Residency Teacher Certificate
Teacher Certification
The “Residency Certificate (First Issue)” is the name of the teaching certificate you will earn in your WWU teacher preparation program. It will be issued to you by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instructions (OSPI) when all requirements have been verified as complete. This is the license that allows you to teach in the state of Washington.
Your teaching certificate will list one or more endorsements indicating the grade level and subject you are authorized to teach, such as Elementary Education, Special Education, Chemistry, Visual Arts, etc. You may find a list of the requirements for each endorsement on the WCE endorsement page
If you want to become a teacher, visit our teacher education admissions page.
Application Process
Bellingham campus and Teacher Education Outreach Program (TEOP) students apply for their Residency certificate and pay a $74 certification fee through the OSPI E-Certification system, following completion of all requirements and recommendation by the WCE Certification Office.