program but have at least a bachelor’s degree may qualify for alternative certification.

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Profiles of Well Known Schools

Oregon State University: Oregon State University’s College of Education is located in Furman Hall on the beautiful campus of OSU in Corvallis. OSU teacher education programs now serve about 1,800 students, about 1,500 undergraduates and about 300 graduate students. Oregon State faculty members believe in spending much of their time devoted to mentoring and developing undergraduate students in addition to conducting research. This philosophy means undergraduate education students have the opportunity to study under the tutelage of full-time tenured faculty who are at the forefront of their fields. The most popular undergraduate major in the School of Education is k-8 teaching, which prepares students to educate students within the k-8 system in Oregon. Popular graduate majors include the Master’s in Teaching (MAT) as well as the Master’s in Educational Leadership, which prepares students for administrative positions in education.

University of Oregon: The University of Oregon’s College of Education houses the departments of counseling psychology and human services, education studies, educational methodology, policy and leadership, and special education and clinical studies. Each department offers current and future educators several degrees to choose from. Offerings include added subjects and added endorsements that are designed to take the educator to new heights in his or her career and area of interest. In addition to coursework taught by outstanding faculty members, there are a wide range of student services each UO student can partake in. Those services include mentoring, academic advising, research opportunities, and time spent in the classroom.

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Oregon Teacher Outlook as of 2012
In January of 2012, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Oregon’s unemployment rate at 9.6%, slightly higher than the national average of 8.5%. The Occupational Supply and Demand System projects 3,130 annual job openings in education and library related fields in Oregon through 2018. In fall 2008 and 2007 respectively, the National Center for Education Statistics reported 30,152 public school and 4,740 private school teachers employed in Oregon. The average beginning teaching salary is $31,556 and the overall average teaching salary is $56,503, the 15th highest average among US states according to the National Education Association. The NEA characterizes Oregon’s education job market as tight in all areas except special education and some specialty areas. A nationwide increase in retirement rate, due to an aging teaching population, may increase employment opportunity over the next few years. However, subject specialization and additional degrees or certification will likely improve employability across the state. The Oregon Education Association includes updates on job opportunities, policy changes and budget allocation for Oregon educators and is a good resource for newly certified teachers interested in Oregon. For information regarding state certification, please contact local education and teaching schools and degree programs.

Oregon Teacher Testing Requirements

Oregon is the first state in the nation to adopt a new set of teacher certification tests from Pearson called the National Evaluation Series (NES). This series is designed to assess the teaching candidate’s propensity for higher order thinking skills, pedagogical knowledge, and subject-area expertise. The tests use the latest in assessment technology to allow candidates the option of taking their tests online and seeing the results right away. This new series of tests will replace the Praxis series as the state’s teacher-certification assessment requirement.

Oregon Teacher Salary and Jobs

Type Number Employed Average Annual Salary
Preschool Teachers 5,670 $26,510
Kindergarten Teachers 1,800 $49,420
Elementary School Teachers 13,300 $53,250
Middle School Teachers 6,710 $52,500
Secondary School Teachers 9,990 $53,810

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

School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Oregon

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...
University of Phoenix

Popular Programs:

  • M.A. in Education/Early Childhood Ed.
  • M.A. in Education/Secondary Teacher Education
  • Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Teacher Education - High School/Middle Level
  • B.S. in Education / Elementary Education
  • 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

Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Oregon

Blue Mountain Community College
2411 NW Carden Ave
Pendleton, OR 97801
(541) 276-1260
www.bluecc.edu/cat_geninfo_admproc_degcert

Chemeketa Community College
4000 Lancaster Dr NE
Salem, OR 97305
(503) 399-5000
www.chemeketa.edu/started/

Concordia University-Portland
2811 NE Holman Street
Portland, OR 97211-6099
(503) 288-9371
www.cu-portland.edu/Admissions

Eastern Oregon University
One University Blvd
La Grande, OR 97850
(541) 962-3672
www.eou.edu/admit/

George Fox University
414 N Meridian St
Newberg, OR 97132
(503) 538-8383
www.georgefox.edu/admission/index.html

Lewis & Clark College
0615 S W Palatine Hill Rd
Portland, OR 97219-7899
(503) 768-7000
www.lclark.edu/dept/admiss/

Linfield College
900 SE Baker
McMinnville, OR 97128-6894
(503) 883-2200
www.linfield.edu/admission/

Linn-Benton Community College
6500 Pacific Blvd SW
Albany, OR 97321
(541) 917-4999
www.linnbenton.edu/go/admissions

Mt Hood Community College
26000 SE Stark St
Gresham, OR 97030
(503) 491-6422
www.mhcc.edu/admissions

Northwest Christian University
828 East 11th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97401-3745
(541) 343-1641
www.northwestchristian.edu/admissions/

Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331
(541) 737-0123
oregonstate.edu/admissions/index.php

Pacific University
2043 College Way
Forest Grove, OR 97116
(877) 722-8648
www.pacificu.edu/admissions/

Portland Community College
12000 SW 49th Avenue
Portland, OR 97219-7132
(503) 244-6111
www.pcc.edu/admissions/

Student Review: “I have had a great experience with Portland Community College. I enrolled in my classes before I’d moved here and had tons of help from the financial aid office. I’ve attended PCC three terms now. I’ve always been able to get the class or teacher that I wanted. If you carefully select your professors you’ll get great ones. There’s also an exorbitant amount of help with classwork offered in the Tutoring Center. All of my professors have also been able to help me via office hours. I’ve had several students who have transferred to university tell me to get all I can out of the resources PCC has to offer, because once you get to the university everything gets very impersonal. I’ve never had a teacher there who didn’t know my name at the end of the term. PCC also has a great scholarship application program; once a year students fill out one application that applies to hundreds of local scholarships. I’ve never gotten one but I know people that have. The streamlined scholarship process makes it much easier to apply for the aid a student needs.” -Cora S., student at Portland Community College
Student Review: “I was taking general studies to get pre-requisites out of the way to apply for a degree. Since I have two children, the online classes were my best option at the time. The online classes though were sometimes hard to navigate and the options for the classes weren’t as substantial as the campus offerings. Since I didn’t have the required credits, I typically had to apply later for classes than others, and by then there wasn’t much left. I had to take classes that I had not much interest in, since the availability could be difficult. Even for these classes, I would have to be put on a waiting list. For what people pay for college, It would be nice to have better customer service, and not be considered to be “replaceable.” I think that people that attend college should not be considered to be a “dime a dozen”, which is truly the case. Though colleges have an overload of students, it would be nice to be given some consideration. Overall, this college is mediocre. I will not be attending again.” -Leanne G., student at Portland Community College

Portland State University
724 SW Harrison
Portland, OR 97201
(503) 725-4433
www.pdx.edu/admissions/

Student Review: “Portland State is right in the center of downtown Portland. Because of that, the stated goal of working with the community really happens there. Many of the professors stay in contact with local businesses and invite influential guests for presentations. Portland State works with many government agencies, so a student can gain a good understanding of the government community as well as the business community. At least in my department, there could be a bit more coordination between professors subject matter and, specifically, software. At times it was not clear whether we were intended to learn the subject or just the software. Portland State is a low-pressure university. There was not much competition to be the best. Most students were interested in learning, but were not under the illusion that to win, others had to fail. Perhaps a bit more communication amongst the professors and tougher grading would help Portland State’s academic reputation. As an interface between government, business, and even the nearby research hospital, Portland State is in an enviable position.” -Brian M., student at Portland State University

Southern Oregon University
1250 Siskiyou Blvd
Ashland, OR 97520
(541) 552-7672
www.sou.edu/admissions/

Southwestern Oregon Community College
1988 Newmark Ave
Coos Bay, OR 97420-2193
(541) 888-2525
www.socc.edu/admissions/

Treasure Valley Community College
650 College Blvd
Ontario, OR 97914
(541) 881-8822
www.tvcc.cc

Umpqua Community College
1140 College Rd.
Roseburg, OR 97470-0226
(541) 440-4600
www.umpqua.edu/admissions

University of Oregon
110 Johnson Hall
Eugene, OR 97403
(541) 346-1000
admissions.uoregon.edu

University of Portland
5000 N Willamette Blvd
Portland, OR 97203-5798
(503) 943-7911

Warner Pacific College
2219 SE 68th Ave
Portland, OR 97215-4026
(503) 517-1000
www.warnerpacific.edu/admissions.aspx

Western Oregon University
345 N Monmouth Ave
Monmouth, OR 97361-1394
(503) 838-8000
www.wou.edu/student/admissions/index.php

Page edited by Charles Sipe.

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