Admission Criteria
In order to apply to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program, you must be admitted to EMU and have completed 56 credit hours. The minimum application requirements are listed below. Once you submit your Teacher Preparation Program application and other required materials, it usually takes two weeks to be notified of an admission decision. It is best to avoid the rush at the beginning and end of each semester.
Applications for the Initial Teacher Preparation Program at EMU are available online at www.emich.edu/coe/oas/docs/forms/emu_coe_oas_itpp_application_form.pdf. Submit your completed application to the Office of Academic Services, 206 Porter Building, 734.487.1416, once you have earned 56 credit hours.
The Office of Academic Services accepts applications all year long. Students must be admitted by the time their Phase I classes begin. Keep in mind your major and minor are not official until you have been admitted to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program. We strongly encourage you to gain admission as soon as you have completed 56 credit hours.
In addition to the 56 credit hour requirement, students must meet all of the following requirements:
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Completion of at least 12 credit hours from EMU. You may apply to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program if you transfer with 56 credit hours, have a cumulative 3.0 GPA from your previous institutions(s), and have passed the MTTC Basic Skills Test. |
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A cumulative EMU GPA of 2.50 or higher. Transfer grades are not used in the calculation. |
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A major (or three minor) GPA at EMU of 2.50 or higher. Transfer grades are not used in the calculation. The student needs to have at least one class from the major (or three minors) completed at EMU in order to have a major (or three minor) GPA. |
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A grade of “C” or higher in the following courses when taken: written communication, speech, mathematics, lab science, and professional education classes. |
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Proof of passing scores on all three sections of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Basic Skills test. |
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Autobiography statement about your experiences with youth/children. Your autobiography should also explain why you want to become a teacher. This statement will be read for content, grammar and punctuation. |
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Freedom from civil/criminal conviction issues, academic probation, or administrative probation. If you answer yes to any of the civil/criminal conviction questions on the application, you will provide: 1) a copy of the Judgment of Sentence, Registrar of Actions or Certification of Conviction, and 2) a written explanation of the offense(s). Students with civil criminal conviction issues will be carefully reviewed before an admission decision is made. |
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Self-evaluation of professional behaviors. |
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Meeting academic, social, moral and financial obligations as a member of the EMU community. |
Students must meet all of the admission requirements at the time of application. There is no conditional or probationary admission to the program.
Please visit the Advising section for more information about group and individual advising.
Admission to the Undergraduate Programs in Special Education
You must first be admitted to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program before applying for admission to the undergraduate program for special education.
For all programs, EXCEPT Speech-Language Impaired:
- Complete 56 college credit hours and have an EMU GPA of 2.50 or better.
- Complete SPGN 251 and the introductory course in the major area of study with a “C” or better.
- Proof of passing scores on all three sections of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Basic Skills test.
- Submit a formal application for admission to the Department of Special Education supported by a recommendation from a faculty member in your specific program area in the Department of Special Education.
For admission to the Speech -Language Impaired Program:
More information about admission to the program areas and an application form at www.emich.edu/coe/sped/resources.html
Please visit the Advising section for more information about group and individual advising.
More about Classes Taken Prior to Admission to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program
You do not need to take EDPS 322 and SPGN 251 before applying to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program. However, if you do, you must earn a C or better to be admissible. Also, EDPS 322 is a prerequisite to SOFD 328W, CURR 304/305, and EDPS 340 and ECE 341. Therefore you will need to take EDPS 322 before you can register for the others. You can do this before applying to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program, or immediately after. You should also plan to register for SPGN 251 as soon as possible, before or right after you get admitted to the teacher preparation program.
You do not need to take your science, mathematics, English and speech courses before applying to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program, but you need to move through these courses as quickly as you can. It is recommended you complete all these before applying to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program. Remember, if you do, you must earn a C or better to be admissible.
After Admission to the Initial Teacher Preparation Program
You will be asked to show your Initial Teacher Preparation Program admission card at the first class meeting of each of your Phase I - IV courses and for student teaching.
Students must maintain:
- A cumulative EMU GPA of 2.50 or higher.
- A major (or three minor) GPA of 2.50 or higher at EMU.
- A “C” or higher in all professional education classes.
Students may not continue with courses in the next phase unless they meet these continuance standards. |
