Students pursuing teacher certification in Secondary Education must complete the Secondary Education (Grades 9-12) Certification Checklist coursework in order to meet content area requirements as set by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The 2016-2017 certification checklists are below:
For questions regarding your checklist requirements, please contact your education advisor.
Additional information regarding teacher certification can be found in Other MAT Programs .
Note: Post-Baccalaureate students are only eligible to take courses required for certification.
Teacher Certification Program
Students seeking teacher certification through the State of Missouri with Post-Baccalaureate status are required to meet requirements and seek admission to the Teacher Certification Program as early as possible. Admission to the program is required prior to enrollment in certain EDUC courses. (Course descriptions state if admission to TCP is a prerequisite). Students pursuing teacher certification may not enroll in Education or content area courses a pass/fail unless the course is a designated pass/fail* course by the Education department.
*Undesignated courses taken as pass/fail will be considered as a grade of C for GPA calculations.
Students who seek admission to the program must have:
- Completed at least six hours of the Post-Baccalaureate core at Columbia College, which must include EDUC 505 (Post-Baccalaureate core courses are: EDUC 505 , EDUC 542 , EDUC 550 and EDUC 560 [or their undergraduate equivalents]);
- Attained a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 (includes all coursework, Columbia College and other) with no grade of lower than C in the professional education and content area courses (See note above regarding pass/fail); [Those completing teacher certification Spring 2017 or later will need a 2.75 GPA].
- 2.8 or above on all professional education courses with no grade lower than C (See note above regarding pass/fail). [Those completing teacher certification Spring 2017 or later will need a 3.0 GPA].
- 2.8 or above on all content area courses with no grade lower than C (See note above regarding pass/fail). [Those completing teacher certification Spring 2017 or later will need a 3.0 GPA].
- Completion of application materials for admission to the Teacher Certification Program and will include the Statement of Responsibility and the Guideline Agreement.
Retention Criteria:
- Complete at least six (6) hours of professional education each year.
- Complete required field experiences (in EDUC 505 and EDUC 563 ) and receive favorable evaluations from cooperating teachers and faculty supervisors.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above after acceptance to the program. [Those completing teacher certification Spring 2017 or later will need a 2.75 GPA].
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or above in professional education and content area courses. [Those completing teacher certification Spring 2017 or later will need a 3.0 GPA].
- Department faculty members and staff will document instances of unprofessional behavior. Unprofessional behavior may make the student ineligible for acceptance in the Teacher Certification Program or may result in the immediate dismissal of a student from the Teacher Certification Program. Additional information regarding candidate dismissal can be obtained from the Education Department.
Other Coursework:
- Content area coursework not completed in BA must also be taken to meet State certification requirements.
- Any content area or professional education course(s) with grade of “D” or lower must be repeated until a grade of “C” or above is obtained (see Grading and Academic Standing ). Additional courses may need to be repeated if overall, professional education, or content area GPAs are below the program requirements.
Other Important Information:
Post-Baccalaureate certification students completing the FAFSA to receive financial aid for certification must complete the following questions on the 2015 - 16 FAFSA accordingly:
Question #29. What will your grade level be? Student must answer, “5th year/other undergraduate.”
Question #30. What degree or certificate? Student must answer, “Teaching Credential Program.”
Question #48. Are you a master’s or doctorate student? Student must answer, “No.”