Admission to the Teacher Education Program

The Teacher Education Committee admits and monitors Teacher Education Program progression on the basis of established criteria.  Admission to the University as a student does not automatically satisfy eligibility requirements for admission to the Teacher Education Program.  Eligibility for admission to the Teacher Education Program is determined by regulations current at the time initial application is made for admission into the program.

To be eligible for admission to the undergraduate Teacher Education Program an individual must have:

1. no more than 8 hours of the General Education requirements remaining;

2. earned a C (2.0) or better in EDN 302, Foundations of Education;

3. earned a grade of at least a C- (C if the course was repeated) in all required major and professional courses completed at the time of admission;

4. at least a 2.5 cumulative Quality Point Average (QPA) on a 4.0 scale on all prior college/university course work;

5.  satisfactorily completed the Praxis I Series;

6. satisfactorily completed an admission to the TE Program interview and,

7. completed a Candidate for Professional Licensure Form (CPL).

Students should apply for admission to the undergraduate Teacher Education Program as soon as they are eligible, usually during the second semester of the sophomore year or first semester of the junior year.

Applications (Appendix C-1) are available in the Licensure Office or Office of University-School Programs. After the signed application has been returned to the School of Education, the School of Education Licensure Officer verifies Praxis I scores, the grade in EDN 302, overall GPA, General Education requirements, and courses in which grades lower than C- were earned. 

After verification and endorsements have been obtained, the names of all applicants meeting admission requirements are presented to the Teacher Education Committee for approval.  Each student who applies for admission to the undergraduate Teacher Education Program receives written notification from the Dean of the School of Education of the approval or disapproval of the application by the Teacher Education Committee.  A student is not considered admitted to the Teacher Education Program until such notification is made. Students are not allowed to enroll in Educational Psychology (EDN 350), Language and Literacy (EDN 408, Content Area Literacy (EDN 409/410/419) until they have been formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program.

 Admission Interview

All applicants to the Teacher Education Program must satisfactorily complete an admission interview.  Interviews, scheduled during designated periods each semester, are conducted by the respective program coordinator and other faculty in each program area. The admissions interview is focused on essential professional dispositions for public school teachers.  The interviewee receives a copy of the dispositions in EDN 302 or the Office of University-School Programs for use in preparation for the admissions interview (Appendix C-2).  The applicant is approved or disapproved, in part, for admission on the basis of the interview.  Faculty interviewers complete and sign the admission interview section of the Application for Admission to Teacher Education Program.  The student returns the completed application to the Office of University-School Programs/Licensure Office. 

 The Praxis I Series

 The NC State Board of Education requires that students seeking admission to the Teacher Education Program must satisfactorily complete the Praxis I Series, three subtests in reading, writing, and mathematics. Students must meet the required scores in effect at the time they apply to and qualify for admission to the TEC program. These tests will normally be taken at the time General Education requirements are completed, usually by the second semester of the sophomore year or the first semester of the junior year. The School of Education must receive an official copy of the scores before the student may be admitted to the Teacher Education Program.  The Educational Testing Service must send scores directly to UNCP.  Student copies of scores are not acceptable.  Passing scores for each Praxis I subtest are presented in Appendix C-3.

Candidates for Professional Licensure Form

All individuals who have been formally admitted to any undergraduate or graduate program leading to licensure by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction must complete a Candidate for Professional Licensure (CPL) form. CPL forms are available in the Licensure Office or in USP.  A sample form is contained in Appendix C-4.

Graduate General Admission Requirements (full or provisional admission)

All students seeking to enroll in any graduate class must be enrolled within the School of Graduate Studies.  To be considered for full or provisional admission, an applicant must

a)      submit a completed application to the School of Graduate Studies;

b)   pay a $40.00 non-refundable application fee;;

c)      submit two copies (one of which must be an official copy) of transcripts from all 

      colleges/universities attended; one of these transcripts must indicate the date that the

      applicant’s baccalaureate degree was awarded;

d)      have a satisfactory undergraduate academic record and meet at least one of the following minimum GPA (4.0 scale) requirements: an overall GPA of at least 2.5 on all undergraduate work, or an overall GPA of at least a 3.0 in the undergraduate major, or a GPA of at least a 3.0 on all undergraduate work taken in the senior year;

e)   submit an official report of satisfactory scores on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) [required for M.B.A]; and,

f)      have three letters of professional recommendation submitted on their behalf.  At least one letter should be from a college/university faculty member in the undergraduate major of the applicant; at least on letter should be from the applicant's employer/supervisor.

In some cases, additional information such as a personal interview may be required for admission to the program.

Education Programs:  Licensure Requirement

Applicants for all graduate degrees in education leading to licensure by the NC Department of Public Instruction must submit a copy of any current licenses held.  Applicants to the English Education program, Art Education, Elementary Education, Mathematics Education, Middle Grades Education, Music Education, Physical Education, Reading Education, Science Education and Social Studies Education and School Administration graduate programs are expected to hold or be eligible to hold appropriate initial NC licensure.  Those who do not meet the licensure requirement will not be eligible for a graduate license recommendation from The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.  Applicants are expected to submit their applications and all supporting documentation at least one month prior to enrollment.  A student whose application is not complete may be allowed to enroll (see special admission category) for a maximum of one semester with enrollment in that semester limited to six hours.

Additional Admission Requirements for Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)

In addition to meeting the general education requirements specified on page 18, applicants for M.A.T programs must hold a bachelor’s degree in the academic discipline of the chosen licensure area.

Additional Admission Requirements for School Counseling (M.A.)

The School Counseling Program seeks candidates whose academic preparation, aptitude, and career aspirations suggests success in graduate school and for work in the education environment.  Prospective students submit all the graduate admissions application materials as described in Graduate General Admission Requirements and also listed in The University of North Carolina at Pembroke Catalog, as well as an essay that describes the candidate’s career goals.  All aspects of the candidates’ applications are considered when making suggestions, recommendations, and decisions regarding program admission.

Continuation in the Undergraduate Program

If a student earns a course grade lower than C- in a major or professional education course, if a student's grade point average falls below a 2.5, or if a student's application for admission to the professional semester of the Teacher Education Program is disapproved for any reason, the student is suspended from the Teacher Education Program. Students suspended from the program may not continue to progress in the program until the deficiencies are corrected. Required major and professional education courses in which a grade lower than a C- was earned must be repeated and a grade of C (2.0) or better must be earned. The course may be repeated one time only. Upon correction of the deficiencies, students suspended from the program may request reinstatement.   (Continuation policies tied to the senior internship are described in the Internship Policies and Procedures section.)

Continuation in Graduate Programs

The academic progress of each graduate student is monitored on a regular basis by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, the appropriate program coordinator, and the student's advisor.  A minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required to receive a master's degree.  Graduate students who earn a grade of C in a graduate course are placed on academic warning.  Graduate students who earn a second grade of C are placed on academic probation.  Graduate students who earn a third grade of C are dismissed from their degree programs.  Graduate students earning two grades of C in the same semester are placed directly on academic probation.  An accumulation of nine semester hours of C quality work, or a grade of F makes a graduate student ineligible to continue graduate studies at UNCP.

Continuation in the School Counseling Program

Students in the School Counseling Program are governed by the master’s degree requirements described in the Graduate Studies section of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke Catalog.  Students in the School Counseling Program must also successfully complete counseling skill demonstrations that are spaced throughout the curriculum.  Students must also pass a comprehensive examination prior to enrolling in PCN 610 Counseling Skills Laboratory.  This requirement for continuation is also in the Counseling Student Manual.