Admission requirements and endorsement areas

Admission to the graduate teacher certification program for secondary ed.

To be considered for admission into the post-baccalaureate secondary education certification program, prospective students must first submit an official copy of their undergraduate transcripts to:

1. verify degree completion, and
2. evaluate transcripts to determine whether all academic requirements in the desired certification area have been met. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 is expected in the content area.

Upon completion of the evaluation, prospective students will receive a copy of the evaluation with a detailed explanation of any deficiencies that still need to be met.

Note: Deficiencies in the content area need to be completed before the student would be eligible to student teach. Deficiency completion is NOT part of the certification program, but can be completed in conjunction with the program. Courses may be completed at any regionally accredited institution located within the United States and must be completed with a grade of C or better (a C- grade is not acceptable). Course work from institutions that evaluate students with a narrative rather than numeric or alpha grades is not accepted. All additional course work must be approved by the program director.

Admission process

Students must meet the following requirements:

• Submit official transcripts for evaluation to determine whether academic requirements have been satisfied in the requested certification areas (see also: endorsement areas listed below).
• Submit a resume, two letters of reference and a brief essay providing some background on why you want to make a career change.
• Submit completed graduate application materials. Graduate entrance requirements include a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• Completion of, and passing scores on, all three sections of the Pre-Professional Skills Test (Praxis I - PPST; more information available at www.ets.org).
• Background check.
• Interview with program director.

Completion of the admission process does not guarantee admission. The university reserves the right to select candidates who demonstrate a genuine commitment to enter the teaching profession, a willingness to successfully complete an online program, and support the mission of Concordia University, Nebraska.

Once admitted, a student must maintain a 3.0 (B) average in the graduate courses to remain in the program.

See also: Learn how the program is structured.