ACCEPTANCE INTO SCIENCE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
Acceptance into a certification program requires that candidates complete the following procedures:
- Undergraduate Candidates - Graduate Candidates - International Candidates
UNDERGRADUATE CANDIDATES
Specific information regarding standards for admission to teacher certification programs
is available in the undergraduate catalog. Undergraduate candidates are expected to
be familiar with these standards and will be held accountable for providing evidence
of meeting these standards to their advisor. Listed below are brief descriptions of
these requirements.
Must have an undergraduate QPR of 2.70 or above. A QPR differs from a GPA in that
candidates must average ALL undergraduate work from ALL institutions you have attended
after high school. Transfer students should bring copies of all transcripts when meeting
with advisors to ensure this standard is meet.
Candidates must complete the Praxis I requirement by successfully taking the test
or completing a waiver if SAT scores were over 1000, with a minimum score of 400 on
both the verbal and mathematics prior to March 31, 1995, or over 1,100, with a 450
minimum after April 1, 1995.
Candidates must submit an essay demonstrating proficiency in English, setting forth
reasons for wanting to enroll in a teacher preparation program. The essay must be
aligned with the conceptual framework established by the School of Education that
is known as SAILS: Scholarship, Attitude, Integrity, Leadership, and Service (see
- description of SAILS)
Two letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to speak on behalf of a student's
potential as a teacher. ALL letters must have an original signature. Email letters
with no signature will not be accepted.
Complete an interview with your advisor. This interview will assess a student's potential
as a teacher, review their academic performance and establish the department standards
for the development of the student portfolio. (See Portfolio Page for details on the student portfolio)
The first professional course candidates take as undergraduate students is EDU 201.
During that course candidates are expected to complete their application to the School
of Education. Since scheduling for, taking, and waiting for scores to be received
may take up to three months, candidates are encouraged to begin this process as soon
as possible.
GRADUATE CANDIDATES
Specific information regarding standards for admission to teacher certification programs
is available in the graduate catalog. Graduate candidates are expected to be familiar
with these standards and will be held accountable for providing evidence of meeting
these standards to their advisor. Listed below are brief descriptions of these requirements
Must have an undergraduate QPR of 2.70 or above. A QPR differs from a GPA in that
candidates must average ALL undergraduate work from ALL institutions you have attended
after high school. Students should bring copies of all transcripts when meeting with
advisors to ensure this standard is meet.
All graduate candidates must have completed a undergraduate program that provides
preparation in the liberal arts. Students must have coursework in at least five of
the six disciplines. These disciplines are mathematics, science, English, social studies,
fine arts, and foreign language.
Candidates must complete the Praxis I requirement by successfully taking the test
or completing a waiver if SAT scores were over 1000, with a minimum score of 400 on
both the verbal and mathematics prior to March 31, 1995, or over 1,100, with a 450
minimum after April 1, 1995. GRE scores may be used to waive the Praxis I. For candidates
who took the GRE prior to Oct 1, 2002, must have a combined score of 1000 on the GRE
quantitative and verbal reasoning tests, with no score less than 500 in quantitative
and 450 in verbal reasoning. Candidate who took GREs after Oct 1, 2002 a must have
a combined score of 1000 on the GRE quantitative and verbal reasoning tests, with
no score less than 500 in quantitative and 450 in verbal reasoning, plus a minimum
analytic writing score of 4.5.
ETS does not retain GRE scores past five years; therefore the state will only take
an official transcript with scores listed on it or original copies of the GRE report
sent from the candidate.
Candidates must submit an essay demonstrating proficiency in English, setting forth
reasons for wanting to enroll in a teacher preparation program. The essay must be
aligned with the conceptual framework established by the School of Education known
as SAILS: Scholarship, Attitude, Integrity, Leadership, and Service (see - description of SAILS)
Two letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to speak on behalf of a student's
potential as a teacher. ALL letters must have an original signature. Email letters
with no signature will not be accepted. Please make sure that letters of recommendation
and your essay are sent directly to your advisor. DO NOT send them to the Graduate
Office with your application.
Graduate candidates who have completed their science coursework prior to beginning
the certification program must complete a Content Essay Requirement. Candidates are
required to complete two essays to demonstrate their competency in content.
Complete an interview with your advisor. This interview will assess a student's potential
as a teacher, review their academic performance and establish the department standards
for the development of the student portfolio. (See Portfolio Page for details on the student portfolio)
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Undergraduate or graduate candidates who have completed coursework or degree programs
at colleges or universities outside the U.S. must have their official transcripts
evaluated by a credentialing agency. SCSU has chosen to use World Education Services
(WES). Evaluations must by completed at a course-by course level including GPAs, degrees
and course-levels. Further information may be obtained at the SCSU Graduate Studies Web site or at www.wes.org.