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: July 1
Spring: November 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 | July 1 | |
| Spring | Nov 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 | ||
| EDUC 670 EDUC 670. Internship/Externship in Professional Teaching. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 practicum hours (delivered online). 3 credits. Prerequisite: EDUS 640. Enrollment is restricted to graduate or professional students, with permission of the office of the Certificate in Preparing Future Faculty. The course 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. A proposal agreement must be signed by the faculty mentor who will direct the project and assign the final grade and must be submitted to the PFF program coordinator for approval before the student enrolls or begins the internship/externship. The proposal must define the project and the intended outcomes, must specify the learning goals and the agreed-upon methods for evaluation, and must identify the institution where the project will take place. At the end of the project, the student must submit to the faculty mentor a report describing the experience and the extent to which the stated goals were accomplished. The faculty mentor will submit the student report, along with an evaluation of the project and the grade to be awarded, to the PFF program coordinator. The course requires approximately 150 contact hours in the form of preparing and completing the project. The student's role is to be comparable to a “junior faculty member” and the faculty member serves as guide and mentor. Graded as pass/fail. | Internship/Externship in Professional Teaching | 3 |
| 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 |
| Electives | ||
| 500-level course (approved by the director) | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
The minimum total of credit hours required for this certificate is 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.