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Summary of Program Requirements for Elementary Education Students

Students who complete the elementary certification program are highly qualified to teach all subjects in grades K-5 and all subjects in grades K-8 in self-contained classrooms. Students pursuing elementary certification earn degrees in Education, Special Education or Child Development (with the teacher certification emphasis). Endorsements on a Michigan elementary certificate indicate that the certificate holder is also highly qualified to teach one or more core subjects in grades K-8. Requirements of the elementary certification program include:

  1. University Integrative Studies and Writing Requirements
    • Integrative Studies
      • Integrative Studies in the Social Sciences (ISS)
      • Integrative Studies in the Sciences: Biological and Physical (ISB and ISP)
      • Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities (IAH)
    • University Writing Requirements
      • Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures (WRA) Tier I (formerly called ATL)
      • Tier II writing course required within the major
    • Math Requirement
      • All students must demonstrate proficiency beyond the level of College Algebra; specific requirements vary by College and degree major
  2. Professional Education Studies
    Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these five education courses, with no individual grade below 2.0, to progress to the internship year. TE 150 and TE 250 can be taken during the freshman and sophomore years and serve as prerequisites for TE 301. Students must be formally admitted to the teacher preparation program before they can take TE 301 (see Applications & Admissions for more information). Once admitted to the teacher preparation program, students take TE 301 during Fall or Spring Semester of the junior year, TE 403 and TE 404 during Fall Semester of the senior year, and TE 405 and TE 406 during Spring Semester of the senior year (prerequisites with minimum grade requirements exist).
  3. Teaching Majors and Minors
    Elementary certification students must complete one of four approved elementary teaching majors: Language Arts, Integrated Science, Mathematics or Social Studies. In addition, they may opt to add one or more approved disciplinary teaching majors or teaching minors; however, doing so is optional. Students must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 as well as a minimum GPA of 2.5 in their teaching major to progress to the internship year.
  4. Elementary Planned Program
    The Elementary Planned Program is designed to provide the breath of content knowledge required to teach all subjects in the elementary grades. The Planned Program must include a minimum of 20 credits that are not double counted with the teaching major. A minimum grade of 2.0 is required for all courses in the Planned Program.
  5. Competency Examinations
    The Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Professional Readiness Exam (PRE) or Basic Skills test must be passed prior to admission to the teacher preparation program. All students pursuing elementary certification, including Special Education majors, must pass the Elementary Education MTTC (083) prior to the internship year. The Learning Disabilities MTTC (063) and the MTTC corresponding to the teaching major must be passed before the candidate can be recommended for either endorsement on his or her certificate. The MTTC corresponding to the teaching major must be passed prior to the internship year if the candidate wishes to have a middle school internship placement.
  6. Technology Requirements
    The Michigan Department of Education requires that students demonstrate awareness, proficiency and expertise in personal productivity and pedagogical technology before they receive a teaching certificate. MSU requires demonstration of specific skills prior to the internship. Typically, this is accomplished in professional education courses.
  7. Bachelor’s Degree
    All baccalaureate requirements must be fulfilled and the bachelor degree must be conferred prior to beginning the internship year.
  8. Criteria for Progression to the Internship
    All standards (academic requirements, testing requirements and professional standards) must be satisfied before a student can progress to the internship year.
  9. Internship Year
    The internship includes a full academic year of study and experience in a selected school. During the internship, interns complete graduate-level coursework. With faculty approval, some of the credits earned in 800-level courses may later be applied to selected master’s degree programs.
  10. Certification
    After successful completion of all College, University, and State of Michigan requirements (including the internship and courses taken concurrent with the internship), the teacher candidate is eligible to apply for provisional teacher certification. After the application has been reviewed by the Certification Office in 134 Erickson, the qualified candidate is recommended to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) for certification.