When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
Since 1904, Susquehanna University has prepared liberal arts students for careers in teaching and education related fields. Students enrolled in education majors that lead to teacher certification master the professional knowledge and skills necessary for state certification and for developing successful and rewarding careers in education.
Upon completion of an education program, students will have learned to:
- Design instruction and prepare for all aspects of managing a learning environment;
- Instruct students and assess their learning;
- Maintain a learning environment that is welcoming, respectful and productive; and
- Fulfill other professional responsibilities.
Learning goals
- Understand how children learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.
- Understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving and performance skills.
- Create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning and self-motivation.
- Prepare and plan instruction based on knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals, and formal and informal assessment strategies.
- Include every student — accommodating, adapting and/or differentiating instruction as appropriate, considering readiness, history, interests, achievement and learning styles; cultural, racial, social and ethnic affiliations; and exceptional needs and abilities.
- Use effective verbal, nonverbal and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration and supportive interactions in the classroom.
- Function effectively within community-wide systems of education.
- Evaluate the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents and other professionals in the learning community) through ongoing reflective practice and actively seek opportunities to grow professionally.
Requirements for Admission to a Teacher Certification Program
Completion of at least 48 semester hours of coursework, including three semester hours of English composition, three semester hours of English/American literature and six semester hours of college-level mathematics;
Successful completion of EDUC-101 Introduction to Education and Society;
A cumulative GPA of 3.00;
Passing PAPA or CORE examinations scores or being exempt through sufficient SAT or ACT scores;
Completion of one 40-hour externship (see below), with completed forms returned to the education department;
Current Act 24, Act 34, Act 114, Act 126 and Act 151 clearances, and negative Tuberculosis (TB) results;
Two reference forms completed by Susquehanna University faculty; and
A completed application form.
Teacher Certification
The Susquehanna University Department of Education offers the following programs for teacher certification approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education:
Early childhood education (preK-4)
Special Education PK-12
Secondary (7-12) and (K-12) in areas listed below under Majors Approved for Teaching Certification
Music education (PK-12). See the music department for information about this program.
Secondary Certification
Students who earn certification in secondary education must major in the subject they will teach. They earn a teaching certification in grades 7-12 by completing the teacher education program, which includes student teaching in the spring semester of the senior year. Courses required for the secondary teacher education program are listed below.
The Teacher Intern Program
The Teacher Intern program is a route to certification for those who have a bachelor’s degree in an approved major. It is an option for students who do not complete certification requirements as undergraduates, including those who decide to pursue teaching late in their undergraduate program. For information about the program, contact the director of the Teacher Intern Program in the Susquehanna education department office or visit www.susqu.edu/education.
4+1 Undergraduate/Graduate Enrollment
Eligible undergraduate Susquehanna University students can choose to participate in the 4+1 pathway to a Master of Education. Undergraduate students are eligible to take their first Master of Education course one semester before taking the methods requirements (2 semesters before student teaching) if they have a minimum of 88 completed undergraduate credits (a minimum of 100 credits the semester of the methods requirements) and a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students must also take a minimum of 12 undergraduate credits per semester to maintain full-time status. Graduate coursework does not count toward full time status.
Undergraduate students may take a maximum of 8 hours of graduate credit prior to completion of their undergraduate degree. Graduate courses may be used as substitutions to fulfill undergraduate curriculum requirements. Master’s electives in Special Ed and ESL (see ESL Program Specialist in the Graduate Catalog, page 6) may also satisfy undergraduate requirements counting toward Pennsylvania teacher certification, when approved by the Education Department Head. However graduate credits earned do not count towards the 124 credits required for graduation and are not included in the undergraduate GPA calculation. Instead, these credits will appear on the graduate transcript.
Eligible students will meet with the Director of Teacher Interns and Auxiliary Programs to register for 4+1 coursework. Following graduation, undergraduate students who have completed graduate coursework must still apply for and meet the regular graduate program admission requirements to be considered for admission into a graduate program.
Majors Approved for Teaching Certification
| Major | Teaching Certification |
| Elementary Education | Early Childhood (preK-4) |
| English | English (7-12) |
| Creative Writing | English (7-12) |
| Spanish | Spanish (K-12) |
| French | French (K-12) |
| German | German (K-12) |
| Mathematics | Mathematics (7-12) |
| Music Education | Music Education (7-12) |
| Biology | Biology, General Science (7-12) |
| Chemistry | Chemistry, General Science (7-12) |
| Physics | Physics, General Science (7-12) |
| Biochemistry | General Science (7-12) |
| Psychology | Social Studies (7-12) |
| Sociology/Anthropology | Social Studies (7-12) |
| History | Citizenship Education, Social Studies (7-12) |
| Political Science | Citizenship Education, Social Studies (7-12) |
(Some certifications, such as social studies, and some majors, such as biology, may require extra coursework because of state or university requirements.)
Certification Requirements
To qualify for teaching certification in Pennsylvania, students must complete a bachelor’s degree in the appropriate major with a grade point average of 3.00 or higher. They must also complete an accredited teacher education program, such as that offered by Susquehanna University, and pass the PAPA, PECT and/or Praxis tests required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). More detailed information about these and other certification requirements is available on the PDE website http://www.pde.state.pa.us.
Declaring Interest in Teacher Certification
Students who wish to pursue early childhood, K-12 or secondary education certification should notify their academic adviser and the head of the education department when they make that decision. They should also inform the Office of the Registrar by completing the Declaration of Academic Program form, available in that office.
Externship
An externship consists of 40 hours in a school for observing and aiding in classrooms and other areas of the school, conducting staff interviews, etc. Applicants must complete an externship prior to admission to the education program. Externship information and forms can be obtained from the education department office or the education department website http://www.susqu.edu/education/.
Applying to a Teacher Certification Program
The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires that education students apply and be admitted to a teacher education program before completing senior level courses and student teaching. The application packet is available through the education department’s website and in the education department office in Seibert Hall. Students may apply for admission to the teacher education program as early as the spring semester of their sophomore year if all requirements have been met. Students must apply and be admitted no later than the first semester of their junior year.
Student Teaching
Student teaching usually occurs in the spring semester of the senior year. To participate in student teaching, students must already be admitted to the teacher education program. Students must also have current TB test results and clearances through Act 24, Act 34, Act 151 and Act 114. Student teachers must have completed all courses required for the major and all education courses except the student teaching block. Students should not take any additional courses during student teaching without written permission from the head of the education department.
Professional Conduct
The education department faculty reserves the right to make a judgment on the suitability of students for professional teaching practice. Practicum students (those in the schools observing and/or aiding a teacher) and student teachers must follow the policies of the host school district. Practicum students and student teachers are held to a professional standard of behavior as specified by the Pennsylvania Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators and will be removed from a school site by a building administrator for unprofessional conduct. A student asked to leave a school site may be assigned academic work outside of student teaching to complete the credits needed for graduation. Grades will be assigned by the education department faculty based on the work completed and evaluations from Susquehanna faculty and the cooperating teachers.
Departmental Honors
Departmental honors may be awarded to elementary education majors who meet the following criteria:
- Overall GPA of 3.50 and GPA of 3.50 or higher in education courses;
- Completion of early childhood education program for graduation;
- Submission of a formal application for honors to the education faculty by the second Friday of September of the senior academic year and before implementation of the research project;
- Acceptance of the application by the education faculty committee;
- Selection of an honors advisor from the education faculty;
- Development, in consultation with the selected advisor, of a proposal to execute, interpret and report on the individual research project;
- Approval by the education faculty committee of the project proposal;
- Enrollment in EDUC-601 Independent Study (1-4 semester hours);
- Completion of the research project and a public presentation of results;
- Submission of a final written report on the project to the honors advisor on or before the last day of classes for the semester of graduation; and
- Determination of honors status by the education faculty based on student performance.
Education Honor Society
Susquehanna University has a chapter of the international education honor society, Kappa Delta Pi. Education students with a GPA of 3.40 or higher who qualify for admittance to the teacher education program will be invited to apply for membership.
Education Course Requirements
Please note: Elementary, K-12 and secondary education students are required to include the following courses in their certification program:
EDUC-260 Introduction to Special Education (4 SH) EDUC-270 Instruction of Exceptional Students (4 SH)
EDUC-350 English Language Learners: Theory and Instruction (4 SH)
The exception to this rule is that music education students must follow requirements of the music education curriculum, which may allocate this content to different courses. EDUC-290 will be taken in place of EDUC-270 by Elementary (ECE) students who elect to complete the Special Education Dual Certification.
Secondary Education Emphasis
Secondary Education (7-12) Course Requirements
Candidates for a secondary teaching credential must major in an approved subject, meet all of the university’s requirements for a bachelor’s degree in that subject (see that department’s section of the catalog) and complete the required courses listed below. All courses required for secondary teacher certification must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.
12 Coursework required by PDE for admission to the teacher education program:
3 semester hours of English composition
3 semester hours of English/American literature
6 semester hours of college-level mathematics
(Please note that PDE’s requirement for 2 semester hours of math beyond Susquehanna’s Central Curriculum may be met by any math course that has a math prefix and a course number of 100 or higher. It may be taken at any accredited institution of higher education and does not have to be accepted by Susquehanna as a transfer course.)
22 Education courses taken before the senior year:
2 EDUC-101 Introduction to Education and Society
4 EDUC-250 Educational Psychology
4 EDUC-260 Introduction to Special Education
4 EDUC-270 Instruction of Exceptional Children
4 EDUC-350 English Language Learners: Theory and Instruction
2 EDUC-380 Instructional Design
2 EDUC-330 Technology in Education
8 Education courses (taken during the fall semester of the senior year; the secondary methods block:
4 EDUC-479 Principles of Learning and Teaching in Secondary Education
2 EDUC-421-427 Methods of Curriculum, Instruction and Management
2 EDUC-483 Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management in Secondary Education
14 Student teaching courses (taken during the spring semester of the senior year; students may not enroll in other courses during this semester:
4 EDUC-501 Preparation and Planning
4 EDUC-502 Classroom Teaching
4 EDUC-503 Classroom Management
2 EDUC-600 Seminar
