Certification
Expectations for students pursuing teacher certification at Bucknell Courses required for recommendation for teacher certification.
*IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CERTIFICATION STUDENTS GRADUATING IN 2011, 2012 & 2013
Starting with the class of 2014 we are phasing out the EDUC 202 course requirement. EDUC 202 represented 10 hours of observation that were completed concurrently with EDUC 201. These 10 hours of observation will no longer be attached to EDUC 201; however, 10 hours of observation time is needed to meet PA Department of Education requirements. If you have already taken EDUC 201 and 202 prior to fall 2009, you have met the 10-hour observation requirement and no further action is required.
If you have taken EDUC 201 in fall 2009 or after, 10 hours of observation time is needed in addition to required hours associated with other education classes. These hours may be accumulated in a school setting at home or they may be in addition to hours accumulated in a local school placement.
If you have taken EDUC 201 prior to fall 2009, but did not complete the EDUC 202 observation component, you will also need to accumulate 10 additional hours of observation time.
For students who still need 10 observation hours, the following are required when hours are complete and must be submitted to your Education advisor:
1. A signed and dated time sheet (available from your faculty advisor or the Education Department Office).
2. Four word-processed papers that are informed by your observations. Guidelines for this paper are available from your faculty advisor or the Education Department Office.
Sample course sequences for completion of course work in various majors and with preparation for recommendation for certification.
Certification Areas for which preparation is provided.
Portfolio Guidelines (PDF format) to help you create your program portfolio.
Educational Technology to help you incorportate technology into your lessons.
Praxis Exams and other requirements for application for a Pennsylvania Teaching Certification.
GPA calculators:How many courses of what grades do you need to achieve a desired gpa?
Pre-CIP: All students seeking recommendation for teacher certification should apply to the Pre-Certification: Initial Preparation program (PreCIP) as soon as they begin to consider seeking teaching certification. When students apply (forms are available in the registrar's office) thye are to indicate the certification(s) they seek. This application will result in the student being assigned an adviser in Education.
The status of the application will remain "applied" until after successful completion of no fewer than 12 Bucknell University courses, 2 math intensive courses (can include EDUC 362 or PSYC 215, AP credit in Mathematics, transfer credits in Mathematics, CLEP exam or other distance education courses in College Mathematics), 1 course in English Literature and a W1 course (not including the English Literature course, not necessarily in English). English Literature can be any ENGL course labeled as literature by the English Department. The W1 course may or may not be ENGL, but two courses MUST be taken. English AP credit accepted at Bucknell can be accepted for 1 of the ENGL requirements.
A minimum gpa of 3.0 is required. The status of student performance in meeting the requirements of PreCIP will be monitored annually, but formal admission to Pre-CIP will normally be made after completion of the sophomore year. Admission to PreCIP is required prior to Student Teaching placement. Successful completion of Student Teaching, together with passing scores on the state-mandated Praxis exams, is required for a recommendation for certification to be made to Pennsylvania Department of Education PDE.
Note: PreCIP is the "Professional Education Program" at Bucknell University and is regulated by requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. This is a separate function from the BSED or BA degrees offered by the University.
Students seeking Elementary or Early Childhood certifications should apply for the BSED program.
Students seeking to teach at the secondary level should apply to the BA or BS program and begin studies toward a major in the area of teaching interest.
Students who have applied to PreCIP will have the Chair of Education as an additional adviser, but should primarily seek advice from the other Education Department faculty member assigned as an adviser for certification issues.
The Department of Education at Bucknell University provides teacher preparation programs that, upons successful completion, lead to a recommendation for certification in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in early childhood education, elementary education, and secondary education. Students can prepare to become certified teachers by enrolling in a bachelor of science in education degree program or by taking a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree in the teaching content area.
To be recommended for certification a student must complete a program of courses approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which consists of (a) courses in general education such as the distributional requirements for the bachelor's degree, (b) specified professional education courses offered by the department of education, and (c) specified courses in the area of certification which are offered by other academic departments and which include courses taken for the major. All approved programs are on file and it is the responsibility of the student to examine these programs in the department of education. Although members of the education department will advise students concerning course selection, the student is responsible for choosing those courses and experiences which meet program requirements.
In addition to completing an approved program and successfully demonstrating the prescribed role competencies, to qualify for recommendation for a teaching certificate the student must be "a person of good moral character'' and must be a person who "possesses those personal qualities and professional knowledge and skills which warrant issuance of the requested certificate.'' It is the student's responsibility to satisfy all these criteria.
After completing the approved program of courses, the student shall submit to the education department at Bucknell an application for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate. Following a review, the student may be recommended for certification by the designated officer at Bucknell who is the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition to obtaining this recommendation, the student must take all the competency tests required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and receive a passing score on them and must meet any other state requirements. Students must submit scores from the Praxis Examinations to the department of education at Bucknell.
Students who desire certification in states other than Pennsylvania must understand that teacher certification is governed by state law and that each state has different requirements. Simply obtaining a Pennsylvania teaching certificate, by completing an approved program and meeting all other requirements, does not assure a student that she or he will be certified by another state. Although members of the Bucknell education department will assist students in obtaining information concerning certification in other states, as well as Pennsylvania, it is the student's responsibility to obtain this information and to meet all the certification requirements of any state.
All students interested in becoming certified who are not bachelor of science in education degree candidates should confer with the chair of the education department no later than the second semester of the sophomore year.
Information contained here is believed to be correct at time of publication please consult individual state(s) department of education certification information for latest requirements or changes. Neither the Department of Education at Bucknell or Bucknell University warrants the accuracy of information regarding teacher certification.
