EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CERTIFICATION
REQUIRED COURSES
EDU 732.21 Foundations of Education
EDU 604.21 Educational Assessment & Data Driven Decision Making
EDU 601.21 Theoretical Foundations of Reading Instruction
EDU 602.21 Human Growth & Development
EDU 619.21 The Preschool Child
EDU 501.21* Student Teaching, or
EDU 503.21** Student Teaching
* This course is for someone who does not have his or her own classroom but is assigned to teach with a certified classroom teacher. It is a 12 credit hour course.
** This course is for someone who is an intern or someone with an emergency certificate teaching full time when signing for this course. It is a 6 credit hour course.
A. ENTRANCE CRITERIA (ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS)
1. An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university (that includes
6 credits of mathematics and 6 credits of English Composition and Literature)
2. Official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate course work
3. A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a scale of 4.0) in undergraduate course work or
A minimum 3.3 cumulative GPA (on a scale of 4.0) for a minimum of 12
graduate-level credits (for Lincoln University course work)
4. Evidence of passing PRAXIS I
5. Completed Graduate Program application with $50.00 nonrefundable application fee
6. Updated resume/CV
7. A 300-500 word essay explaining future goals based on the selected graduate program
8. Three (3) letters of recommendation
B. RETENTION CRITERIA
Candidates must:
1. Sign for at least two graduate level courses during each academic session to maintain full-time status.
2. Maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale during their enrollment in the program.
3. Abide by Lincoln University’s policies on sexual harassment, class attendance,
and retention policies, which may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Student Admissions and Services.
C. EXIT CRITERIA
Eligibility for Teacher Certification in Early Childhood Education is based on:
- Successful completion of all required courses.
- A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Repetition of courses with an ‘F’ grade before applying for graduation.
- Evidence of passing both PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II.
- Successful completion of the Student Teaching field experience as required by the PDE.
IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS
A. IMPLEMENTATION OF ENTRANCE CRITERIA
A Review Committee composed of, among others, the Graduate Education Academic Advisor and the Director of Graduate Admission and Student Services conducts a thorough review of all applicants’ documents to determine if the admission requirements listed under the respective certification program are met.
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF RETENTION CRITERIA
Students’ records are evaluated frequently. Those students whose grades are on the borderline of the minimum cumulative grade point average as stated in the entrance criteria will be informed in writing of their academic status in their respective program.
C. IMPLEMENTATION OF EXIT CRITERIA
The Graduate Education Academic Advisor and the Chair or Assistant Chair of the Department of Education make the decision of whether a candidate meets the published exit criteria for Teacher Certification in Early Childhood Education. The recommendation from the two individuals is then forwarded to the Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Behavioral Studies for approval.
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATION
REQUIRED COURSES
EDU 732.21 Foundations of Education
EDU 604.21 Educational Assessment & Data Driven Decision Making
EDU 601.21 Theoretical Foundations of Reading Instruction
EDU 602.21 Human Growth & Development
EDU 605.21 Reading in the Content Area
EDU 501.21* Student Teaching, or
EDU 503.21** Student Teaching
* This course is for someone who does not have his or her own classroom but is assigned to teach with a certified classroom teacher. It is a 12 credit hour course.
** This course is for someone who is an intern or someone with an emergency certificate teaching full time when signed for this course. It is a 6 credit hour course.
A. ENTRANCE CRITERIA (ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS)
Candidates seeking teacher’s certification in Elementary Education must fulfill the following requirements:
1. An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university (that includes
6 credits of mathematics and 6 credits of English Composition and Literature)
2. Official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate course work
3. A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a scale of 4.0) in undergraduate course work or
A minimum 3.3 cumulative GPA (on a scale of 4.0) for a minimum of 12
graduate-level credits (for Lincoln University course work)
4. Evidence of passing PRAXIS I
5. Completed Graduate Program application with $50.00 nonrefundable application fee
6. Updated resume/CV
7. A 300-500 word essay explaining future goals based on the selected graduate program
8. Three (3) letters of recommendation
B. RETENTION CRITERIA
A Candidate must:
- Sign for at least two graduate level courses during each academic session to maintain the full-time status.
- Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale to stay in the program.
- Abide by Lincoln University’s policies on sexual harassment, class attendance, and retention policies, which may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Student Services and Admissions.
C. EXIT CRITERIA
Eligibility for teacher certification in Elementary Education is based on:
1. Successful completion of all required courses.
2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on the 4.0 scale.
3. Repeat or removal of courses with ‘F’ grade before applying for graduation
4. Evidence of passing both PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II.
5. Successful completion of the Student Teaching field experience as required by the PDE.
IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS
A. IMPLEMENTATION OF ENTRANCE CRITERIA A Review Committee composed of, among others, the Graduate Education Academic Advisor and the Director of Graduate Admission and Student Services conduct a thorough review of all applicants’ documents to determine if the admission requirements listed under the respective certification program are met.
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF RETENTION CRITERIA
Students’ academic records are evaluated frequently. Those students whose grades are on the borderline of the minimum cumulative grade point average as stated in the entrance criteria will be informed in writing of their academic status in their respective certification program.
C. IMPLEMENTATION OF EXIT CRITERIA
The Graduate Education Academic Advisor and the Chair or Assistant Chair of the Department of Education make the decision of whether a candidate meets the published exit criteria for Teacher Certification in Elementary Education. The recommendation from the two individuals is then forwarded to the Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Behavioral Studies for approval.
GRADUATE EDUCATION STUDENT TEACHING PROGRAM
Graduate-level Student Teaching courses have different course numbers from the ones offered at the undergraduate level at Lincoln University’s Main Campus. EDU 501.21 and EDU 503.21 are graduate level student teaching courses that are offered at the Graduate Center in Philadelphia. As required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), student teaching is a major component in Teacher Certification Programs. (See next page for course descriptions).
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for a student teaching placement, the candidate must:
- Complete all five Master’s of Education (M.Ed.) Core Courses except those specializing in mathematics who are not required to take the core course EDU 601.21 (Theoretical Foundations of Reading). The remaining core courses include EDU 600.21 (Contemporary Issues in Education), EDU 602.21 (Human Growth and Development), EDU 604.21 (Educational Assessment and Evaluation), and EDU 732.21 (Foundations of Education.)
- Provide Evidence of passing PRAXIS I test (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics)
- Maintain a minimum of 3.0 GPA in the core courses
- Be willing to teach the whole academic semester full time without interruption.
- Obtain advisor’s approval
All student teaching candidates are expected to dress and behave professionally especially in the classroom. Although candidates can wear the outfits of their choice, it should also be noted that jeans and sneakers are not permitted in student teaching classrooms.
Transfer students must complete the equivalent of a minimum of 9 credit hours at Lincoln University’s Graduate Studies before becoming eligible for student teaching. Student teaching is not offered for graduate credit. For candidates who already possess teaching certification through Lincoln University, but seek to have another certification in a different area of concentration, student teaching is waived.
