Professional Development for Educators

At the University of Richmond, we train and value educators. The School of Professional & Continuing Studies offers graduate classes each semester to meet the professional development needs of Central Virginia’s professional educators and school leaders.

We recognize the unique needs and schedules of professional educators. Most of our faculty are current or former public school teachers and administrators, so they recognize that teachers need classes at particular times on specialized subjects at a price that’s affordable.

That’s why we offer professional development classes for educators at times and in formats that are convenient to educators. We offer classes during fall, spring and summer terms.

We offer in-person classes on the University of Richmond campus in late afternoons or early evenings. We also offer online asynchronous classes, which are instructor-led, self-paced learning experiences, and online synchronous classes, which are live, remote instruction experiences. And we combine the best of online learning and in-person interaction in hybrid classes, too.

That’s also why we offer professional development classes for educators at a substantial discount. A 3-credit graduate class costs $800 — currently 63% less than the standard graduate rate* for a 3-credit class.

* Based on 2024-25 tuition rates: See current degree program tuition rates.

What We Offer

We offer professional development coursework for educators in the following categories:

Available Courses & Application

  • Review a planning matrix of professional development classes that we offer on a regular schedule to plan for your next class.
  • See the list of classes currently available for registration and record course registration numbers (CRNs) for registration.
  • Apply to take a class by completing our application, then registering online once your application is processed.

Additional Opportunities

If professional education is only a starting place for your teaching career, we offer part-time Master of Education degrees in Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Leadership & Policy Studies. If you already have a master’s degree and want to lead a school, we offer a part-time post-master’s certificate in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, too.

We’re also the home for Partners in the Arts, Richmond’s premier arts integration and arts-in-education training program for educators. Partners in the Arts offers the Arts Integration Learning Certificate (coming soon), a professional credential certifying your expertise in integrating arts and creativity in your classroom and community, and the Joan Oates Institute for Partners in the Arts, a workshop-based training program for area school teachers, especially teaching teams.

We can arrange to work with schools and school divisions to provide custom coursework and training in effective arts integration practices through Partners in the Arts. We can also arrange school- and division-specific cohorts for course series, like those required for the Gifted Education, Special Education and ESL endorsements. And we can provide custom solutions by contract for coursework on specializations, like trauma-informed care and instructional coaching.