About the Graduate Certificate in Preparing Future Faculty
Are you aspiring to become a faculty member at a college or university? The Graduate Certificate in Preparing Future Faculty equips you with the skills, experience, and knowledge needed to thrive in academia. Through this certificate program, you will:
- Gain Insight into Faculty Careers – Explore different types of faculty positions and higher education institutions to find the right fit for your future.
- Build a Competitive Academic Portfolio – Develop essential materials, including teaching, research, diversity statements, sample syllabi, and curriculum vitae.
- Get Hands-On Teaching Experience – Work directly with seasoned faculty mentors to refine your teaching pedagogy and classroom effectiveness.
- Enhance Your Professional Development – Learn how to integrate teaching, research, and service within faculty roles while building a strong network of mentors and peers. This certificate helps prepare graduate and doctoral students interested in teaching in higher education as it encompasses many aspects of faculty life, norms and culture.
The Graduate Certificate in Preparing Future Faculty provides experiences and resources for success in academia, preparing graduates to step confidently into a faculty role.
Career Paths
- Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor Lecturer
- Adjunct, Teaching, Research or Clinical Faculty
- Visiting Professor
- Postdoctoral Researcher
At a Glance
Certificate Earned
Certificate in Preparing Future Faculty
Credits: 12
Application Semester and Deadline
Fall 2026: July 1
Program Modality
Online*
*All core courses are offered online
Estimated Completion Time
Part-time: average completion in 2-4 semesters
What our students are saying:
"One thing is certain: I will become a professor, tenure-track or not. This class has been invaluable in helping me understand what to expect on either path."
“What I appreciated most was how practical everything was. The assignments weren't just busy work - they were things we could actually use in real life, whether for job applications or professional development. It made the coursework feel worthwhile, and I walked away with materials I'll actually use.”
Admission requirements
| Degree: | Semester(s) of entry: | Deadline dates: | Test requirements: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Fall | Apr 1 |
The admission requirements outlined below will apply to all students. All applicants to the graduate certificate programs are required to meet the admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School. Applicants will be required to submit the following materials to the Graduate School admissions office:
- Application form and application fee
- Three letters of recommendation, professional and/or academic
- Official undergraduate transcripts from all schools attended
- A personal statement of purpose outlining career goals
- A resume stating relevant work experience
No transfer credit hours are accepted for this certificate program. Credits from a degree already awarded cannot be applied toward the certificate.
For international students, the following is required:
- Submit an official transcript evaluation from a recognized foreign educational credentials evaluation service accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).
- A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum composite score of 100 for the Internet Based Test (IBT) or 600 for the paper-based score; or an International English language Testing System (IELTS) score minimum of 6.5 on the academic exam.
- A score of 68 or higher on the VCU English Language Program Compression test. Students who do not achieve a score of 68 will be placed in the appropriate level English language proficiency courses.
Students in the Certificate of Preparing Future Faculty program must complete 12 hours of coursework.
Degree requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core courses | ||
| EDUS 640 EDUS 640. The Academic Profession. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online). 3 credits. Designed to introduce graduate students to the roles and responsibilities of faculty members in institutions of higher education. Through readings, discussion and conversations with faculty members from a variety of settings, students will learn about the changing social expectations for higher education, the diverse settings in which faculty work and strategies for developing and presenting marketable academic skills. Graded as pass/fail. | The Academic Profession | 3 |
| EDUS 650 EDUS 650. College Teaching and Learning. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online). 3 credits. This class is designed to provide students with positive, informative and useful experiences that will help them develop an understanding of effective instruction and themselves as effective instructors in higher education. Graded as pass/fail. | College Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| GRAD 606 GRAD 606. Internship/Externship in Professional Teaching. 3 Hours.
Intern course; 3 practicum hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisites: EDUS 640 and EDUS 650. Enrollment is restricted to graduate or professional students, with permission of the office of the Certificate in Preparing Future Faculty. The internship in professional teaching is the capstone experience of the preparing future faculty program in which students will gain experience and practice in clinical/field or studio instruction under the tutelage of a senior faculty mentor at an institution that most likely mirrors the institution of interest to the student. Each internship/externship course requires approximately 150 contact hours in the form of preparing for and carrying out the project. Graded as pass/fail. | Internship/Externship in Professional Teaching | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three credits from the following with approval from the program director. | 3 | |
GRAD 604 GRAD 604. Teaching, Learning, Technology and the Future of Higher Education. 2 Hours.
Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 2 credits. The course is designed to provide students with an introduction to contemporary technologies and the implications for instructional practices that can serve as both a foundation and a process for continued growth and development in understanding teaching and learning. Throughout the course students will explore and critically examine how the World Wide Web and emerging digital technologies are changing the landscape of learning in higher education. Class sessions will consider key instructional contexts/issues and explore the ways in which digital technology might enhance learning. Specific attention will be given to the ways in which students explore, select, use and assess the use of technology in teaching. Graded as pass/fail. | Teaching, Learning, Technology and the Future of Higher Education | |
GRAD 691 GRAD 691. Topics in Graduate Education. 1-15 Hours.
Semester course; 1-15 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 1-15 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of 15 credits. Enrollment is restricted to graduate, postgraduate and professional students. A seminar course for the examination of specialized issues, topics, readings, problems or areas of interest for all graduate students, such as the responsible conduct of research, globalization, mentoring, service-learning and areas of interest for graduate students interested in careers within and outside of academe. Graded as pass/fail. | Topics in Graduate Education | |
OVPR 603 OVPR 603. Responsible Conduct of Research. 1 Hour.
Short course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Restricted to graduate or professional students, with preference given to Preparing Future Faculty students. Registration requires permission of PFF Program office. This course is designed to provide a learning experience that will enable students to develop and refine skills needed to solve problems involving relevant topic areas of responsible scientific conduct and to clearly articulate ethically and legally acceptable solutions to problems posed about scientific conduct. Content of the course includes relevant guidelines, policies and laws bearing on the conduct of scientific research including those dealing with scientific authorship, use of humans and animals in research, conflict of interest, data ownership, scientific record keeping, collaborative research, and ownership, protection and use of intellectual property in the arena of scientific research. Conventions and normative behavior related to responsibilities in the scientific mentor-trainee relationship will also be covered. Graded as pass/fail. | Responsible Conduct of Research | |
| A relevant 500-level course, including topics related to education, teaching and learning, or professional development. | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Students who complete the requirements for this program will receive a Certificate in Preparing Future Faculty.
The VCU Bulletin is the official source for academic course and program information.