Teacher Education Program Requirements

Requirements for Admission to Teacher Education

All Teacher Candidates who wish to be licensed to teach must complete the following requirements before applying for admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP).

  1. A cumulative GPA of at least 2.7
  2. A grade of C (2.0) or better in the professional licensure sequence
  3. Elementary Education and Special Education majors must maintain a C or better in all EDU and SPE major courses.
  4. Passing scores on PRAXIS I Core Academic Skills Test for Educators or ACT/SAT scores that meet the exemption score cutoff set by the state of North Carolina or a preexisting Bachelor’s degree and any other test(s) required by MUTEP, the Department of Public Instruction, and state/federal law.
  5. Successful completion of a minimum of 60 credits to include
  • ENG 1010 and 1020 or 1040
  • MAT 1050 or higher
  • 3 credits of science
  • 3 credits of fine arts
  • EDU 2000; EDU 2400; Field Experience I (EDU 2510); and SPE 2550
  • Physical Education and Health Education majors only: PXS 3060.
  1. Three recommendations from faculty, to include one from a faculty member in the student’s major and one from a faculty member in the Education Department.
  2. A pre-admission interview with the Director of Student Teaching and Field Experiences, a member of the Teacher Education Committee and the Subject Area Program Coordinator.
  3. Review and approval of the student’s application for admission to Teacher Education by the Teacher Education Committee.

A student must be admitted to Teacher Education before he/she will be allowed to enroll in certain upper-level EDU/SPE courses; please see specific course descriptions for more information.

Requirements for Maintaining Good Standing in the Program

To maintain good standing, a student must, for each semester enrolled in MUTEP

  1. have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher
  2. be enrolled in a Field Experience
  3. maintain final grades of C (2.0) or better in licensure courses

A student who does not maintain good standing must meet with his/her advisor and the Chair of the Teacher Education Committee. At this meeting, the student will be placed on an improvement plan which he or she must complete satisfactorily.

Requirements for Admission to Student Teaching

To be admitted to student teaching, candidates must:

  1. Be accepted into the Teacher Education Program at least one full semester (excluding the summer) prior to their student teaching semester.
  2. Maintain good standing in MUTEP.
  3. Resolve any grades of “incomplete” on their MU transcript.
  4. Provide evidence of remediation of any scholastic weaknesses identified by MUTEP professors.
  5. Complete all general education, major and professional licensure requirements except EDU 4070 and/or PXS 4150. No other courses may be taken during student teaching.
  6. Submit an application no later than the date specified to the Director of Field Experience and Student Teaching the semester prior to student teaching.
  7. Receive formal approval for student teaching by the Director of Field Experience and the Department Chair.

Requirements for Licensure

  1. Successful completion of all required coursework
  2. A passing score on all required professional exams. Passing scores are set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
  3. An overall cumulative grade point average of 2.7
  4. A grade of C (2.0) or better in all courses in the student’s major and in the professional sequence
  5. A grade of B (3.0) or better in Student Teaching.

Requirements for Licensure Only

Persons with an approved baccalaureate degree wishing to obtain North Carolina teaching licensure through Methodist University must submit transcripts for evaluation. The appropriate Subject Area Program Coordinator and Chair of the Teacher Education Committee will create an individualized plan of study for the candidate. The individualized plan of study will contain all courses the candidate is required to complete. All courses on the plan of study must be taken at Methodist University.

Requirements for Lateral Entry

The Department of Education follows two program plans for lateral entry students:

  1. Students seeking teacher licensure through Methodist University must
  • submit a letter from their employing school district that verifies lateral entry status
  • have their transcripts evaluated by the Department Chair
  • have an individualized plan of study completed by the Department Chair and appropriate Subject Area Program Coordinator
  • follow the guidelines for all candidates admitted to the Teacher Education Program
  • complete all courses listed in the individualized plan of study at Methodist University
  1. Students seeking lateral entry licensure through the State Department of Public Instruction Regional Alternative Licensing Centers (RALC) may take any course(s) offered at Methodist University recommended by the RALC.