Department Information

Teacher Education 313 Porter, 734.487.3260 

Wendy Burke, PhD, Department Head

Advisor Information

Jessica Grimone-Hopkins, PhD, Undergraduate Program Coordinator, 314Q Porter, 734.487.3260

Teacher Certification

Successful completion of this course of study, in the context of other program requirements, qualifies the student for the recommendation for the Michigan Standard Certificate in the area of concentration selected by the student. The Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) covering these certifications are:

• Birth-Kindergarten (ZN: Early Childhood General and Special Education): MTTC 134
• Pre-K - Third Grade (ZO: Lower Elementary Education): Literacy MTTC 117, Math MTTC 118, Science/Social Studies MTTC 119, and Professional MTTC 120.
• Third - Sixth Grade (ZP: Upper Elementary):  Literacy MTTC 121, Math MTTC 122, Science/Social Studies MTTC 123, and Professional MTTC 124.

Continuance Criteria

Upon choosing their major, students will be admitted to the initial teacher preparation program. Students progress through three checkpoints to remain in the program.  

Continuation past the checkpoints for the teacher preparation program is not automatic. Students must apply to pass a checkpoint. 

Checkpoint 1: Students are eligible to complete the Checkpoint 1 application after completing 45 program credits with a C or higher in each course.  Passing through Checkpoint 1 is required before taking PRCT 320  and PRCT 325 .

Students must meet all of the following requirements:

• Completion of 45 program credit hours.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.5 with a minimum of 12 hours completed at EMU or a cumulative GPA of 3.0 with at least 45 transfer credits. 
• Completion of EDU 101  with a grade of “C” or higher. 
• A grade of “C” or higher in all of the classes taken so far in the major.
• ICHAT criminal background check. Additional documentation may be required.
• Statement of Civil/Criminal Convictions. Additional documentation may be required.
• Completion of a Canvas advising workshop called “COE - Teacher Preparation Checkpoints.”
• Acknowledgment of having read the Michigan Code of Educational Ethics [PDF]. 

Checkpoint 2 - Student Teaching Application: The following is required before registering for student teaching. Students will apply for student teaching by the deadline for the semester in which they will have met all requirements.

Application Deadlines

• Fall semester student teaching: January 15.
• Winter semester student teaching: June 15
• Summer semester student teaching: January 15 (rare and for currently certified teachers only)

Students must meet all of the following requirements before the beginning of their student teaching semester:

• Evaluation of Professional Dispositions: The candidate must have ratings of Acceptable or higher on every element. Failure to meet this requirement will require additional consideration.  
• Proof of 200 hours of Pre-Student Teaching (a minimum of 60 apprenticeship hours in each area of endorsement)
• Completion of all required major courses with a C or higher.
• An overall EMU cumulative and major GPA of 2.5
• ICHAT criminal background check and Statement of Civil/Criminal Convictions. Application of students with civil/criminal convictions will be carefully reviewed and may take longer to process. If you answered yes to any of the civil/criminal conviction questions on the application, you would need to provide:
  • A copy of the Judgment of Sentence, Registrar of Actions, or Certification of Conviction.
  • A written explanation of the offense(s).
• Meeting academic, ethical, social, and emotional requirements.

Checkpoint 3 - Successful completion of student teaching:

Students must meet all of the following requirements.

• Successful completion of 14 weeks of student teaching.
• Completion of all required major courses with a C or higher and additional graduation requirements.
• Successful evaluation by cooperating teacher.
• Successful evaluation by student teaching supervisor.
• Completion of MDE “completer survey.”
• Successful completion of edTPA (locally evaluated).
• Evaluation of Professional Dispositions with ratings of Acceptable or higher on every element.  
• Meeting academic, ethical, social, and emotional requirements

General Education Requirements:

For specific requirements, see General Education  or view the General Education Worksheet [PDF] .  

Major Requirements: 101-122 hours

The coursework below is offered primarily face-to-face/in-person. Coursework may also be offered in hybrid, hyflex, and online (synchronous or asynchronous) modes. In some cases, a course may only be offered entirely online. Click on the courses below to see when and how they are offered.

Minor Requirement:

This major does not require a minor. Students may elect to pursue a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Minor  to satisfy the requirements of a single-band concentration.

Program Total:

Students must earn a minimum total of 120 credits at the 100-level or above.

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements (or their equivalents) of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

Minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University

Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult this catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

• Earn a minimum total of 120 credit hours at the 100-level and above.
  • Courses numbered below 100 are not counted toward this degree requirement.
  • At most, eight credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses are counted toward this requirement.
• Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below), including completing a Writing Intensive (GEWI) course in the student’s major.
• Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details).
• Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
• Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
• Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor. A double major automatically satisfies the need for a minor unless one of the two majors requires a specific minor. Students should check the requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required. 
• Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits over the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
• Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
  • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
  • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
  • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
• Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used to calculate an EMU GPA.
• Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses a student takes at EMU and those applied to their major or minor are used to calculate their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements - EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education  section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.