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Endorsements

An endorsement signifies the subject area in which a teacher is prepared and authorized to teach.

Whitworth University is approved by the State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board to offer the following endorsements:

Undergraduate Program Graduate Program Teacher Certification Program
Biology Biology Biology
Chemistry Chemistry Chemistry
Computer Science    
  Early Childhood Special Education  
  Earth and Space Science   
Elementary Education Elementary Education Elementary Education
English Language Arts English Language Arts English Language Arts
English Language Learner English Language Learner English Language Learner
Environmental and Sustainability - specialty endorsement    
  Gifted and Talented - specialty endorsement  
Health/Fitness** Health/Fitness** Health/Fitness**
History History History
Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics
Middle Level Mathematics    
Middle Level Science    
Music: Choral Music: Choral Music: Choral
Music: General Music: General Music: General
Music: Instrumental Music: Instrumental Music: Instrumental
Physics Physics Physics
Reading    
Science* Science* Science*
Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies
Special Education Special Education  
Theater Arts   Theatre Arts
 Visual Arts Visual Arts Visual Arts
 World Languages: French or Spanish World Languages: French or Spanish World Languages: French or Spanish

NOTE: Per WAC 181-79A-132, after Sept. 1, 2019, any candidate who seeks to earn one of the following endorsements will be required to pair it with a content area endorsement (i.e., Elementary Education, History, Mathematics, etc.):

  • Bilingual Education
  • English Language Learner (ELL)
  • Special Education (SPED)
  • Early Childhood Special Education
  • General Science

For the Bilingual Education, ELL, SPED and Early Childhood Special Education endorsements, the second endorsement obtained cannot be Special Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Bilingual Education, English Language Learners, or Traffic Safety.

*Per WAC 181-79A-227, beginning Sept. 1, 2019, newly awarded General Science endorsements cannot stand alone on a certificate. Only teachers with an endorsement in Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, or Physics will be eligible to add the General Science endorsement.

**The Health/Fitness endorsement may be added through a test-only process, for already certified teachers, if a qualifying score on the WEST-E is achieved by May 19, 2019, and an application for the endorsement is submitted to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) by July 31, 2019. After May 19, 2019, the Health/Fitness endorsement may only be added through the successful completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program plus achieving a qualifying score on the WEST-E exam.

Information regarding adding additional endorsements to a teaching certificate can be found through the Professional Educator Standards Board's website at www.pesb.wa.gov.

For information on Whitworth's add-on endorsement programs, click here: Whitworth Endorsement Programs.

For additional information about how to add endorsements in Washington State, visit the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction here: OSPI Adding an Endorsement.