College of Education

COLLEGE ACADEMIC REGULATIONS

Admission Process for Initial Certification

(Started in Spring 1996 leading to Master of Arts in Teaching)

Stage I: Enrolling in an Undergraduate Degree Program Leading to a Potential

Teacher Certification Field

Potential fields include:

* Agricultural Education - B.S.A.

* Childhood Education - B.S.E.

* Human Environmental Sciences Education - B.S.H.E.S.

* Middle Level Education - B.A./B.S. from Arts and Sciences

* Music Education - B.M.

* Kinesiology - B.S.E.

* Secondary Education - B.A./B.S. from Arts and Sciences or other appropriate areas

* Special Education - B.S.E.

* Vocational Education - B.S.E.

Students should contact appropriate adviser(s), department heads, and/or student advisement centers for specific program requirements. Students are responsible for enrolling in programs that lead to initial teacher certification.

Stage II: Pre-M.A.T. Degree Check between August 15 and October 1 of Senior Year

Students must meet the following criteria:

* Pass the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) (Reading 170; Mathematics 169; Writing 171)

* Obtain a "C" or better in the following courses:

COMM 1313, ENGL 1013, ENGL 1023, MATH 1203

* Complete the Speech and Hearing Evaluation (advisory only)

* Obtain a "C" or better in all pre-education core courses:

CIED 1002, Introduction to Education

CIED 1001, Introduction to Education Practicum

CIED 3023, Survey of Exceptionalities

CIED 3663, Classroom Learning Theory

ETEC 2003, Educational Technology

* Other program requirements

* Cumulative GPA of 2.70. (Special conditional admission will be considered on a case-by-case basis for students with a GPA between 2.50 and 2.69.)

Satisfactory completion of Pre-M.A.T. check does not guarantee admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree program.

Stage III: Admission to Specific M.A.T. Degree Options

The following minimum criteria are necessary to be eligible for consideration for admission:

* Complete appropriate undergraduate degree programs leading toward state certification specified in Stage II above

* A cumulative GPA of 2.70 in all previous courses

* Admitted to Graduate School

* Satisfactory completion of Pre-M.A.T degree check

* Departments must recommend student's admission based on successful completion of field experiences, portfolios, and selected written recommendations; and other requirements specified by each department.

Enrollment in each cohort will be limited. Transfer students will be allowed to enter the program on a space available basis and must progress through all three admission stages.

Graduation requirements for the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)

1. A cumulative GPA of 3.00

2. Completion of a minimum of 33 semester hours to include a 10-12 hour College of Education core and 6 hours of internship

3. Satisfactory completion of internship

4. Completion of comprehensive exam

5. Completion of designated National Teacher's Examination (NTE) components and meeting or exceeding Arkansas Department of Education NTE cut-off scores

6. Completion of application for certification

7. Completion by adviser of Program of Study form

8. Application for degree at Graduate School Office, 119 Ozark Hall

Certification

Students who are completing a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) and interested in obtaining an Arkansas Teacher's Certificate need to accomplish the following in order to effect a valid application:

1. Apply for M.A.T. degree and be cleared for graduation by the academic dean and registrar.

2. Pay the graduation fee and any other fees or obligations owed to the University.

3. Request that an official transcript showing the completion of degree be sent to the University Certification Office.

4. File an application for the appropriate certificate with the University Certification Officer who then forwards the application with the official transcript and N.T.E. scores with an endorsement to the Coordinator of Teacher Education and Licensure, Department of Education, Capitol Mall, Little Rock, Arkansas.

(The State of Arkansas will not certify anyone who has been convicted of a felony.)

Usually certification in another state is facilitated by qualifying for a certificate in Arkansas. An application in another state must be made on the application form of that state which can be obtained by request from the State Teacher Certification Office in the capital city. An official transcript should accompany the application. In many instances the applications are referred to the preparing institution's Certification Officer to verify the completion of a program approved by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.