2.3 Admission to Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Program

Candidates who hold a baccalaureate degree and wish to complete teacher licensure requirements at Northwestern may be eligible for the post-baccalaureate teacher licensure program.  Post-baccalaureate candidates meet licensure requirements through the same undergraduate courses and experiences and do not earn a graduate or undergraduate degree while completing licensure requirements.

To be accepted into the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Program the applicant must meet the following requirements:

• Have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited four-year institution with a GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4-point scale. The bachelor’s degree major must be applicable to the area of licensure.
• Register intent to pursue a teacher education program with the Registrar's office.
• Complete the process for evaluation of previous course work and experience with the Admissions Office. (See separate section “Evaluation of Previous Course Work and Experience” below).  Included in this evaluation are demonstrated competencies in the following areas.
  • Successful field experience -- complete the field experience requirement for EDU2215 Educational Foundations or submit a signed Verification of Field Experience-EDU2215 form, or other verification of successful field experience as requested by the SOE.
  • English proficiency – Achieve at least a “C” in ENG2205 Critical Thinking and Writing or document transfer credits for a comparable course.  This course must be passed before admission to teacher education.

Speech proficiency--achieve at least a “B-” in SPE1075 Public Speaking or SPE1825 Honors Public Speaking or document credits and grade in a public speaking course.  If this grade is not achieved, the student must do the following:

Students who completed SPE1075 or SPE1825 at the University of Northwestern with a grade between “C-” or “C+” must submit a Certification of Speech Proficiency form signed by the course instructor to the SOE.  This form will include recommendations for remediation and will be used by the Admission and Retention Committee in recommending speech remediation. Remediation may include retaking SPE1075 and obtaining the required minimum grade or other speech remediation experience.

Students who completed a comparable transfer speech course with a grade between “C-” or “C+” should either enroll in SPE1075 or SPE1825 and successfully complete the course with a grade of “B-” or above or provide the SOE with a Verification of Speech Proficiency - Transfer Course form signed by the instructor of their transferred course.  This form will include recommendations for remediation and will be used by the Admission and Retention Committee in recommending speech remediation.  Remediation may include taking SPE1075 and obtaining the required minimum grade or other speech remediation experience.

Successfully complete EDU2215 Educational Foundations with a “C” or above, or document transfer credits in a comparable foundations of education course.

• Submit a Decision to Teach paper, a completed Open/Closed File form, Receipt of Information Statement, and Disposition Survey along with your application (Appendix C) to the Assistant Dean of the School of Education as part of your supporting documents.

When all of the previous steps have been fulfilled, an interview with the Admission and Retention Committee (ARC) can be scheduled.  Student applicant will be contacted by SOE Administrative Assistant for interview.  During this interview, the student’s interests, background experiences, potential for success and suitability for teaching are discussed. The Admission and Retention Committee (ARC) has the authority to require additional assessment before admission to the Teacher Education Program or as a requirement for retention within the program.

Evaluation of Previous Course Work and Experience

Applicants interested in the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure program may request to have their transcript and previous work experience evaluated before making formal application to the program. The process for obtaining this evaluation is as follows:

Previous Course Work

The candidate submits a copy of the transcript through the online evaluation process for review by the transfer specialist in the Admissions Office. The transcript from the degree granting institution is evaluated to determine the extent to which the applicant has met the requirements of the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) and the approved licensure requirements of the University of Northwestern. The transcript is evaluated by the Assistant Dean of the School of Education and the Program Coordinator of the teacher licensure program in which the student is seeking licensure. The transfer specialist returns to the candidate a summary of the courses and credits required for program completion.

Previous Work Experience

Following the initial evaluation of the transcript the Assistant Dean meets with the candidate to review course requirements and previous work experience. Additional interviews may be scheduled with the program coordinator or other faculty to determine how experience aligns with program standards.  If it is determined that previous work experience will apply to licensure requirements, the candidate is required to complete a professional program portfolio demonstrating the required standards. The program portfolio is evaluated by the Assistant Dean and the appropriate program coordinator to determine the alignment of experience and standards and the level of preparation demonstrated.

Following the transcript review interviews and any required portfolio work, a final list of transfer credits and course work required for licensure, is prepared by the transfer specialist in the Admissions Office and is approved by the Assistant Dean of the School of Education, the Registrar and the Program Coordinator in which licensure is sought. A copy is sent to the applicant.