Admission Criteria

Admission into the Professional Program:

Students seeking admission to the Teacher Preparation Professional Program must submit a separate application to the School of Education.

The School of Education offers two application cycles each academic year:

• Fall Application: Due September 10 (students begin professional education coursework in the following spring semester)
• Spring Application: Due February 10 (students begin professional education coursework in the following fall semester)

Candidates for admission into the teacher preparation program must meet the following general admission requirements:

• Completion of at least 45 credits, 15 of which have been earned at Central.
• A minimum of 70 cumulative GPA at Central and a minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA including all undergraduate coursework taken at all institutions.
• Official CCSU transcripts and official transcripts from any other college or university attended. To request your CCSU Transcript—please visit your Central Pipeline Account
• Evidence of Basic-Skills Testing in reading, writing, and mathematics.
  • The state of CT requires that teacher candidates meet basic competencies in reading writing and math. There are two ways you can provide evidence of basic skills testing:
    • Submit your SAT or ACT score report -OR-
    • Submit your Praxis CORE score report
    • There is no minimum required score pertaining to evidence of basic skills testing
  • Two evaluation rubrics
  • Reflective Essay

Once the application deadline has passed, the Assistant Dean reviews all applications to ensure they are complete and that applicants meet the minimum GPA requirement. Following the initial review, eligible candidates will be invited to interview with faculty in the department where they are seeking certification. Department faculty will contact qualified candidates directly to schedule an interview during the designated interview period.

*Please note that, in addition to general admission requirements, students must also satisfy departmental prerequisite coursework and any program-specific requirements.

To learn more about the specific requirements for your content area or certification pathway, please explore the information below.

• Elementary (certifiable grades PK-6) (link program admission)
• Secondary (certifiable grades 4-12) (link program admissions)
• All-Level (certifiable grades PK-12) (link program admission)
• Special Education (certifiable grades PK-12) (Link program admission)

Once admitted to the Professional Program, teacher candidates engage in immersive field experiences, complete specialized pedagogy coursework, and collaborate directly with our PK–12 district partners. The journey culminates in a student teaching experience, where candidates work alongside experienced mentor teachers and apply their learning in real classroom settings.