Have you been working toward a teaching endorsement? Have you completed all the requirements necessary to be eligible to apply? Find out your next steps below.
The Drake Institute reviews and awards teaching endorsements in cycles, three times per academic year. While you may apply for an endorsement at any time, reviewing the semesterly application cycles can help you know what to expect.
| Endorsement Cycle | Application Deadline | Digital Award Letters Sent |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | May 8, 2026 | June 12, 2026 |
| Summer | August 7, 2026 | September 11, 2026 |
| Autumn | December 31, 2026 | January 22, 2027 |
Ready to apply?
Follow the steps below to ensure you are ready to submit a strong application.
Step 1: Review Requirements and Your Documentation
Review the requirements for your endorsement, check over your participation records and ensure you can verify that you have satisfied the program requirements.
Step 2: Prepare for the Application Questions
No matter which endorsement you are applying for, you will be prompted to respond to questions about its content and impact on your teaching or professional growth. The application includes one reflection question and two core-competency based essay questions specific to the teaching endorsement for which you are applying.
To support your success, we have compiled the questions and response criteria for each competency area. We encourage all applicants to review the questions and response criteria prior to submitting an application. See the questions and criteria.
Step 3: Submit Your Application
Once you have reviewed your teaching endorsement's requirements, gathered your documentation and reflected upon the application questions, you are ready to submit your application. Our online Qualtrics form makes applying for endorsement simple.
If you have questions or concerns about the application process, please contact drakeinstitute@osu.edu.
Application Review Process
Your teaching endorsement application will be reviewed by Drake Institute staff following the deadline for the application cycle. Staff reviewers are trained to base their evaluations and ratings on the response criteria for the given endorsement and to advance uncertain ratings for a second review. If one or more of your answers do not fully meet the response criteria, your application may be conditionally accepted and you will have the opportunity to resubmit.
Once your application is approved, you will be sent a digital award letter from the Drake Institute and receive an endorsement certificate in BuckeyeLearn. In addition to these accolades, graduate students earning an endorsement will have the achievement included on their official Ohio State transcript as a milestone.
Please note: graduate students must apply prior to their final semester if they would like the endorsement recorded in BuckeyeLearn and added as a milestone on their transcript.
Recording Your Achievement
Your teaching endorsement award is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to professional development and teaching excellence. Consider the below suggestions for documenting your achievement.
Annual Reviews
If you are writing a description about your experience completing the Teaching Endorsement, consider describing the learning outcomes and teaching and learning core competency areas that were developed. Revisit core competency information.
BuckeyeLearn
A certificate and record of your teaching endorsement will be added to your transcript in BuckeyeLearn. Records are updated three times per year, at the completion of each Teaching Endorsement application cycle (January, June, September).
View instructions to access Buckeye Learn certificates. You may wish to print or download a copy of this individual certificate, or your complete BuckeyeLearn transcript (which will include all trainings that have been recorded in Buckeye Learn), as documentation of your professional learning.
Curriculum Vitae or Resume
Consider adding your teaching endorsement to one of the following sections:
- Education
- Professional Development (or Professional Learning)
Depending on the formatting of your Curriculum Vitae or resume, it is recommended that you include the award date (or date range of participation), name of the teaching endorsement and that it was awarded through the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning.
If you are writing a description about your experience completing the teaching endorsement, consider describing the learning outcomes and teaching and learning core competency areas that were developed. Revisit core competency information.
Ohio State Transcript (Graduate Students Only)
If you are a graduate student, your teaching endorsement will be included on your official Ohio State transcript as a milestone. Please note that you must submit your Teaching Endorsement Application prior to your final semester enrolled to have the milestone appear on your transcript. You will also have a certificate and record of your Teaching Endorsement added to your transcript in BuckeyeLearn (see above).
Promotion and Tenure
If you are preparing your core dossier, consider describing the Teaching Endorsement’s learning outcomes and core competency areas in one of the dossier narratives related to teaching (e.g., Professional Development Related to Teaching). Revisit core competency information.