The Certificate in College and University Teaching (CCUT) is designed for doctoral students who wish to demonstrate superior competence and experience in preparation for teaching at the university or college level. Official CCUT certificates are issued by the Office of the Registrar and are noted on the student's transcript. The Certificate is awarded in conjunction with a Ph.D. or MFA degree upon completion.

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CCUT Competencies

The awarding of the Certificate in College and University Teaching signifies that the applicant has demonstrated the following five competencies:

  • Apply appropriate research, theory, models, and/or principles of student learning to their teaching;
  • Plan and conduct classes and sections that incorporate instructional strategies for equitable, inclusive and accessible student learning, engaging learning activities, and formative and summative evaluation of student performance;
  • Evaluate the efficacy of a specific instructional design or “teaching innovation” to address a teaching or learning challenge, drawing on insights from the scholarship of teaching and learning.
  • Effectively instruct a class as the Instructor of Record by developing or refining a syllabus, providing feedback to enhance student learning, and appropriately evaluating student performance;
  • Cogently discuss their teaching values, practices and professional growth in terms of their teaching philosophy, student feedback on teaching, and relevant pedagogical materials.

CCUT Requirements

Candidates must complete five requirements:

  1. Participate in all required TA Training programs and events
  2. Enroll in and complete a CCUT approved course that encompasses college-level pedagogy
  3. Complete a paper or multimedia presentation focused on improving instruction using evidence-based pedagogical approaches.
  4. Teach a course as the Instructor of Record
  5. Prepare and submit a teaching portfolio that exemplifies your teaching approach, expertise, and growth. The portfolio is reviewed by a Faculty Advisor Board, who must approve the portfolio in order for the CCUT Certificate to be awarded.


For more information, see Instructional Development's CCUT website.

Interested candidates can also visit and join the CCUT Canvas site, which will give you access to more detailed information on CCUT and allow you to receive reminder emails and important announcements of workshops that support the program.

Application Process

  • Carefully read through and join the CCUT Canvas site to get more details on the Requirements, Frequently Asked Questions, Announcements and the Portfolio
  • Attend one of the quarterly CCUT Information Workshops
  • Some requirements are best completed early on in your graduate career, so check the Requirements early.
  • You must add the certificate to your degree list by petition through the Graduate Division. The cost of filing a Graduate Division petition to add any degree program is $20 (fee is subject to change).
  • The Change of Degree Status Petition form to add CCUT to your degree should be emailed to gradacademics@graddiv.ucsb.edu.
  • The petition to add CCUT must be approved by your departmental graduate (not your personal research) advisor and Danielle Harlow (the CCUT Program Director). You can submit petitions to Danielle Harlow for approval through campus mail (Danielle Harlow, Department of Education Mail Code, 9490) or by arranging to collect the signature by e-mailing her at  dharlow@education.ucsb.edu.
  • It is important to remember that the petition to add CCUT must be filed at least one quarter before you intend to graduate.
  • Begin your portfolio as soon as possible. Don't leave writing all of the portfolio to your last year, when you will also be busy completing your dissertation. If you've completed the CCUT requirements, make sure you get credit for them!
  • Complete all requirements, including the portfolio. If you think that you may have experiences, courses, or projects that meet the intention of a particular CCUT requirement, you may request an exception. See "Petitioning for an Exception" on the CCUT Canvas site.
    • CCUT Portfolio workshops are offered each quarter by Instructional Development to help answer your questions and set you up for success.
    • You are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to get feedback on a draft of your portfolio from Dr. Olga Faccani, CCUT Portfolio Consultant (ofaccani@ucsb.edu)
  • Be sure you have petitioned Graduate Division to add the Certificate at least one quarter prior to the quarter in which you will graduate.
  • Complete the Signature Page including all required signatures.
  • Portfolios are due on the last day of the quarter preceding the quarter in which you will graduate, with the following exception. Portfolios are reviewed Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters only; if you are graduating during summer, you must submit your portfolio by the 5th week of Spring Quarter so that it can be reviewed before the summer.
  • To submit, email an electronic version of your portfolio to Dr. Lisa Berry, co-chair of the Faculty Advisory Board (lisa@id.ucsb.edu).

Important Deadlines
and Dates

You may petition and submit your portfolio at any time, the sooner the better, but financial deadlines are as follows:

  • The Petition: The last day to petition Graduate Division to add the Certificate to your degree list for graduation is the last day of the quarter PRIOR TO THE QUARTER you intend to graduate.
  • The Portfolio: The last day to submit your CCUT portfolio is the last day of the quarter before you graduate, except for summer graduations. Summer graduates need to submit by the fifth week of Spring Quarter because faculty Board members are often conducting their research during the summer months and unavailable to review portfolios.

Contact Information

Destiny Hoerberg 

CCUT Fellow
ccutrep@id.ucsb.edu

Danielle Harlow

Director & Co-Chair of CCUT Faculty Advisory Board
Department of Education
dharlow@education.ucsb.edu

 

Lisa Berry

Co-Chair of CCUT Faculty Advisory Board
Instructional Development
lisa@id.ucsb.edu

Olga Faccani

CCUT Portfolio Consultant
Instructional Development
ofaccani@ucsb.edu

Faculty Advisory Board

The College and University Teaching Certificate (CCUT) Advisory Board will be composed of members representing all Colleges, Schools, and Divisions at UCSB. The Board is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate Division in consultation with the Chair of Graduate Council.

Current CCUT Faculty Advisory Board (FAB) members include:
 

  • Miya Barnett (Education)
  • Tengiz Bibilashvili (Physics)
  • Joseph Blankholm (Religious Studies)
  • Maribel Bueno (Math)
  • Andrew Carter (Statistics)
  • Karel Casteels (Math)
  • Joe Chada (Chemical Engineering)
  • Thomas Even (EEMB)
  • Andrew Fedders (Education)
  • Ruth Finkelstein (MCDB)
  • Morgan Gainer (Chemistry)
  • Tamsin German (PBS)
  • Myriam Gonzales-Smith (Spanish/Portugese)
  • Sathya Guruswamy (Physics)
  • Danielle Harlow (Education)
  • John Hartman (Economics) 
  • Peter Huk (Writing Program)
  • Petra Kranzfelder (MCDB)
  • John Latto (EEMB/CCS)
  • Leroy Laverman (Chemistry)
  • Lorraine Lisiecki (Earth Science)
  • Karen Myers (Communication)
  • Erin Khue Ninh (Asian American Studies)
  • Dar Roberts (Geography)
  • Renee Rottner (TEP)
  • Amit Shilo (Classics)
  • Elena Skapoulli-Raymond (Sociology)
  • Steve Smith (CCSP)
  • Madeleine Sorapure (Writing)
  • Karen Szumlinski (PBS)
  • Stefanie Tcharos (Music)
  • Amber VanDerwarker (Anthropology)
  • David Walker (Religious Studies)
  • Kevin Whitehead (Sociology)
  • Vanessa Woods (PBS)