General Application and Admission Procedures

1. Admission to the UNL Graduate College as a non-degree student.

2. Admission to a CEHS Teacher Education Program (TEP) leading to initial teacher certification.

   Note: Applicants are advised to wait for official notification of acceptance into the Graduate College and a TEP before proceeding with course work.

3. Application / Admission to a CEHS Graduate Program as a desirable option.

All CEHS teacher education programs involve a 'Selective Admissions' process.  The applicant is not guaranteed admission to the teacher education program being applied to, even though application requirements have been satisfied.

Application Procedures For Post Baccalaureate Teacher Education Programs

1. The applicant must pass the math, reading, and writing parts of the state required PRAXIS I (PPST - pre-Professional Skills Test) exam as part of the TEP application.

2. Applicants interested in pursuing a post bac teacher education program may apply at any time during the academic calendar year. However, all application materials must be submitted to Student Services by the applicable application deadline for the semester in which the student wishes to enroll.  Materials submitted after this deadline will be reviewed for enrollment in a later semester.

   Fall Semester - Application Deadline: July 15
   Spring Semester - Application Deadline: November 15
   Summer Session - Application Deadline: April 15
   
   (Note for students also applying for entry into a Master Degree Program, the Spring Semester deadline is September 1)

3. In order to be eligible to submit a TEP application, the applicant must have earned a minimum of a 2.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA.

4. A copy of the applicant’s proposed program plan (jointly developed by the applicant, an academic advisor, and approved to by the Director of Advising) listing recommended coursework and a sequential plan for completing the certification program, must be submitted to the appropriate department faculty member(s) along with the TEP application for approval.

A. Specific Steps in the Admissions Process for Post Baccalaureate Students Pursuing Initial Certification:

1. Applicants who hold a baccalaureate degree and who want to pursue initial certification must submit the Teacher Education Program (TEP) application that includes all required documentation (transcripts, letters of reference, statement, etc.) and their PRAXIS 1 (PPST) scores.

2. The draft program proposal along with the application will be sent to the appropriate department faculty member(s) for review.

3. The department faculty member(s) will review application materials and, typically, interview the applicant, and make an admission decision.

4. If the applicant is admitted, the department faculty member(s) will refine and revise the proposed draft program as appropriate and confirm with the applicant the program requirements.

B. English/Language Arts and Social Sciences Teacher Education Program (TEP) Application Guidelines.

1. Post baccalaureate students planning to pursue a teaching endorsement in either English/Language Arts or Social Sciences Education must comply with the under graduate guidelines which allow students to submit TEP applications to these respective programs twice per year; on September 15 (for spring admission), and on February 1 (for fall admission). The post bac open enrollment policy does NOT apply to these two endorsement programs.

2. Please note that for English/Language Arts Education students, regardless of whether the student is admitted to the program in the fall or spring semester, the four semester professional educational sequence will not begin until the following fall semester.

3. In addition, all post bac English/Language Arts and Social Science TEP applicants must have successfully completed, or are currently enrolled in an approved Foundations of Education class, an Adolescent Developmental Psychology class, and a practicum experience at the time they are submitting their TEP application.

C. Post Baccalaureate Students Pursuing Endorsements in Two Subject Areas

1. The applicant must go through the admissions process described above in Part A.  Note: Separate applications must be submitted to each endorsement area.

2. If the applicant is admitted to both programs, faculty from each program will meet together to finalize and sign off on the student’s program plan.

3. All applicants seeking endorsements simultaneously in two endorsement areas will take the required methods courses for each endorsement, and complete a 100-hour practicum experience in one area, followed by a split 18-week student teaching experience in both areas.

D. Currently Practicing Teacher Adding an Endorsement (those previously certified who wish to add a second endorsement).

1. A copy of the applicant’s proposed program plan (jointly developed by the applicant, an academic advisor and the Director of Advising) listing required coursework and a sequential plan for completing the certification program, will be submitted to the appropriate department faculty member(s) with the Add-On Endorsement application for approval.

2. With approval, the applicant begins the program in a sequence appropriate to the program.

3. Those individuals who are currently certified, but not currently practicing in the field of education please refer to Part A for application requirements.

E. Master Degree Option

1. Once admitted to a certification program, if applicable, the applicant may proceed with applying to the appropriate CEHS Masters program. This application process must be initiated through the appropriate CEHS graduate advising office.

2. Admission to the Graduate College and the application to a Masters program must be accomplished before the applicant registers for any classes to be applied to his/her graduate program.

3. It is strongly recommended that the student meet with a graduate advisor before taking such courses.

General Guidelines

1. Final Admission - Once an applicant has been accepted into the program, A Letter of Admission will be mailed to the successful applicant with information about program and enrollment procedures.

2. Applicants admitted to a TEP during the fall semester without having completed any of the pre-professional classes may be allowed to enroll in the first professional methods class offered in the spring.  One exception to this guideline is TEAC451K – Learning and Teaching Principles and Practices: Career and Technical Education, which requires that students have completed a minimum of two pre-professional classes as a pre-requisite.

3. Students need to complete any program specific pre-requisites before they take the section of TEAC 452 designated for that program.

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