University College | Arts & Sciences

Post-Baccalaureate Certification
(in secondary, middle school, and K-12 education)

For students who have completed a bachelor's degree, Washington University offers the course work necessary to obtain a Missouri secondary teaching certificate. All course work is available through University College during afternoon and evening hours with the exception of student teaching, a daytime experience available during the spring semester only. Required coursework is taken for undergraduate credit. The program tuition rate for any courses leading to certification is the stated University College undergraduate tuition as listed in the University College course schedule.

Certification Areas

Certification through the Post-Baccalaureate Program is available in the following teaching areas:

• Secondary teaching areas: English, mathematics; biology; chemistry; earth science; physics; social studies
• Middle School 5-9: English; social studies; mathematics; science
• K-12 teaching areas: art; classics (Latin); modern foreign languages (French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish)

Admission

Applicants to the Post-Baccalaureate ("Post-B.A.") program are expected to have a major or the equivalent of a major in their certification subject. Application forms are available from the Department of Education and should be returned directly to the department. Applications must include:

• the completed application form with personal essay;
• three letters of reference from academic or professional sources;
• official transcripts of all previous college work;
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) results.

State requirements for certification are complex and change frequently; thus it is important that students interested in certification consult with an advisor in the Department of Education prior to applying to the Post-B.A. program.

Program of Study

The actual number of credit hours necessary for certification depends on the student's background. Upon admission to the Post-B.A. program, each student's transcript(s) is evaluated by an advisory in the Department of Education to determine the courses needed for certification. Students who have no prior course work in education should plan on a minimum of 30 credit hours in education courses. Persons already certified at the elementary or secondary level can pursue middle school certification through the Post-B.A. program.

Program Completion

The Post-B.A. program is designed to be completed quickly. All education courses are offered at least once a year; many are offered twice. Only those courses needed to complete certification requirements are considered part of the program. Thus, a person can prepare for a career in education quickly, while continuing to work until the semester of student teaching.

Upon satisfactory completion of all the requirements for the Post-Baccalaureate program, students are recommended for teacher certification to the State of Missouri. Students completing the program are also awarded a Certificate in Education from University College.

Other Certification Programs at Washington University

Part-time students who seek certification along with a bachelor's degree should consider the Secondary Teacher Certification program in English or Social Sciences offered through University College. Prospective teachers who want to receive a Master's degree along with secondary certification and are able to study full-time during the day, the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) or the M.A. Ed. Elementary may be better options.

Click here for information about programs for practicing educators.

Secondary Undergraduate Program in Social Sciences or English (Grades 9-12) Education

University College offers undergraduate teacher certification programs in either English or Social Sciences. In each case, the certification program involves a double major in Education and in the appropriate academic area as determined by the Education advisor. This program is designed for people who do not already hold a baccalaureate degree. Teacher certification requires specific courses within the subject area major; therefore, the Education advisor must be consulted about both majors.

Washington University's teacher preparation programs provide the general, professional and subject area education that qualifies a student for certification to teach in the public schools. On the recommendation of the Department of Education, the Missouri Department of Education will issue a teaching certificate to an individual who successfully completes a Washington University teacher preparation program.

Philosophy

At Washington University, the teacher education programs are designed to produce teachers who implement an inquiry approach to education. Based upon the belief that teaching is a complex, normative, and changing activity, teacher education is viewed as an on-going, problem-solving process as opposed to a search for the "one right" answer or "one best" way. Therefore, our students are expected to develop the ability and the inclination to look at educational policy and classroom decision making from multiple perspectives, and to raise fundamental questions about the purposes, processes, and inequities of the current system. In addition, they are expected to act in ways that have a sound and defensible rationale rooted in research, ethical standards, and personal experience, and to reflect upon and reconsider that practice in the interest of all of their students.

Admission

All University College undergraduate students must satisfy the same basic-course requirements; for information on those, press here. A University College student may not declare an Education major or apply to a teacher education program until he/she has completed 60 credit hours toward his/her University College undergraduate degree, including a minimum of 15 credit hours in the subject area major. Declaration of a major does not imply admission; students must be admitted to the teacher education program.

At the point the student has completed 60 credit hours, he/she must submit the following to the Department of Education Office in McMillan Hall, Room 216, or send to Campus Box 1183, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130.

• A completed undergraduate teacher education program application form -- available from the Department of Education office in McMillan Hall, room 216, telephone 314/935-6707
• Official transcripts from all previous college course work
• ACT or SAT scores
• C-BASE exam score report. Information about the C-BASE exam is available from the Department of Education office in McMillan Hall, room 216, telephone 314/935-6707.

The student should also schedule an admission interview with an advisor in the Department of Education. The Department of Education's Pre-Service Admission Committee reviews all applications for admission once a semester. The student will receive a letter indicating the Committee's decision.

To qualify for admission to the teacher education program, applicants must have at least a 2.8 overall grade point average, with a 3.0 GPA in their major, and not be on academic probation. Other factors which affect admission are:

• the ability to complete the necessary course work prior to graduation
• behavior and performance in Education course work taken prior to application for admission
• past experience in working with children or adolescents, and;
• commitment to teacher education.

In addition to the Department of Education's assessment of the candidate, the Missouri State Department of Education requires that any student admitted to a teacher certification program must provide American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores if he or she has taken one of those tests recently. The Department of Education will consider these scores as part of the admission process.

If a student believes that his/her verbal and/or mathematical competence is not accurately evaluated through the results of nationally normed tests, the student may petition to have grades of "B" or better in appropriate English composition and/or mathematics courses substituted for ACT or SAT results. The Pre-Service Admission Committee will notify the student of the result of that petition.

Missouri also requires undergraduate students wishing to be admitted to a teacher certification program to pass College Base (C-BASE), an achievement test focused on basic knowledge and skills in English, mathematics, science and social studies. The C-BASE is given on campus every Spring and Fall. More information is available in the Department of Education office in McMillan Hall, room 216, telephone 314/935-6707.

Academic Progress

Once admitted to the program, the student's progress is monitored by the Department of Education advisor and the Pre-Service Admission Committee. In particular, academic progress is reviewed before permission is given to take the professional semester and student-teach, and special attention is paid to any incomplete course work. Students should also consult with a University College advisor to make sure they are completing necessary University College degree requirements. It is, however, each student's responsibility to make sure that all program requirements are fulfilled.

Programs of Study (All University College undergraduate students must satisfy the same basic-course requirements; for information on those, press here.)

Students should attempt to incorporate the following requirements into the University College undergraduate degree Distribution Requirements. Each of the following required liberal arts courses must be worth a minimum of 2 credit hours:

One course each from two of the following fields: Foreign Language, Western and Non-Western Cultures, Philosophy, Literature, Classics, Theatre/Drama, Art, Music (non-applied)

Two courses in English Composition

One course each in:

• American Government
• American History
• Introduction to Psychology
• Physical or Earth Science*
• Biological Science*
• College-level Mathematics course
• Oral Communication

*One of the two courses must contain a lab. 2. Professional Education

• Educational Psychology - Educ 4052, includes school observation (4 credits) (offered fall and spring)
• Education and Psychology of Exceptional Children - Educ 408 (3 credits) (offered fall, spring and summer)
• The American School - Educ 301 or its equivalent (3 credits) (offered fall, spring and summer)
• Teaching Learning Process in the Secondary Schools - Educ 4821 (3 credits spring -- 3 total credits required)
• Curriculum and Instruction in the subject to be taught - Educ 4xx (credits: fall, 3 credits)
• Reading in the Content Areas - Educ 5681 (3 credits) (offered spring only)
• Student Teaching - Educ 492 or Educ 494 (8 credits) (offered in spring)
• Field Seminar

Courses are described in the University College Bulletin of Washington University, copies of which are available on request from University College (314-935-6700).

3. Subject Area Course Work

ENGLISH (9-12)

Students seeking certification in English must complete the following course work in addition to the requirements of the University College English major:*

• Masterpieces of Literature I & II or equivalent (6 credit hours);
• 12 credits of English composition;
• 6 hours of study of the English language (Linguistics 176, 201, 205; English literature 471, 472);
• 3 credits Shakespeare;
• 6 credits of American literature * must include gender and/or ethnic studies course and course that considers adolescent texts;
• 6 credits 400-level literature electives.

SOCIAL SCIENCES (9-12)

Students seeking certification in Social Sciences must complete (1) a University College major in history, political science, economics, anthropology, international studies or psychology and (2) a total of 40 hours of social science/history courses including:

• American history (12 credits) -- to include American History Survey I and II, or one advanced course in the Colonial period, 19th- and 20th-century America;
• World History (12 credits) (6 credits must be non-western history courses);
• political science (U.S. emphasis) (6 credits);
• Economics 104 B, Macroeconomics(3 credits);
• Geography (3 credits); to meet the geography requirement, the student can take a social science course that covers a broad scope of cultures and integrates geographical content into the overall course; the student should consult with the education advisor to determine an appropriate course.
• Behavioral Science (6 credits) (sociology, anthropology, psychology).

Teacher Certification in the State of Missouri

Upon completion of a Teacher Education/Certification Program and completion of a baccalaureate degree, a student may apply for a Missouri teaching certificate. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the application from McMillan Hall, room 216, and to return the completed form and required transcripts to that office.

Our programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and our certification officer will help students achieve teacher certification in other states. Currently, many states are revising their certification requirements. The student is well advised to check the certification requirements of each state in which they want teacher certification. Students desiring certification in other states may need additional course work. More information is available in the departmental office (McMillan Hall, room 216).

As of September 1, 1998, the state of Missouri stopped issuing life teaching certificates. Beginning teachers in the state of Missouri now receive a renewable Professional Certificate. Information on the renewal process is included with the certificate when it is issued. The Washington University certification officer can also provide information on this process.

All persons admitted to our teacher certification programs must meet the following requirements in order to be certified in the state of Missouri:

1. Provide record of ACT or SAT scores (if taken recently).
2. Overall final G.P.A. of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
3. Final G.P.A. in the teaching area of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
4. No grade of less than "C" in an Education course.
5. Undergraduates must have passed the five (5) parts of the C-BASE prior to admission. This test is offered every semester at Washington University.
6. Satisfactory completion of the Praxis II (formerly the NTE) in the appropriate subject area. The Praxis should be taken in the final year. Information can be obtained in McMillan Hall, room 216.
7. Submit background check and fingerprint cards to department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Requirements for Non-Native English Speakers

All non-native English speakers who apply to any Washington University Education program must take the battery of tests conducted by the English as a Second Language Program in the International Office (this includes the institutional TOEFL). Prospective students may call that office at (314) 935-5966 to make arrangements to take those tests which are offered several weeks prior to the start of each semester.

For more information, please contact:

Department of Education
Campus Box 1183
Washington University
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
314-935-6707
Website: Department of Education
E-mail: K. Shelton, kshelton@artsci.wustl.edu, Student Services Secretary

University College
Campus Box 1085
Washington University
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
314-935-6777
E-mail: ucollege@artsci.wustl.edu