The College of Education
Admission to the Teacher Education Program
The Teacher Education Program at MSU Billings may be completed by students enrolled in the College of Education, the College of Arts and Sciences, or the College of Allied Health Professions.
All students desiring licensure to teach are required to file an Application for Admission to the Teacher Education Program. The application is completed during the term following the completion of a minimum of 45 semester hours of credit, or in the case of a transfer student, during the first term of residence above the sophomore level or the first term of graduate studies enrollment. Student application forms are available in the Certification and Field Experiences Office, COE Room 114, (406) 657-2336. Approval of this application is necessary prior to registration for Professional Teacher Education courses at the 300 and 400 levels.
Admission to the Teacher Education Program is granted through the Certification and Field Experiences Office, first floor COE Room 114, (406) 657-2336. The Director notifies each student upon acceptance in the program. All students must meet the following requirements for admission to the Teacher Education Program:
| 1. |
Completion of a minimum of 45 semester credits with a minimum overall grade point average of 2.65 in all coursework completed. |
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| 2. |
All students must have completed the following Academic Foundations Requirements (see page 70) at MSU Billings, or from another regionally accredited institution of higher education, earning a minimum grade point average of 2.65 with a minimum grade of “C.” Academic Foundations requirements include:
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Credits |
COMT 101 Fundamentals of Communication
OR
*COMT 110 Interpersonal Communication
OR
*COMT 130 Introduction to Public Speaking |
3 |
| *ENGL 150 College Composition |
3 |
*HIST 204 United States History to 1877
OR
*HIST 205 United States History since 1877 |
3 |
| A science course chosen from those approved for Academic Foundations |
4 |
| A math course chosen from those approved for Academic Foundations |
3 |
*NAMS 181 Introduction to Native American Studies
OR
*NAMS 211 Social Issues of the Native
American |
3 |
| *May satisfy Academic Foundations requirements. |
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| 3. |
A minimum grade of “C” and a combined GPA of 2.65 must be earned for the following courses in the
| Professional Education Core |
Credits |
*EDF 100 Education and Democracy
OR
EDF 120 Society, Schools and Teachers |
3 |
| EDF 225 Human Development in Education |
3 |
| EDF 250 Educational Psychology |
3 |
| HHP 201 Core Concepts in Health |
3 |
| SPED 260 Introduction to Teaching Exceptional Learners |
3 |
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| 4. |
Prior to assignment/placement in any field experience course, the student must provide a federal background check, including finger printing, with successful, clear results. The documentation must be no older than two (2) years. The candidate understands and agrees that information submitted may need to be shared with the school district/organization, on a “need to know” basis, to secure the candidate’s field experience placement(s). Field experience placements include sophomore and junior practica, and student teaching. In addition, candidates must understand that the MSU Billings College of Education is a guest in the districts, schools and organizations in which we place our candidates, and that as guests, we cannot guarantee candidate placements. |
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| 5. |
Students must successfully complete the field experiences that are part of EDF 225 and SPED 260 with a passing grade. |
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| 6. |
With their application for Admission to Teacher Education, the student will submit their portfolio to their faculty advisor. The portfolio should be seventy-five percent (75%) complete in Level 1, including an appropriate writing sample. The portfolio and appropriate writing sample must receive acceptable ratings from the faculty advisor. (Transfer and/or graduate students must meet with their faculty advisor for guidance on preparing their portfolios and writing samples.) |
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| 7. |
Students will personally deliver their completed Admission to Teacher Education Application with their portfolio to their faculty advisor for review and approval signature. |
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| 8. |
If any Teacher Education prerequisites are not completed, the student’s faculty advisor may choose to negotiate a contract with the student allowing for a “provisional” admittance designation. If the student does not successfully complete the requirements stipulated in their “provisional” contract by the end of the semester, the student must meet with his/her faculty advisor and discuss a second provisional contract, or alternative career choices. The student is required to provide a copy of his/her “provisional” admittance contract to the Director of the Certification and Field Experience Office. A copy will also be place in the student’s file, and the student may keep a copy for his/her records.
If the student’s GPA is 2.65 or better, and the student is lacking only one Academic Foundations course OR one Professional Core Prerequisite, a contract with the student’s faculty advisor may be negotiated for “provisional” admittance to the Teacher Education Program for a period not to exceed one semester. The student must take the required prerequisite, but may also be approved by his/her faculty advisor to take upper division courses.
If the student’s GPA in the Academic Foundations or Professional Core prerequisites is below 2.65, classes must be retaken to bring the GPA to a 2.65 or above before the student’s Admission to Teacher Education Application can be considered for approval. If the student’s cumulative GPA is below 2.65, the courses with low grades must be retaken in order to raise the student’s cumulative GPA to at least the minimum standard. The courses to be retaken will be designated by the student’s faculty advisor, and agreed to by the student. |
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| 9. |
The Admission to Teacher Education Application materials and provisional contracts, as applicable, approved by the faculty advisor, will be submitted to the Certification and Field Experience Office for final review. If approved for admittance to Teacher Education, the Certification and Field Experience Office will send a letter of acceptance to the student, faculty advisor, student file, and the Registrar for transcript adjustment. |
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| 10. |
If the application is incomplete or does not meet the above listed criteria, the Certification and Field Experience Office will deliver the student’s Admission to Teacher Education Application, with a listing of the identified deficiencies, to the appropriate Department Chair, who will return it to the student’s faculty advisor. |
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| 11. |
APPLICATION DEADLINE
To have all required paperwork processed and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program in sufficient time to register for classes, students must submit their completed Admission to Teacher Education Applications, signed by their faculty advisor, to the Certification and Field Experience Office by no later than two weeks PRIOR to the opening of registration for the following term. Students who do not meet the deadline will only be able to register for Teacher Education Classes when the application process is completed, and as seats are available. |
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| 12. |
Admission to Teacher Education, and the completion of course work and field experiences doe not guarantee the candidate a teaching licensure by the State of Montana. |
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| 13. |
If the candidate disagrees with his/her faculty advisor’s, or the Certification and Field Experience Office’s determinations, the candidate may appeal to the College of Education’s Teacher Education Committee’s (TEC) Appeals Subcommittee. |
NEXT: Teacher Education Program Appeals
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