The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) offers the Certificate of Teaching Excellence (CTE) Program to provide UCI graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with extended, flexible, and self-paced pedagogical training. Participants engage in interactive lessons, workshops or readings, peer discussions, teaching observations, and the development of pedagogical materials.
By the completion of this program, participants will be able to:
Design lessons that integrate evidence-based teaching strategies.
Evaluate teaching through structured peer observations and self-reflection.
Facilitate learning by applying diverse, pedagogically-grounded instructional techniques.
Pathways to Completion
Enroll in UNI STU 390X: Developing Teaching Excellence Course
- UNI STU 390X: Developing Teaching Excellence is a seminar-style course that meets weekly throughout Fall Quarter..
- Features structured peer learning in an interdisciplinary community.
- Appears on your transcript.
- Requires additional observation sets to fulfill CTE requirements.
Pros: High structure, consistent peer interaction, transcript recognition.
Cons: Fixed meeting schedule and regular assignments may be time-intensive; currently only available during Fall Quarter.
Note: Completing UNI STU 390X by Fall Quarter (or the self-paced CTE option by December 1) makes you eligible to apply for the Pedagogical Scholars Program.
Self-Paced Completion via Canvas
- Complete online modules at your own pace while affiliated with UCI.
- Modules include reflections on readings/workshops, peer observations, and teaching demonstrations.
- Finish with an exit interview.
Enroll here: Certificate in Teaching Excellence Canvas Course
Pros: Flexible schedule; complete requirements gradually.
Cons: May take longer than a quarter; less accountability and community interaction.
Department-Specific Pedagogy Course (Approved Equivalency)
- Some pedagogy courses offered by departments may count toward the Certificate (see “Course Equivalencies” section below).
- These must be paired with additional CTE requirements via Canvas.
- Contact Dr. Alex Bower (ahbower@uci.edu) with proof of completion of approved course.
Pros: Leverages coursework that may already appear on your transcript.
Cons: Not all courses meet full requirements; supplemental work may be required.
Course Equivalencies
Below is a table of department-specific pedagogy courses and what CTE modules each fulfills. Please note that we still require a syllabus submission on Canvas, even if the indicated course satisfies the Course Design requirement.
| Course | Active Learning | Assessment | Collaborative Learning | Inclusive Teaching | How People Learn | Instructional Technology | Course Design | Observation of Someone Else | Self-Reflection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICS 398A & B | x | x | x | x | |||||
| EDUC 226 (University Teaching: Concepts and Practices) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 1 | 1 |
| ENGLISH 398 | x | x | 1 | 1 | |||||
| HUM 398A & B | x | x | x | 3 | 3 | ||||
| PSCI P270 (Psychology of Pedagogy) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Improv for Teaching | x | ||||||||
| Activate to Captivate (Public Speaking) | x | ||||||||
| ENGR 290 (Developing Teaching Excellence) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 1 | 1 |
| ANTHRO 289 (Teaching Anthropology) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 3 | 0 |
| Teaching Together Learning Community | x | x | x | x | x | ||||
| DTEI Grad Fellows *Note: other module topics may be waived based on experience. | x | x | |||||||
| Humanities Pedagogical Certificate Program | x | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Mellon 5+2 | x | x | x |