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Admission Requirements - Special

Admission to Chemistry Teacher Education

In addition to meeting all university admission requirements for undergraduate students, applicants must meet the following requirements to continue in the program:

1. have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher in all lower division course work applied to the degree program;
2. submit a word-processed essay not to exceed 300 words explaining why the applicant wishes to be a teacher;
3. submit evidence of having passed the Basic Skills Test of the Illinois Certification Testing System;
4. submit scores from the ETS Proficiency Profile; and
5. complete EDUC2310 (Foundations of Education, or equivalent) with a grade of “B” or better.

All candidates for Illinois teacher certification at Governors State University are required to submit to an Adam Walsh fingerprint-based criminal background check by Accurate Biometrics prior to their initial field experience in the schools. For more information on this testing and available test sites, please visit accuratebiometrics.com. Consult with your advisor for information concerning the related GSU policies and procedures.

Admission to Student Teaching

Students must apply for admission to student teaching before enrolling in EDUC4999: Student Teaching. An application for admission to student teaching must be submitted to the director of Field Experiences in the Division of Education. The application must be submitted by November 30 for the fall semester and January 31 for the spring semester preceding the academic year in which the student intends to teach. Student teaching is not offered in the spring/summer trimester. This application for student teaching will certify that the student applying has or will have met the following requirements:

1. completed at least 59 hours of general education requirements with a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in courses taken at Governors State University;
2. completed professional education course requirements, except student teaching, including a minimum of 100 clock-hours of field experience with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, with a grade of “C” or better in each course, and EDUC6330 and EDUC6340 with a grade of “B” or better;
3. must have completed methods courses no more than two years prior to the commencement of student teaching;
4. have no more than six hours remaining to be completed in the major in which he/she is enrolled with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, completing all courses with a grade of “C” or better;
5. met all state requirements applicable to the subject matter area(s) in which he/she will teach as outlined in Section IX, Staff Qualifications of the Illinois StateBoard of Education publication, Minimum Requirements for State Certificates;
6. submit evidence of having passed the Chemistry Content Area examination of the Illinois Certification Testing System; and
7. receive a positive recommendation from the Secondary Education Student Progress Committee.