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Certification Requirements for Candidates with Bachelor's Degrees
Do you already have your bachelor's degree?
View the instructions for Post-Bachelor's admission hereAre you a transfer student?
View the instructions for Transfer Student admission herePost-Bachelor’s Route to Initial Teacher Certification
The Post-Bachelor’s route to initial teacher certification is available for individuals who decide to pursue teaching after they have earned a bachelor’s degree. Ideally, an applicant will have earned a degree in a subject that is “teachable,” or will have completed a substantial portion of the coursework required for one or more of the teaching majors and minors offered at MSU. Individuals with degrees in non-teachable subjects can earn teacher certification, but it will require more coursework.Applicants to the Post Bachelor’s program must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher. The applicant’s GPA for coursework used to complete the teaching major and minor should be 2.5 or better.
Secondary-Level Certification
Applicants interested in pursuing secondary certification must complete requirements for one approved secondary teaching major and one approved secondary teaching minor (exceptions are the Art Education, Music Education and Physical Science majors, which do not require minors). Please see requirements for the secondary teaching majors and minors offered at MSU. Previous coursework is evaluated relative to the standards and, to the extent possible, used to satisfy requirements; additional coursework in the content areas may be required. Remaining disciplinary coursework is combined with a series of five Teacher Education courses (21 credits), at least two of which involve classroom field placements. Students who meet coursework, examination and all other requirements are eligible to progress to the internship year (see Progression to the Internship below).Elementary-Level Certification
Applicants interested in pursuing elementary certification are required to complete a broad Elementary Planned Program, which prepares them to teach all subjects in grades K-5, and one of four elementary teaching majors, which prepares them to teach a subject area in grades 6-8. The curriculum also includes a series of five Teacher Education courses (21 credits), at least two of which involve classroom field placements.
A major in Special Education is another elementary certification option. Students who major in Special Education complete the full elementary program as well as the coursework and experiences required to add a K-12 endorsement in Learning Disabilities. Admission as a Special Education major requires pre-admission experience with children who have special needs. Students who meet coursework, examination and all other requirements are eligible to progress to the internship year (see below).
