Undergraduate candidates should begin the process of gaining admission to the teacher education program, upon successful completion of 45 hours of credit. Admission to the teacher education program is required before candidates are allowed to enroll in 300- or 400-level courses.
Graduate-level candidates seeking certification should begin the process of gaining admission within the first semester of coursework at HLGU. Admission to the teacher education program is required before candidates are allowed to enroll in a second semester of graduate coursework.
To gain admittance, the following requirements must be met/fulfilled:
- Completion of the HLGU Teacher Education Program Application form, including agreement with the provided confidentiality statement. The online application requires submission of the following:
- A recent photograph for identification purposes only (the photo will not be used in the evaluation process for admission)
- A typed letter, demonstrating professional writing skills, to the Teacher Education Committee requesting admittance into the teacher education program. This letter should include a brief autobiographical sketch, and an explanation of your desire to become a teacher
- Favorable recommendation from faculty member in teacher education
Dispositions Assessment: University Classroom form) - Current Cumulative, Professional Education, and Content Area Grade Point Averages (GPAs)
- A CGPA of 2.50 or higher on a 4.0 scale (includes all transfer credit)
- A CGPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale in all Professional Education Requirements and Content Area Certification Requirements (some of which may overlap with General Education courses)
- Verification of a qualifying ACT Composite score of 20 or verification of a Composite score of 458 on the ETS ParaPro exam. HLGU is a testing site for the ParaPro. Contact the Education Office (573-629-3110) for information. The ParaPro can also be taken online (for a higher cost) at Missouri RequiredTest. (Graduate/Master's students seeking certification are not required to take the ParaPro exam.)
- Favorable recommendation from field experience cooperating teacher completed in HLGU's Field Experience I or II (Dispositions Assessment: Early Clinical Placement form). Students transferring credit for Field Experience I or II must supply a favorable recommendation from a previous field experience’s cooperating teacher to the Teacher Education Division.
NOTES:
- The teacher education program requires a grade of C or higher for all professional education and content area courses. Additionally, students must earn a grade of C or higher for the following general education courses: College Algebra, English Composition I, English Composition II, and Introduction to Speech Communication.
- GPAs will be verified by checking the student’s official transcript.
- Teacher candidates transferring from another institution are responsible for providing the required ETS Para Pro exam documentation.
- Candidates may be requested to appear personally before the teacher education committee during the tentative admission period for any reason the committee deems necessary.
- Background checks will be required for field and student-teaching experiences and again for certification in the state of Missouri. Teacher candidates pay all fees incurred. Applicants who have been convicted of a felony must identify themselves on the HLGU application form and provide the appropriate documents to the teacher education committee. Applicants who fail to disclose a personal felony conviction will be removed from the teacher education program.
- Upon committee recommendation, candidates will be denied admission, granted probationary admission with suggested corrective measures, or be granted admission and allowed to continue in the program, provided they maintain the following:
- Minimum academic status required for admission
- Campus/community citizenship that reflects moral character and sincere interest in teaching
- When applying for student teaching, the student must meet the following CGPA requirements:
- A CGPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (includes all transfer credit)
- A CGPA of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale in all "professional" education requirements and content area certification requirements (some of which may overlap with general education courses)
- Graduate-level candidates seeking certification should begin the process of gaining admission within the first semester of coursework at HLGU. Admission to the teacher education program is required before teacher candidates are allowed to enroll in a second semester of graduate coursework. Graduate-level candidates seeking certification are required to take the Praxis in the appropriate certification area within the first semester of coursework at HLGU. Passage of the Praxis is required prior to applying for student teaching.
Candidates must be formally admitted into the teacher education program prior to enrolling in 300-level or 400-level professional education courses.
Readmission Policy
Teacher candidates must comply with DESE certification requirements in effect at the time of program entrance/completion and must possess current knowledge of best practices in education. Reapplying to the teacher education program is necessary following readmission to HLGU. Transcripts will be evaluated and courses may need to be retaken if degree and certification requirements have not been completed within a reasonable period of time. Education methods courses can be no more than five years old to count towards certification.