Notes on Secondary Education Certification:

Here is your guide:
MA in English students interested in pursuing Certification for secondary education must apply for admission into the School of Education’s Department of Teacher Education: http://education.depaul.edu/html/academics/graduate.asp Candidates for admission also must:

• Submit evidence of passing the Illinois Basic Skills Test.

• Submit evidence of having a 3.0 grade point average in DePaul course work

• Submit one satisfactory evaluation of content area knowledge.

• Submit one satisfactory recommendation related to the skills and attitudes of Urban, Professional, Multicultural Educators

• The Department of Teacher Education is developing a plan for evaluating technology skills, and evidence of technology skills may be added to the admissions requirements in the near future.

For further information about these requirements, please consult the the School of Education’s website and Office of Student Affairs.

Once admitted into the Department of Teacher Education, MA in English students must take the following courses:

• SCG 406 ("Human Development and Learning")
• SCG 408 ("Education and Society")
• SCG 410 ("Introduction to Research: Purposes, Issues, and Methodologies")
• LSI 446 ("Psychology and Education of the Exceptional Learner"
• T&L 405 ("Professional Practice in the Secondary Schools"),
• T&L 414 ("Literacy in the Secondary Schools")
• T&L 590 (student teaching)
• T&L 591 (student teaching seminar)

MA students seeing certification to teach English in the secondary schools must also take three methods courses:

• ENG 484 “Teaching Writing” (or T&L 428)
• ENG 474 “Teaching Literature” (or T&L 426)
• T &L 429 “Teaching Young Adult Literature”

In addition to the Basic Skills Test that is now required at admission, students must pass the Subject Matter Test prior to student teaching. The state has developed a new (third) test that covers core teaching standards, core language arts standards, and core technology standards. This third test, the Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) must be passed prior to applying for certification.

Some courses in the School of Education require students to participate in field experiences. These occur during regular school hours and must be completed within the timeframe of the class that requires them.

All students planning to pursue certification should make an appointment with a School of Education academic advisor as early as possible upon admission, since certification requirements are complex and may change in response to legislative exigencies.

Information about group long term planning sessions with advisors is available on the School of Education website: http://education.depaul.edu/index.asp

Please contact me if you have further questions. I look forward to working with you and with faculty in the School of Education to make this process as smooth as possible.

Anne Clark Bartlett
Program Director,
MA in English
9 March 2004