Calculus 1
Self-paced online Calculus 1 course (Math 165). NCCRS recommends 4 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Virginia provisional licence: which courses close the gap
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
The courses that close a Virginia provisional licence gap are the ones VDOE names on your evaluation, taken for credit at an institution accredited by an agency the U.S. Department of Education recognises. You have up to 3 years and no renewal (8VAC20-23-50). Match each deficiency to a course description and get VDOE's answer in writing.
Start from the evaluation, not a generic list
Every provisional licence is issued for allowable deficiencies, so the gap is personal. VDOE's evaluation names the endorsement content hours and any professional-studies courses still missing. Two teachers with the same endorsement can have very different lists, because their first degrees covered different courses.
Copy the list into a table with three columns: the deficiency as VDOE wrote it, the semester hours it needs, and the course you plan to use. That table becomes the core of your written question to VDOE.
| Deficiency on your evaluation | Hours needed | Course you plan to use |
|---|---|---|
| Example: mathematics content | As listed by VDOE | Calculus 1 (4 credits) |
| Example: statistics | As listed by VDOE | Principles of Statistics (3 credits) |
| Example: biology content | As listed by VDOE | Intro to Biology 1 (3 credits) |
Content gaps: where college courses usually fit
Content gaps are the most common reason to take a course during a provisional licence. A mathematics teacher may be short on calculus or discrete mathematics; a science teacher may be short on biology. These are standard lower-division courses, and many colleges teach them online.
UPI Study's mathematics and science courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. They count for VDOE only once an accredited college places the credit on its transcript, and only if VDOE agrees the course meets your listed deficiency.
- Mathematics: College Algebra, Calculus 1, Discrete Mathematics, Principles of Statistics.
- Science: Intro to Biology 1 and 2.
- Check the level: some endorsements ask for upper-level hours that a 100-level course will not meet.
Professional-studies gaps need extra care
Professional studies are the education courses for your endorsement level. Some include supervised teaching or a specific reading course. A general psychology course may not match what VDOE wants, so send the course description and ask before you spend money.
If you are on the Career Switcher route, the Level I preparation of 180 clock hours and the Level II seminars come from an approved Career Switcher programme. A college course does not replace them.
The transcript route, step by step
VDOE reads transcripts from accredited institutions, so plan the college step first. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and Newlane is a partner college too. Ask the college's transfer office whether it would post the credit for you, and what it charges.
Then study, send your ACE or NCCRS record to the college, wait for the credit to post, and order that college's official transcript for VDOE. Leave several weeks for each hand-off before your licence's end date.
- Week 1: written questions to VDOE and the college.
- Months 1-3: courses on PRO, one or two at a time.
- Then: records to the college, transcript to VDOE.
What to ask VDOE in writing
Keep it short and specific. Name your licence number, the deficiency exactly as written, the course title, its credits and the college that would transcript it. Attach the course description. Ask whether that course, on that college's transcript, would meet the deficiency. Keep the reply with your licence papers.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask VDOE licensure in writing whether a named course, shown on an accredited college's transcript, meets the deficiency listed on your provisional licence before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
How many credits do I need to clear a Virginia provisional licence?
It depends on your endorsement and your own record. VDOE lists the exact content and professional-studies hours on your evaluation. The rule sets the time limit, up to three years with no renewal, rather than one fixed credit total for every teacher.
Can I clear content and professional studies at the same time?
Usually yes, if your schedule allows. Many teachers take one content course and one education course together. Plan around the licence end date and the time a college needs to post credit and send the transcript to VDOE.
Will a 100-level course meet an upper-level content deficiency?
Often not. If VDOE asks for upper-level hours, a lower-division course may not match. Read the wording on your evaluation and ask VDOE in writing before you enrol in any course.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Principles of Statistics
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Intro to Biology 1
Self-paced online Intro to Biology 1 course (Biology 100). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Every course in one plan. Ask VDOE in writing first, then study the agreed courses at your own pace.
Sources
- 8VAC20-23-50. Types of licenses; dating licenses (Virginia Administrative Code) (official)The Provisional License is nonrenewable, valid up to 3 years (Career Switcher: 1 year at first), issued for allowable deficiencies; all requirements and licensure assessments must be completed within its validity; a baccalaureate from an accredited institution is required. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- 8VAC20-23-10. Definitions (Virginia Administrative Code) (official)Accredited institution means an institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting agency recognised by the U.S. Department of Education; the provisional licence is defined as nonrenewable for allowable deficiencies. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- 8VAC20-23-90. Alternate route to licensure (Virginia Administrative Code) (official)Career Switcher needs a bachelor's degree, endorsement requirements, 3 years of work experience and qualifying test scores, then 180 clock hours (Level I) and 5 seminars of 20 hours (Level II); the alternate route needs employment by a Virginia educational agency, the endorsement requirements and professional studies. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.