Summary of Program Requirements
Students intending to qualify for a Michigan Secondary Provisional Certificate (valid to teach in Michigan subjects corresponding to your teaching major(s) and minor(s) in grades 6-12) will complete all requirements below. A provisional teaching license assures that you are "highly qualified" to teach those subjects in the State of Michigan as specified by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The requirements of the program are:1. University Graduation Requirements
- Integrative Studies
- Integrative Studies in the Social Sciences (ISS)
- Integrative Studies in the Sciences: Biological/Physical (ISB/ ISP)
- Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities (IAH)
- University Writing Requirements
- Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures (WRA) Tier I (formerly called ATL)
- Tier II writing course required within the major
- Math Requirement
- All students must demonstrate proficiency beyond the level of College Algebra; specific requirements vary by College and degree major
2. Education Studies
TE 150 and TE 250 can be taken during the freshman and sophomore years and serve as prerequisites for TE 302. Students must be formally admitted to the College of Education before they can take TE 302 (see Applications & Admissions for more information). Once admitted to the teacher preparation program, students typically take TE 302 during the junior year, TE 407 during Fall Semester of the senior year and TE 408 during Spring Semester of the senior year. Students are held to a minimum GPA of 2.5 for these five pre-internship, professional education courses, with no individual grade below 2.0, in order to progress to the internship year.
3. Teaching Majors and Minors
All secondary education students are required to complete a secondary teaching major; all majors except Art, Music and Physical Science must be accompanied by a secondary teaching minor. A variety of secondary majors and minors are offered at MSU. Secondary Education students must meet all university degree requirements for an undergraduate degree in their major area. Students are held to a minimum GPA of 2.5 for their overall university GPA, their teaching major, and their teaching minor, in order to progress to the internship year.
4. Technology Requirement
The Michigan Department of Education requires that students demonstrate awareness, proficiency and expertise in personal productivity and pedagogical technology before they receive a teaching certificate. MSU requires demonstration of specific skills prior to the internship.5. Competency Examinations
The Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Basic Skills Test must be passed prior to admission to the teacher preparation program. At a minimum, the MTTC subject area test corresponding to the teaching major must be passed prior to the internship year. Secondary education candidates who request internship placements that involve teaching their minor must pass the MTTC subject test in the minor area as well prior to beginning the internship year. Although students can enter the internship without passing the minor test, they cannot be recommended for certification in the teaching minor until the corresponding MTTC has been passed.
6. Bachelor Degree
All baccalaureate requirements must be fulfilled and the bachelor degree must be conferred prior to beginning the internship year.7. Criteria for Progression to the Internship
All standards (academic requirements, testing requirements and professional standards) must be satisfied before a student can progress to the internship year.8. Internship Year
The internship includes a full year of study and experience in a selected school. During the internship, students complete TE 501, TE 502, TE 801, TE 802, TE 803 and TE 804 (24 credits). Some of the credits earned in the 800-level courses may later be applied to selected master degree programs within the College of Education, or at programs at other universities at the discretion of those programs.9. Certification
After successful completion of all College, University, and State of Michigan requirements (including the internship and courses taken during the Internship Year), the teacher candidate will be eligible to apply for provisional teacher certification. After the application has been reviewed by the College of Education Student Affairs Office in 134 Erickson, the candidate can be recommended to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) for certification.
