SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 
 

Post-baccalaureate Teacher Certification Programs

Once accepted to the Graduate School, Post-baccalaureate students should subsequently apply for admission to the Professional Program.  The Application Package for the Professional Program is available in Barnard 248 or may be obtained by writing to the Dean of the School of Education and Professional Studies at CCSU.  Due Dates for Professional Program Applications to the Dean’s Office, Barnard 248, are September 10 for the fall semester and February 10 for the spring semester. 

The application packet includes: instructions; an application blank; a transcript release form; forms for letters of recommendation from persons who can attest to student’s suitability to be a teacher; directions for writing an essay which shows command of English. The essay also asks the student to provide reasons for becoming a teacher and to describe experiences working with children. Some departments have special assignments (mathematics majors must write two essays) which must be completed.

While the application packets differ from program to program, post-baccalaureate students must meet the 2.70 grade point average requirement. 

In addition, the state’s Praxis I CBT (basic skills test in reading, writing and mathematics) must also be satisfied prior to the application process, and a copy of the Praxis I CBT “Pass” letter or “Waiver” letter must be attached to the application. Waiver qualifications include meeting one of the following criteria: 

• A student has a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)* score totaling 1100 with a score of no less than 450 in either the verbal or math subtests from test administrations on or after April 1, 1995; 
• A student has an American College Test (ACT)* composite score of no less than 25, with no less than 22 on the English subtest and 19 on the math subtest; 
• A student passes a similar test in another state with which Connecticut has certification reciprocity agreements;
• Candidates who took the GRE prior to October 1, 2002:
  A combined minimum score of 1000 on GRE quantitative and verbal reasoning tests, with no less than a 500 in quantitative reasoning and 450 in verbal reasoning.
• Candidates taking the GRE on or after October 1, 2002:
  A combined minimum score of 1000 on GRE quantitative and verbal reasoning tests, with no less than a 500 in quantitative reasoning and 450 in verbal reasoning, plus a minimum analytic writing score of 4.5.
• Because ETS only keeps GRE scores for five years, candidates with GRE scores older than five years will be allowed to submit official transcripts showing GRE scores or the original GRE scores sent to the candidate.
• A student has a Prueba de Aptitud Academica (PAA) score equivalent to a SAT score of 1000 with neither the math nor verbal subtest scores below the equivalent of 400
  
  * Subject to state change

Once the application packet is completed, it will be reviewed, and the grade point average of college work requirements will be verified. Faculty will review the essay, and any other required materials, and interview the student.  A letter will be sent to each student indicating whether the student has been admitted, deferred until certain specified requirements have been fulfilled, or rejected.  Admission to the Graduate School as a post-baccalaureate student precedes the School of Education and Professional Studies’ Professional Program evaluation and admission decision.

Program Planning

Post-baccalaureate students must meet all course and laboratory requirements specified in particular teacher education programs. Even though they already have a bachelor’s degree, students in post-baccalaureate programs also are required to satisfy certain general education and subject matter major requirements — some of these requirements are deemed important by particular departments at CCSU; others are deemed important by the state of Connecticut. Putting together a “Program of Study” is the process of ensuring students that they will satisfy all certification requirements. The “Program of Study” also becomes the contract between the baccalaureate student and his or her adviser.

• Each “Program of Study” must be approved by the appropriate dean. Students are responsible to insure that their “Program of Study” meets all certification requirements that will be in effect at the time they plan to complete their certification programs. Because Connecticut certification regulations are subject to change, and because the regulations that apply are those in effect at the time the student applies for certification, it is essential that students review their “Program of Study” with their adviser regularly.
• Post- Baccalaureate students must previously have had or have included in their planned programs general education courses in five of the six following areas: English, Natural Science, Mathematics, Social Science, World Language, and Fine Arts. In addition, there are specific courses in psychology as well as a survey of American History that are required for certification. Certification in elementary education also requires specific mathematics courses.
• “Programs of Study” for all teacher education candidates, except for those in Special Education, must include: SPED 315, EDF 400 or 415, EDTE 315 or EDTE 316, methods courses, student teaching, a course in educational technology (such as EDT 210, 315, 415, 490), and other courses as required by the student’s adviser. (Please note: Special Education programs have different requirements.) 
• Post-baccalaureate students seeking certification in Art, Music, Physical Education, and Technology Education should meet with the chair of the department that houses their program for advice on how to complete the “Program of Study.”
• Post-baccalaureate students in elementary and secondary education should meet with the post-baccalaureate adviser in the School of Education and Professional Studies to complete the “Program of Study.”

Restricted Professional Course Work. Most courses offered in particular teacher education programs are opened only to students who have been formally admitted to a teacher education program. Students who have not been admitted to a teacher education program should not enroll in restricted courses. 

Retention Criteria. Once admitted to a particular teacher education program a post-baccalaureate student is expected to maintain a specified (3.00) grade point average. If a student’s GPA drops below this level he or she may be denied enrollment to restricted courses until the GPA reaches the approved level.

Appeals Process for All Students and Programs in Education
Students who fail to be admitted because of a grade point average below 2.70, may, upon receipt of the rejection letter, meet with the assistant dean of Education and Professional Studies to discuss their situations and possible options. Letters of appeal should be addressed to the Dean of Graduate Studies. 

Connecticut Certification Procedures

To be eligible to teach in the public schools of the state of Connecticut, a student must meet the certification requirements of the State Board of Education. Certification regulations are subject to change and, under current state practice, students are subject to the certification regulations in effect at the time they apply for certification.

Recommendations for certification at Central Connecticut State University are made by the Dean of Education and Professional Studies. Questions concerning certification that cannot be answered by your department can be addressed to the assistant dean.

• Postgraduate certification students obtain the school's certification application from the Office of the Dean and return the completed application to the same office.

While Central Connecticut State University provides an institutional recommendation for students completing its certification programs, the state of Connecticut’s Bureau of Certification makes final determinations about who is eligible to receive certification.

Out-of-State Certification Procedures for CCSU Graduates

Information about out-of-state certification is available in the University Placement Office. Any application or portion of an application that requires “interstate reciprocity” information or affirmation concerning the completion of an “Approved Program” should be referred to the assistant dean with full information about the graduate’s name at the time of completion of CCSU’s program, date of program completion, social security number, current name and address, and any particulars concerning the other state’s information requirements.