Professional Development Resources: Affordable Online Universities
When choosing an online program keep in mind:
Asynchronous: In these programs, you complete coursework at your own pace, adhering to deadlines but without real-time, live virtual meetings. While some programs may offer optional virtual sessions, they aren't required for completion.
Synchronous: These programs require live, real-time participation in a virtual classroom with your cohort. You'll log in at set times for interactive sessions.
Hybrid: Some universities offer a blend of both asynchronous and synchronous learning, providing flexibility while also including live interaction opportunities.
Practicum & Clinical Hours
Educator licensure programs almost always require practicum or clinical hours. This means you'll need to complete a minimum number of supervised teaching hours at an accredited educational institution within a specified time-frame. During this experience, you'll generally be guided by a licensed educator or administrator who serves as your mentor.
State Teaching Licenses & University Degrees
It's important to understand that states grant teaching licenses, not universities. While completing an accredited university program is a key step, it doesn't guarantee licensure. Each state has its own specific requirements for teacher certification, including varying testing procedures. Testing is often conducted at designated testing centers like Pearson, though some states may offer proctored online exams. In order to complete most teacher training programs you must pass all of your state licensure exams, however licensure exams may not be required for some postgraduate degrees or masters school programs. Universities offer various academic degrees (undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degrees related to education, these may or may not offer a path to certification.
TeacherReady Online Certification University of West Florida
TeacherReady is a certification program through the University of West Florida. Designed for potential educators who have a bachelor’s degree in a non-education field, a great option for a transitioning into teaching from another career, estimated* cost $5,400 (TeacherReady Online Certification, 2025).
American College of Education Accredited Degrees Online
The American College of Education offers a variety of certificate, bachelors and masters degree programs related to education from Adult Education and Training, Certificate in Transition to Teaching Secondary Education to masters programs in Curriculum and Design or Elementary Education, they “unapologetically” offer high quality, low tuituion cost programs. Estimated* prices range from $4,800 for their certificate program to $10,000 for education masters degrees (American College of Education, n.d.).
Moreland University offers their TEACH-NOW Teacher preparation Certificate Program which offers teacher training and preparation courses in pedagogy and teachers skills for an estimated cost of $7,200 (Moreland University, n.d.).
University of Sunderland
University of Sunderland: A UK based university that offers a Postgraduate Certification in Education and well as and international Qualified Teacher Status PGCE iQTS with an estimated* cost of $12,800. The program consists of 36 weeks which develop teacher practices including skills and pedagogy for international teaching or for teaching in England (University of Sunderland, n.d.).
All mentioned prices are estimates based on publicly available information.
References
American College of Education. (n.d.). Online Degree Programs & Courses. Retrieved June 4, 2025, from https://ace.edu/degree-programs/
Moreland University. (n.d.). Online, Accredited & Alternative Teacher Certification Program. Retrieved June 4, 2025, from https://moreland.edu/teacher-certification-program-online
University of Sunderland. (n.d.). PGCE iQTS (DL). Retrieved June 4, 2025, from https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/study/education/pgce-iqts/
University of West Florida. (2025). TeacherReady Online Certification. Retrieved from TeacherReady Online Certification | University of West Florida
