Undergraduate Teacher Certification Requirements

Undergraduate Teacher Certification Requirements

Drexel offers a number of education certification and degree programs that prepare students for formal teacher certification. Once a student has successfully completed their undegraduate course of study and all qualifying teacher certification exams required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Drexel recommends the student to the PDE for the appropriate teaching certificate.

The School of Education requires that students maintain at least a "B" average (3.0 GPA) in content courses needed for teacher certification in addition to earning a grade of "B" or better in each core pedagogy course required for certification.

All undergraduate students are required to obtain and submit updated and current copies of the required clearances to the School of Education annually in order to participate in classroom observations and student teaching in Pennsylvania. All full-time undergraduates will receive assistance in gaining these clearances during their first term. Non-PA students should contact their state's department of education or school district office for a list of clearances required in their state.

This initial certification qualifies a teacher to teach for a maximum of six years. The six years need not be continuous. To continue teaching after the six years are completed, the teacher must receive an Instructional II Certification.

The Instructional II Certification is considered a permanent certification. A teacher applying for Instructional II Certification must have:

The Pennsylvania Educator Certification Tests (PECT) are required for Grades PreK–4 and Special Education. All undergraduate and dual degree BS/MS students are required to pass the Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) basic skills exam. In addition, students will be required to take the appropriate exam exam for each area of certification they wish to obtain.

For more information about examinations and registration:

All undergraduate and dual degree BS/MS students seeking certification in middle (grades 4–8) or secondary (grades 7–12) levels are required to pass exams from the PA Education Certification Tests (PECT) and the Praxis II Series. Students must pass both the Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) basic skills exam exam and the appropriate Praxis II Content Knowledge test for each area of certification they wish to obtain.

For more information about examinations and registration:

To maintain Instructional I and Instructional II Certifications, the PDE requires a teacher to complete one of the following every five years:

Note: For those working to acquire Instructional II Certification, the 24 semester credits or 36 quarter credits needed to apply for Instructional II may also count toward Act 48 requirements.

Download the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Frequently Asked Questions about Act 48 [PDF].

Areas of Certification

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Lycoming College offers the following certification programs approved by the PA Department of Education:

Students in secondary and K-12 certification areas must complete a major in the academic discipline. Students also complete professional education coursework and field experiences, and candidates complete student teaching in grade levels representative of the candidate's license.

In addition to Lycoming College's requirements for an academic degree, candidates seeking teacher licensure in Pennsylvania must also meet all requirements set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Certification requirements are set by the state of Pennsylvania and subject to change. Contact the teacher certification officer for current certification requirements.

Please refer to Teacher Education Handbook for criteria in each program.

Successful completion of the program requirements and passing scores on the required PRAXIS exams allow students to be certified to teach in the specific content area. All certification programs require a 3.0 or better GPA at completion of program and graduation in order to receive certification.

Reciprocal agreements among states allow students to become certified in states other than Pennsylvania by applying directly to the Department of Education in that state. In these states teachers can be hired with their Pennsylvania certificate and will then have to meet the individual requirements for certification in that specific state.

When you graduate, we encourage you to apply for a Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate. Once you acquire a teaching certificate here, obtaining a comparable certificate in another state is easier, because Pennsylvania has a certification agreement with at least 45 other states. For more information on the states involved in this agreement, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education on the web.

If you decide to get certified in another state, it is your responsibility to be familiar with the certification requirements for that state. For up-to-date information on certification requirements and important contact, please visit 50 States’ Certification Requirements, a website updated by the University of Kentucky.

Anyone who holds a baccalaureate, masters or doctoral degree from an accredited institution and wishes to be considered eligible for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate must consult with the Education Department. An individualized program of study, which complies with the PDE and Lycoming College program approval requirements for elementary, special education, PK-4, PK-4 with Special Education PK-8, K-12 or 7-12 secondary certification with special education, will be developed. Individuals with a baccalaureate, masters or doctoral degree can also consider the internship program. Please see Post Bacc section of the Teacher Education Handbook for more information.

Lycoming College is an approved provider for the Pennsylvania Department of Education Act 48 professional development requirements. These requirements are for teachers certified for Pennsylvania. Courses for credit qualify for PA Act 48 standards; non-credit coursework does not qualify. Students must supply their unique PA Act 48 Professional Personal ID (PPID) number in order to have their credit course posted. Students should log into the PA Department of Education website (www.pde.state.pa.us) to obtain this ID number.

Office of Teacher Education

Through a collaborative, team-oriented approach, the Office of Teacher Education aims to provide a high level of support and quality service to faculty, students, alumni and the educational community engaged in programs leading to initial and professional certification.

Teachers College teacher education programs are state approved and Teachers College may recommend students for New York State certification upon successful completion of a degree program.

There are several steps required to obtain certification and our office is ready to help you with certification questions or to schedule a meeting with our certification staff.

Academic Program Requirements

Students in Professional Teacher certification programs are eligible for New York State teacher certification recommendation, upon satisfactory completion of all requirements.

There are several steps required to obtain certification and our office is ready to help you with certification questions or to schedule a meeting with our certification staff. 

Academic Program Requirements

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