Academic Programs Catalog

College of Education

Department of Teacher Education

Teacher Certification
Admission to the Teacher Certification Program

Information about current admission requirements and the admission application process can be found at http://education.msu.edu/academics/undergraduate/. MSU undergraduates generally apply during the first semester of the sophomore year, although they may apply later.

To be considered for admission to the Teacher Certification Program, an applicant must:

  1. Have earned a minimum of 28 credits.
  2. Have earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5.
  3. Have successfully completed any required developmental course work.
  4. Have disclosed any prior convictions or civil infractions and provided required court documents as necessary.
  5. Have passed all portions of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Professional Readiness Examination (PRE) or meet established criteria using approved alternative pass measures.
  6. Have completed all aspects of the application process before the published deadline.
In addition to general admission requirements, applicants applying for admission to the Teacher Certification Program with a major in Special Education must also complete one or two supervised pre-admission experiences, totaling at least 42 hours, with children or youth who have special needs. Prospective Special Education students are encouraged to talk with Special Education faculty about the relative merits of various sites for securing the required experience. Applicants to the Special Education program must submit forms verifying completion of the experience along with a complete admission application (see http://education.msu.edu/academics/undergraduate/). Only students who have completed the required experience will be considered for admission to the Special Education major.

Persons who already hold baccalaureate degrees from Michigan State University or other recognized institutions of higher learning are required to follow the process for Post-Bachelors students (see http://education.msu.edu/certification/postba/post-bachelor-application.asp). Contact the College of Education Student Affairs Office for more information.

Persons are selected for admission based on a holistic evaluation of criteria that include, but are not limited to, cumulative grade point average, test results, and dispositions for teaching.