Program Highlights

• 9-27 semester hours of coursework focused on a chosen area
• Courses taught by highly trained faculty with substantial P-12 experience
• Courses meet weekly during the "after school hours" to meet the needs of working educators 
• Competitively priced tuition and rolling admission 
• Faculty with demonstrated academic expertise

Scholarship Opportunities 

For additional program specific information, visit the School of Education.

Graduate School Application

Program Areas

• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement

Please Note: The School of Education has placed a one year pause on accepting applications for the ESOL CERT program due to program restructuring.

• Higher Education and Student Affairs 
• Principal License (formerly known as IAL or Preliminary Administrator License)
• Professional Administrator License (formerly named CAL)
• Reading Intervention Endorsement 
• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialization
• Special Education Generalist Endorsement 

Admission Requirements

• Statement of Goals
• Current Resume
• Two Letters of Recommendation
  • The online application will provide the opportunity to enter contact information for your references and an email will be sent to the reference directly, prompting them to upload either a Word or PDF letter.
  • Alternatively, letters may either be emailed as a signed attachment to gradschl@up.edu or sent via mail to ATTN: Graduate School, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97203, directly by the reference.
  • Not required for the Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program 
• Copy of U.S. issued teaching license (must be current and valid) 
  • For the Preliminary Administrator (Principal) License specialty option, a counseling license may be submitted in lieu of a teaching license 
    • Note: The Preliminary Administrator (Principal) License specialty option requires a minimum of 3 years of in-school experience as a licensed educator for admission
  • The Professional Administrator License specialty option requires a valid license in one of these categories: Principal License, Preliminary Administrator License, or Initial Administrator License for admission 
  • A teaching license is not required for the higher education and student affairs certificate option
• Official Transcripts (from all previously attended academic institutions)
  • Must be submitted directly from the institution or in a sealed envelope given to the applicant directly from the academic institution
  • A master's degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the University of Portland is required 

International Applicants: an official score from either the TOEFL (minimum score of 88) or IELTS (minimum score of 7.0) exam is required

Application Timeline

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the following deadlines: 

Fall Semester Start: July 15

Spring Semester Start: December 15

Summer Semester Start: April 15 

Program Contact

Riley Bradach | bradach@up.edu | 503.943.8257