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FAQ

You're going to have questions. We want to make it easy for you to get answers. Answers to some of our most commonly asked questions are below. If you have other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

  • What are the undergraduate admission criteria for the department and its licensure programs?

    Applicants must have a minimum 960 SAT score or a 20 ACT score. Incoming first-year students with a high school G.P.A. of at least a 3.0 and who are in the top third of their class are preferred. To remain in a licensure program, students must maintain a minimum G.P.A. of 2.5.

  • What licensure programs are available at the undergraduate level in the Department of Teacher Education?

    Early childhood (age three to grade three), middle childhood grades 4-9 (requires 2 content areas of licensure), adolescence to young adult grades 7-12 (requires 1 content area of licensure), intervention specialist (special education) grades K-12, art education grades PK-12, foreign language grades PK-12, and music education grades PK-12.

    Students may also enroll in teacher licensure programs in other departments at the University of Dayton. These programs include music education grades PK-12, physical education grades PK-12 and teacher licensure for students majoring in selected fields in the College of Arts and Sciences.

  • What happens if I want to teach outside of Ohio after I finish the program?

    Most states have reciprocity with Ohio, which means that a license obtained in Ohio is valid in other states. Some states require additional tests or courses in order to teach there. Consult the dean's office in Chaminade 104 or the Ohio Department of Education's Web site for information about a specific state.

  • What is PRAXIS?

    PRAXIS is a series of three standardized tests similar to the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT and other standardized measures used to evaluate qualifications for admission to institutions and professions. Many states, including Ohio, require prospective teachers to pass PRAXIS in order to earn a teaching license or certificate. Students at UD will take all three sections of PRAXIS as they move through the program and become practicing teachers, though PRAXIS I will be waived for incoming students with an ACT score higher than 24 or an SAT score higher than 1110.

  • What is PRAXIS I, and where does it fit into the program?

    PRAXIS I is a test designed to measure basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Undergraduate students must pass PRAXIS I to be admitted to a licensure program in the department. For students with an ACT score higher than 24 or an SAT score higher than 1,100, this requirement is waived.

  • What is PRAXIS II, and where does it fit into the program?

    PRAXIS II is a written and multiple-choice test that all students in a licensure program must pass in order to obtain the Ohio two-year provisional teaching license. The test measures content knowledge in subject-specific areas and professional knowledge of educational best practices. Undergraduate students usually take PRAXIS II during their senior year. Post-baccalaureate students are required to pass their specialty (content) area test(s) before registering for EDT 507 and the PRAXIS II Principles of Learning and Teaching is usually taken after EDT 508 and EDT 509.

  • What is PRAXIS III, and where does it fit into the program?

    PRAXIS III is a performance-based assessment that occurs during a beginning teacher's first year of teaching, usually in the year just after graduation. Beginning teachers must pass PRAXIS III to transition from the two-year provisional license to the five-year professional teaching license. The assessment uses the same evaluation framework that is incorporated throughout UD's licensure programs.

  • What is a portfolio?

    A portfolio is a collection of examples from the classroom that highlights the UD students' professional development as a future educator. The portfolios at UD are structured using the INTASC Standards and the Pathwise/Praxis III framework. This framework is the foundation for the Praxis III performance-based assessment, which graduates of the program will experience in their first year of teaching. Students in the department begin the portfolio process in their first year of coursework and continue to refine it until they use it in their senior year in the job application process.

  • What is the projected job market for teachers?

    The need for new teachers is growing because of upcoming teacher retirements and additional K-12 curriculum requirements. Right now, the market is especially strong in special education, math, science, and foreign language, but effective teachers are needed at all levels and in all disciplines. All first-year UD students begin the career placement process with an online resume which, when completed, is available to future employers. In conjunction with Career Services, the UD Educational Field Office invites school districts from across the country to conduct on-campus interviews with students in their senior year.

  • What kind of advising is available for undergraduate students in the department?

    All students have a faculty advisor. The advisor assists students in designing a four-year plan, and the advisor is also available for other questions that may arise about the field of education. UD also has a Peer Advising Program that pairs each incoming first-year student with an upper-class student. Through this structured program, new students get to know a fellow student who has been through similar experiences, whether classes, scheduling, or college living issues.

  • When do undergraduate students begin to visit schools of P-12 students?

    Students are immersed in field experiences from the very beginning of their program. In one of the first classes, EDT 110, students in their second semester spend 20 field hours observing in a classroom relevant to their area of interest. These field experiences continue until the capstone student teaching experience in a student's senior year.

  • What licensure programs are available at the post-baccalaureate level in the Department of Teacher Education?
    Early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence to young adult, intervention specialist, art education grades, foreign language, and music education.
  • What are the post-baccalaureate admission criteria for the licensure programs?
    To be admitted to the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher or a passing score on the GRE or MAT. To be admitted into a post-baccalaureate licensure program, applicants must have passed the teaching concentration(s) PRAXIS II subject assessment. To remain in a graduate licensure program, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA.
  • What kind of advising is available for post-baccalaureate initial licensure students?
    Prospective initial licensure students need to have a transcript evaluation completed and then meet with a program advisor to develop their programs. The program advisors are available to assist with questions regarding teaching areas.
  • What happens if I want to teach outside of Ohio after I finish the program?
    A license obtained in Ohio is transferable to licenses in other states. Some states require additional tests or courses in order to teach there. Information is available in the Dean's Office in Chaminade 104 and can be found on the web for that specific state's Department of Education web site.
  • Can the licensure courses in the post-baccalaureate program be used toward the master's degree?
    Most post-baccalaureate students earn the license first and then take the additional courses required for the master's degree. However, the master's degree core courses can be taken along with the licensure courses. The student teaching hours cannot be used toward the master's degree.