Program Requirements
Requirements for Admission-Elementary
Requirements for Admission-Secondary
Requirements for Completion
Students must have a 2.75 or better GPA in education courses and must maintain grade point averages specified above in order to move into Phase 2 and 3 (Elementary) or to be eligible to enter student teaching and apply for certification. At all points in the teacher certification program students must exhibit dispositions appropriate to the teaching profession and must remain in compliance with student responsibilities detailed in teh "Student Rights and Responsibilities" section of the catalog.
Any student who elects a required education course more than five years before enrolling in student teaching must take the course again OR satisfy a competency evaluation given by the instructor. This policy includes all professional education courses taken as part of the student’s certification program. Students who have been away from the University for one calendar year or more must follow the readmission guidelines noted earlier in this section.
To be eligible for student teaching, students must complete an online application and attend a mandatory first seminar meeting. The application for Fall student teaching will be available in early December. The application for Winter student teaching will be available in late April/early May. Missing the application deadline may and could result in waiting until the next application period. The dates and time for the mandatory first seminar meetings will be in August for Fall semester student teaching and in December for Winter student teaching. Failure to attend the first seminar will result in waiting until the next application period. Announcement of student teaching seminar meetings will be emailed to applicant’s university email accounts and posted on the Education Department website and bulletin board.
Prospective teachers must be of good moral character, have suitable personality traits, dispositions, and aptitude for teaching, as well as possess good physical and mental health. The Administrative Rules Governing the Certification of Michigan Teachers impose the following conditions on teacher certification:
Rule 101. “The state board may refuse to grant or renew, or may revoke or suspend for a fixed term, or may impose reasonable conditions on, a teaching certificate pursuant to these rules for the following reasons:
a) Fraud, material misrepresentation, or concealment in the application for certificate.
b) Failure or ineligibility of the applicant or certificate holder to meet the criteria for eligibility for the certificate.
c) Conviction, as an adult, of an act of immoral conduct contributing to the delinquency of a child, or of a felony involving moral turpitude.
Certificate applicants are required to sign a statement declaring that the conditions stated in Rule 101 do not apply to them and must also take the oath of allegiance as prescribed by the laws of Michigan.