Career Switcher

Continuing Education

Old Dominion University will no longer be admitting new cohorts to the Career Switcher program. Although we will continue to support current students enrolled in the Career Switcher program, we will no longer be offering the program for prospective students. However, we are pleased to work with you to find the right path to becoming a licensed teacher!

ODU offers several graduate-level pathways to becoming a teacher. If you are interested in exploring opportunities in an online teacher licensure program, please click on the following link to request more information https://online.odu.edu/#talk-to-us. If you are interested in teaching, but are not sure what grade level or content area to pursue, please schedule an appointment with Kimberly Horne, a recruitment and enrollment specialist for the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies. Please use the following calendar link to schedule a 1:1 session with her: https://calendly.com/d/yp4-9fh-nrw/enrollment-information-session.

If you are a current Level I or Level II or former Career Switcher with questions about pending Level I requirements, Level II modules, or related issues, please contact Samantha Fabio at sfabio@odu.edu or Pete Baker at pbaker@odu.edu. For questions about program verification, please contact Jennessa Libby-Reynolds at jlibbyre@odu.edu

  • 94%

    Effectively met Virginia's Uniform Performance Standards for Teachers

  • 91%

    Employer Satisfaction Rate

  • 89%

    Hire Rate

Old Dominion University has offered the Career Switcher Program on behalf of the Virginia Department of Education since 2000.

Varied program formats allow for extremely accelerated training while accommodating participants who wish to remain employed in their current jobs while pursuing licensure.

Candidates are placed in school classrooms where they observe instruction and are given the opportunity to make contacts in school districts while gaining knowledge about teacher responsibilities and instructional strategies.

Certified by the VDOE

Career Switcher is certified by the Virginia Department of Education. 

Tasked by the Virginia General Assembly and the Board of Education, ODU launched the state's pilot Career Switcher Program in 1999. Since then, thousands of ODU-trained career switchers have become educators.

Virginia Department of Education

Level II Information for Currently Enrolled Students

Level II preparation begins during the first year of employment. Career Switchers attend a minimum of five seminars to expand the intensive preparation requirements associated with instructional categories and topics. The five seminars award a minimum of 20 cumulative instructional hours and feature various instructional techniques. During Level II, a trained public or private mentor is assigned to assist the candidate throughout the first year of employment.

Read the detailed requirements on the Virginia Department of Education website
Read the full description of Level II Workshops

Technology education teacher leans over to talk to students seated at a table with a laptop and tablet

This section is for Level II enrolled students, only

Questions? We're here to help.

Contact Continuing Education