Jason Irizarry, Ed.D., Dean
Dorothea Anagnostopoulos, Ph.D., Associate Dean
Morgaen Donaldson, Ed.D., Associate Dean
Ann Traynor, Ed.D., Assistant Dean and Certification Officer
Teacher Education Programs
The Neag School of Education offers two routes to certification: the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IB/M) Teacher Education Program and the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG). For information regarding the TCPCG, please refer to the Graduate Catalog. The Neag School of Education has developed a model of teacher professional preparation that provides students with a balance of carefully sequenced inquiry experiences, multiple clinical practices, liberal arts preparation, and pedagogical knowledge in a collegial environment which stresses collaboration between and among public schools, professional development schools, the different departments in the Neag School of Education, and the University’s liberal arts and sciences faculty.
To qualify for the University of Connecticut’s institutional recommendation for certification, any applicant must successfully complete the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Teacher Education Program, involving five years of full-time study. Prospective teachers complete at least two years of course work in general education and in a subject area major prior to admission to the Neag School of Education. This is followed by two years of full-time course work in a subject area major and professional education while enrolled in the undergraduate teacher education program and one additional year of full-time course work in professional education while enrolled in the Graduate School to earn the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction or Master of Arts in Educational Psychology. Connecticut’s Praxis Core assessment and subject knowledge testing requirements must also be successfully completed.
Our state-approved teacher education program meets certification requirements and statutory regulations for Connecticut. Education requirements are subject to change in accordance with the changes mandated by the state of Connecticut (portal.ct.gov/sdecertification ). Students must fulfill the course, field and assessment requirements that are in effect at the time of their admission to the Neag School of Education. The most recent program guidelines and sample semester sequence for each program are available on the Neag School of Education website at advising.education.uconn.edu. Please note that the requirements listed below are currently in effect.
Advisement Information
Because the Neag School of Education is a junior and senior professional school, prospective applicants complete two or more years of study in a school or college other than the Neag School of Education. Most students participate in the services offered by the Academic Center for Exploratory Students (ACES) during their first and sophomore years declaring a pre-education major. Students who intend to teach declare a pre-teaching major. Students who intend to pursue the Sport Management program declare a pre-Sport Management major.
Pre-Education students should seek the most recent information at the earliest opportunity. Admission information, including a list of advisors, program guidelines, sample semester sequences, and information on the Connecticut competency examination requirements for reading, writing, and mathematics (currently met by taking Praxis Core or submitting qualifying ACT, GRE or SAT scores) are available on the Neag School of Education’s website at advising.education.uconn.edu. Students are invited to meetings each semester to discuss Neag School of Education programs.
Prospective applicants who wish to complete requirements in the minimum amount of time should strictly follow the most recent program guidelines. Students can declare themselves as pre-education majors by contacting the Academic Center for Exploratory Students (ACES) at aces.uconn.edu.
Accreditation
The Neag School of Education is accredited by both the Connecticut State Board of Education and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). A statement will appear on all transcripts of students who finish teacher education programs in the Neag School of Education indicating completion of a Connecticut State Board of Education and CAEP approved program.
Admission to Neag School of Education Programs
The Neag School of Education is a professional school. Students begin their junior-senior programs after completing at least 54 credits in a school or college other than the Neag School of Education (at either Storrs or one of the regional campuses) or a two or four-year accredited college or university other than the University of Connecticut. The maximum enrollment in each program is determined by the Dean in consultation with program administrators.
Applications for admission to the Neag School of Education are available on the Neag School of Education website at: teachered.education.uconn.edu and sport.education.uconn.edu.
Students not currently attending the University of Connecticut must submit an additional University admission application with Transfer Admissions (admissions.uconn.edu). Students transferring to the University with less than 54 credits should fulfill requirements in a school or college other than the Neag School of Education and later make application to the Neag School of Education. These students initially complete only the University application.
The faculty of the Neag School of Education seek to actively recruit students from underrepresented groups. Admission to the Neag School of Education is competitive.
Teacher Education
All teacher education programs annually admit for the fall semester. Students are advised to submit a completed Application for Admission to Upper Division Programs and all supporting materials after completion of their third semester, and before January 20, to be considered for admission for the following fall semester.
Successful applicants generally have completed sufficient credits to be eligible for consideration, have applied by the annual deadline of January 20, have participated in successful interviews with faculty, have accumulated sufficient experience working with children, have submitted a resume, have written acceptable essays, and have earned the most competitive cumulative grade point averages.
Critical Shortage Area Admissions
The Connecticut State Department of Education has designated several certification areas as critical shortage areas. Currently, these are: secondary mathematics, secondary science, special education, and world languages (e.g., Spanish, French, etc.). Applications for critical shortage area majors are due by January 20 and will be reviewed during the regular admissions period. After that review, if there are spaces available in the critical shortage area majors, additional applications will be considered if submitted by April 1. Please note, students can apply only once per academic year to a given shortage area major.
Connecticut statute requires that each person admitted to a teacher education program in Connecticut shall take the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators tests in mathematics, reading, and writing or meet the requirements for a waiver. Students must submit test scores or meet the waiver requirement by August 1 (prior to entering the teaching program in the junior year).
Waiver eligibility includes a combined score of at least 1100 on the SAT mathematics and critical reading subtests, with neither subtest score below 450; or at least 22 on the ACT English subtest and at least 19 on the ACT Mathematics subtest; or a score of 297 on the GRE quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning tests with no less than a score of 144 in quantitative reasoning and 150 in verbal reasoning, plus a minimum analytical writing score of 4.0. The most up-to-date information on these tests can be reviewed at www.ets.org. Additional information on the Praxis Core requirement is available on teachered.education.uconn.edu/ibm-current-students-praxis.
Applicants for the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction or Master of Arts in Educational Psychology must apply for admission to the Graduate School by February 1 of the final undergraduate semester. Admission requirements include a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 for the entire undergraduate record, or 3.0 for the last two years, or excellent work in the entire final year.
Sport Management
Students must submit the application and all supporting materials by February 1 for fall admission. Successful applicants to Sport Management generally have completed sufficient credits to be eligible for consideration, have applied by the annual deadline, have completed a well-written personal statement discussing why applicant is interested in pursuing a degree in Sport Management (be sure to include information regarding current experiences in the field of Sport Management and applicant’s future aspirations for a career in this field), a resume of not more than two pages, three professional references (name, title, contact information), one letter of recommendation (from the three professional references listed above), and have earned the most competitive grade point average.
Requirements
The University’s general education requirements are listed in the General Education Requirements section of this Catalog. In addition to fulfilling the University’s general education requirements, all students in the Neag School of Education must satisfy the following competency requirements.
Writing Competency
All students in the IB/M program will be required to successfully complete two writing intensive (W) courses within the Neag School of Education. The W courses in each major program field will help students develop writing skills specific to the content area domain, as well as be consistent with the practices of professional PK-12 educators. Courses that will satisfy the W requirement include:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| EDCI 3100W | Multicultural Education, Equity and Social Justice | 3 |
| EDCI 4110W | Teaching Reading and Writing in the Elementary School | 3 |
| EDCI 4205W | Teaching World Languages to the Secondary-Age Student (7-12) | 3 |
| EDCI 4210W | Instruction and Curriculum in the Secondary School | 1-6 |
| EPSY 4120W | Fundamentals of Assessment in Special Education | 3 |
All students in the Sport Management program will be required to successfully complete two writing intensive (W) courses within the Neag School of Education. The W courses will develop writing skills specific to the content area domain, as well as be consistent with the practices of sport management professionals. Courses that will satisfy the W requirement include EDLR 3300W Sport in Society and EDLR 3547W Introduction to Sport Based Youth Development.
Information Literacy Competency
The information literacy competency requirement for IB/M Teacher Education students and Sport Management students will be satisfied by the successful completion of the W courses within each concentration area within the Neag School of Education.
Bachelor’s Degree Requirements
Upon recommendation of the faculty, the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science is awarded by vote of the Board of Trustees to students who have met the following requirements:
- earned a total of 120 credits;
- earned at least a 2.2 grade point average for all calculable course work;
- met all the requirements of the Neag School of Education; and
- earned at least 12 credits in courses offered in the Neag School of Education.
In addition, students with major fields of study in a subject area of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are eligible to receive the Bachelor of Arts degree from the Neag School of Education provided that they have met the general education requirements of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
National and State Requirements
The Connecticut State Board of Education maintains minimum requirements for certification for positions in the public schools of Connecticut. The faculty of the Neag School of Education prepares students to meet certification requirements. The certification officer is responsible for supplying the Connecticut State Department of Education with an institutional recommendation for all students from this institution seeking certification and will recommend only those candidates completing the most recent requirements.
In accordance with Connecticut Public Act 09-1, fingerprinting and a criminal background check are required prior to placement in a clinical assignment. In certain circumstances, evidence of a criminal record may prevent a student from fulfilling clinical requirements for program completion and professional licensure.
Connecticut statute mandates a series of assessments for prospective teachers.
- Students admitted to teacher education programs must take the Praxis Core tests or meet the waiver criteria. Additional information regarding approved tests and eligibility criteria for a Praxis Core waiver is included elsewhere in this chapter related to admission to Neag School of Education program.
- Students planning to apply for teacher certification in Connecticut or elsewhere should contact their academic advisor regarding subject knowledge testing. No graduate may be recommended for a teaching certificate until successfully completing Connecticut’s subject knowledge testing requirements (e.g., Praxis II, ACTFL, Foundations of Reading, edTPA). Title II of the Higher Education Act requires that teacher education programs annually report on several items including how well program completers perform on state licensing and certification assessments. The most recent Neag School of Education program completion data is available at data.education.uconn.edu/title-ii-data-reports/.
Because of the nature of Connecticut’s certification and educator preparation program approval regulations, including the standards of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and its professional associations, students must satisfy all program requirements in order to be recommended for certification.
