General Requirements
Admission to an Education major from high school
- Completion of 16 academic units at the high school level, four of which must be English; remainder of units are to be comprised of social sciences, foreign language, mathematics and science.
- Academic course selection, grades, letters of recommendation, personal statement and SAT/ACT scores will be carefully reviewed for admission consideration.
- Demonstrate motivation and curiosity through interests and extracurricular activities.
Admission to the School of Education
Acceptance and enrollment at Gannon University does not automatically guarantee acceptance into the School of Education as a teacher candidate. Each teacher candidate must apply for official admission to the School of Education. Applications are available in the School of Education office. Teacher candidates are required to formally apply to the School of Education between their first 48-60 credit hours. This usually occurs between the first and second semester of the sophomore year, but application must be made no later than the end of the sophomore year. Continuation in the Education program is dependent upon acceptance into the School of Education.
The Education Review Committee evaluates applications for admission to the School of Education each semester. Individuals who meet the criteria are recommended to the Director of the School of Education for admission. The standards for admission and retention can be found in the current Gannon University undergraduate catalog and include a requirement for meeting PDE’s basic skills requirement in reading, mathematics, and writing. This may be accomplished by passing the Core Academic Skills for Educators Tests (CORE), Pre-Service Academic Performance Assessments (PAPA), The Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT), and/or The American College Test (ACT). Candidates may combine reading, mathematics, and writing module scores from different test providers to meet the basic skills requirement. For complete details, refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website at www.education.pa.gov and enter Basic Skill Testing Requirements in the search box.
Note: Individuals who have earned a BS or BA degree and who enroll in coursework to prepare for teacher certification do not have to meet the basic skills requirement.
Denial of Admission to the School of Education
An overall grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained. Individuals who do not meet state mandated minimums are not eligible for admission into the School of Education. Incomplete School of Education applications will result in denial of admission.
Retention in the School of Education
Once admitted to the School of Education, candidates must abide by the retention policies published in the Gannon University undergraduate catalog to remain in the program.
Student Teaching Requirements
Student teaching is a capstone experience. To qualify for student teaching, teacher candidates must have met or exceeded all program requirements.
If candidates are graduating in the semester of their student teaching experience, they are encouraged to complete the content specific exams designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education prior to student teaching. Passage of these exams is not a graduation requirement, but passage is required before Level I teaching certification approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Individuals Returning for Initial Certification
Individuals with a BA or BS degree who are returning for certification must apply and be accepted through the University’s Center for Adult Learning and meet all criteria for admission to the School of Education. Post-baccalaureate teacher candidates are not required to meet the basic skills requirements, but they must complete the School of Education application.
Exit Criteria
Undergraduate students must complete all graduation requirements for a bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or greater in all coursework.
Post Baccalaureate students must complete all requirements as indicated on their Program Plan of study with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or greater in all coursework.