Educator Preparation Program
The College of Education offers routes to educator certification for:
- Elementary Teacher Certification Core Subjects EC-6 (Interdisciplinary Academic)
- Elementary Teacher Certification 4-8
- Secondary Teacher Certification
- Choral Music (EC-12 Music Education Certification)
- Kinesiology (EC-12 Physical Education Certification)
- Special Education Supplementary
Students who pursue educator certification do not declare a major in "education."
Students seeking EC-6 or Grades 4-8 certification are "interdisciplinary academic" majors.
Students pursuing Grades 7-12 certification will major in one of the following disciplines/teaching fields: biology, English, history, mathematics, natural sciences, or speech communication. Students pursuing 8-12 computer science will major in computer science.
Students pursuing EC-12 certification must choose a major in choral music. All students seeking certification must meet State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and university Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree requirements, or Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) degree requirements for EC-Grade 12 Music Education Teacher Certification (Choral).
Education students pursuing supplementary special education certification must first meet the requirements of their content area programs. The Council for Exceptional Children, the national standards provider, states that highly qualified special education teachers first have training and certification in a content area: elementary (EC-6) or secondary reading/English language arts, math, science, and/or history; then specialized instruction in how to design plans, instruct, and evaluate the needs of unique learners (those with qualifying disabilities and/or health impairments, and/or gifted and talented.) All teacher candidates seeking certification must meet the requirements of the supplementary program and the certification requirements from State Board for Educator Certification.
Required scores, as determined by the College of Education, must be achieved prior to admission to the Educator Preparation Program. No education courses (EDUC, ECHE, nor READ), with the exception of EDUC 1017 and EDUC 3313 may be taken without the approval of the academic advisor, until the student is accepted into the Educator Preparation Program.
Certification is available for post-baccalaureate students through the Pathways to Teaching Program in the College of Education. See the Master of Arts in Teaching Program in the Graduate Catalog for further details.
