Information For Persons With Degrees

TEACHER CERTIFICATION FOR PERSONS WITH DEGREES

Welcome! If you already have a degree and have decided to pursue a career in teaching, this page is for you! Utah State University has a teacher licensure program for persons with degrees. You may also qualify for a Second Bachelor's Degree after you complete Teacher Licensure. You may complete the teacher licensure program at the Logan or Uintah Basin campuses.

Please take time to read all of this material at one time, and follow directions to obtain graduation and licensure. You will begin teacher licensure courses in the Department of Secondary Education after all of the following steps are completed.

How to Apply for Admission to USU - Read this carefully!

Click on this link, print and complete the admission checksheet.Attach it to your application to the university, or present it to the Admissions Office as soon as possible to be sure you are properly dmitted.

There are several options for your status as an applicant. Entering your status as Second Bachelor's Degree (2BS) on the application for admission will allow you to pay undergraduate tuition instead of non-matriculated or graduate tuition. The Utah State Office of Education expects that your transcripts will document a degree in the subject area in which you want to become licensed toteach. If your Bachelor's Degree is not specifically in the subject area you are seeking licensure for, you will need to complete your Second Bachelor's Degree in that specific subject. If you have a Bachelor's Degree in the specific subject you can return for licensure in that subject and receive a Second Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education for your efforts. You may choose from the following options:

• If your new teaching area for licensure is not exactly the same as the major of your degree, enter Second Bachelor's Degree and your new desired teaching major in the appropriate blanks on the application. For example, if you have a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and want to complete the Business Education major, then your status will be Second Bachelor's Degree in Business Education
• If your new teaching area for licensure is exactly the same as the major of your degree, enter Second Bachelor's Degree and Secondary Education in the appropriate blanks on the application. For example, if your Bachelor's Degree is in English and you want to complete licensure for teaching English, then you cannot apply for a second degree in English, but you can receive a second degree in Secondary Education in addition to your degree in English.
• If you have a teacher license and are returning to complete a minor or endorsement for authorization to teach in an additional area, enter Second Bachelor's Degree and TCHR as your major code. You will not receive a Second Bachelor's Degree, but you will still pay undergraduate tuition.

Step 1: Do the following

As a secondary school teacher, you will be licensed to teach subjects in grades 6-12. Think about what subjects you intend to teach, and carefully examine their relationship to your degree and the courses you completed. Then carefully go over the list of approved teaching composites, majors and minors listed below. You must complete the content of a teaching composite major, or a teaching major and minor, that appears on this list. Try to find one or more composites, majors and minors on the list that you may be interested in, and that match the subjects you want to teach. If you select a single-subject teaching major, you will also need to select a teaching minor. Go over the list below, then go to step 2.

Step 2: Meet with advisors

The list below has the names of the advisors associated with each of the majors you have chosen. Contact the designated advisor in each department and ask for all of the department information on the composite, major or minor. Arrange to meet with the advisors to go over the requirements for the teaching majors and minors you have selected. You will want to provide them with transcripts of all your previous courses from all institutions you attended, and have the advisors evaluate those courses for your teaching major and minor subjects. The departments of your major and minor will sign your application for Teacher Licensure. After finding your advisors from the list, go on to Step 3 below.

Step 3: Read all the information on this website over the next few weeks, especially the information on the requirements for admission to Teacher Education, and the Application for Admission to Teacher Education. You may not begin the three-semester Teacher Education Program until your application is submitted and you are notified that you have been admitted to Teacher Education. While you are completing course requirements for your teaching composite, or major and minor, you will complete the application to Teacher Education. When your department advisors recommend that you begin the three-semester Teacher Education Program, you will begin the three-level series of courses and student teaching that is required for teacher licensure. Study all the information on this website so you will know what is expected of you.

DO THESE THINGS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID DELAYS

1. Collect transcripts from all institutions previously attended.
2. When you meet with your advisors, ask for an Application for Teacher Education, go over it with your advisor, and begin completing the requirements.
3. Make an appointment with the Secondary Education advisor to go over all your evaluations and make plans for beginning the 3-semester Teacher Education Program. (435)797-2222.

OVERVIEW OF THE TEACHER LICENSURE PROGRAM

The Teacher Licensure Program is exactly the same, regardless of whether you entered USU as a Freshman, transferred to USU, or completed a degree - you will complete three semesters of formal teacher preparation, and the third semester will be your student teaching semester. Since you already have a degree, you do not need to complete the original graduation requirements - you are responsible only for completing all the requirements of a teaching composite area, or a teaching major/minor combination. The department(s) of the composite, major or minor sign off your completion and currency of the appropriate courses. After those courses are completed you will complete the three semesters of the Teacher Licensure Program.

DO THE MAJOR AND MINOR AREAS OF YOUR DEGREE MATCH AREAS THAT ARE APPROVED FOR TEACHER LICENSURE?

Although you already have a degree, this does not mean that you can obtain a teaching certificate in that degree program. For example, if you completed a degree in Electrical Engineering, that subject is not taught as a subject in secondary schools, and is not an approved area of licensure. On the other hand, with an Engineering background, it might be good to look at your Mathematics and Physics courses for the possibility of completing licensure in Mathematics and Physics, which are approved licensure areas.

Did you graduate with a single-subject major and no minor? In this case you need to be aware that teacher certification requires completion of both an approved major and minor, or completion of a teaching composite, for certification.

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY AND SECOND BACHELOR'S DEGREE STATUS

You will usually apply for admission to USU as a Second Bachelor's Degree student in Secondary Education. This option allows you undergraduate status, and you pay undergraduate tuition as long as you are completing courses toward teacher licensure. If your original degree is not in the teaching major you have chosen, you should apply for admission and Second Bachelor's status in the department of your new teaching major, so your second degree will match your subjects of licensure. Remember that departments have minimum standards for admission. If you do not meet those standards, you may need to request admission to USU as a non-matriculated student.