Switching Tracks

The Foundational Track

By default, all TDP participants begin on the Foundational Track. It is up to you to decide whether you’d like to exit the program with certification on the Foundational Track, or stay in, switch onto the Advanced Track, and exit with Advanced Track certification.

When weighing whether to shift from the Foundational to the Advanced Track, review track requirements and consider how much time you have to make progress before you graduate. While schedules and paces vary, Advanced Track requirements can be completed in as little as one year. 

Switching to the Advanced Track

Once you’ve completed the Preparing to Teach and Essentials requirements for the Foundational Track, you can request to switch to the Advanced Track by completing the TDP Track Transition form. CTL will review your work so far and then confirm the switch.

Keep in mind when switching:

• If you switch to the Advanced Track, you do not need to complete the capstone assignment for the Foundational Track. Instead, you will complete capstone requirements for the Advanced Track. For a summary of those requirements, see the TDP Overview.
• When you complete the TDP Track Transition form, we will ask you to indicate a particular topic of interest . This topic should be particularly relevant to your developing pedagogical practice. For example, teaching with technology in the humanities classroom , cultivating an interdisciplinary perspective in the sciences , and feminist/radical teaching  are just a few of the topics previous TDP participants have indicated.  We hope that specifying this topic will help you inform and frame your reflections as you move through the rest of the TDP.  we will ask you to reflect upon this topic of interest in your Advanced Track exit interview.

Switching back to the Foundational Track

Perhaps you ambitiously switched onto the Advanced Track, but now your graduation date is drawing near and you doubt you’ll be able to complete its requirements before graduating. No worries! You’re welcome to switch back onto the Foundational Track, polish off any remaining requirements (including the Foundational Track capstone), and exit the TDP with Foundational Track certification. To shift back to the Foundational Track, use the TDP Track Transition form.

Questions about switching?

Deciding to switch TDP tracks takes some strategizing and planning, and we’re very happy to help! We’ve also collected specific questions and answers about switching in the TDP FAQs .