CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

ONLINE INFORMATION PAGE

Contents:

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Compliance with certification requirements is the responsibility of the individual seeking certification. Advisors can assist in the process, but compliance with all rules and regulations pertaining to certification is the responsibility of the candidate.

The individual seeking certification is responsible for following all guidelines presented in the University of Central Oklahoma undergraduate catalog or graduate catalog, depending upon the academic level of the certificate sought. Graduate level certificates require graduate level course work and completion of a master’s degree for standard certification. Bachelor level programs require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree for certification.

Periodically the program guidelines, course work, and state regulations change. It is the responsibility of the individual interested in or seeking certification to meet the revised standards. An individual should therefore periodically review the most recent UCO catalog, certification course lists, and state regulations, particularly when an extended period of time has elapsed during the completion of a program.

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PROGRAM PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES FOR CERTIFICATION

The University of Central Oklahoma Teacher Education Services is located in the Education Building, Room 207, telephone (405) 974-5710. Applications and other information regarding certification may be obtained from that office. Applications for certification based on the completion of University of Central Oklahoma approved programs are processed through Teacher Education Services.

To obtain certification, the individual should:

A. Complete all courses identified for general education and the respective professional education and specialized areas. Course lists may be obtained from UCO Teacher Education Services.

B. Contact the appropriate department chairperson regarding the course work for the respective program, particularly if it seems likely that some courses previously completed could substitute for required courses in the program. Official substitution forms should be completed where courses, based on their titles, do not seem to match. If course names from different institutions are equivalent, substitutions are NOT necessary.

C. Apply for admission to teacher education following the procedures and guidelines enumerated earlier in the section entitled "Admission Requirements."

D. Apply to student teaching following the procedures and guidelines enumerated earlier in the section entitled "Admission Requirements." Guidelines are in Teacher Education Services.

E. Apply to take the appropriate state curriculum examinations according to UCO guidelines and suggested timeline. Application is made through Teacher Education Services. For additional information on the curriculum examinations, refer to the section entitled "Testing Requirements."

F. For recommendation for the initial license or certificate, the applicant is required to meet all academic standards mandated for admission to student teaching and degree requirements.

G. After completing certification requirements obtain an application for certification from Teacher Education Services.

I. After all applicable course work has been posted on the UCO transcript, including the degree, if appropriate, candidates submit a complete UCO official transcript along with the completed license or certificate application form to Teacher Education Services for review and recommendation. If courses needed for certification were completed at an institution other than UCO and those courses do NOT appear on the UCO transcript, official copies of those transcripts MUST be submitted with the application form for certification. UCO will not supply official copies of transcripts from other universities. Applications cannot be processed without official transcripts showing all required course work.

10. When the Director of Teacher Certification at UCO completes the review of course work with respect to the appropriate UCO approved program requirements and certifies that those requirements have been completed and the Dean concurs, the application is then forwarded to the Teacher Certification Section of the State Department of Education.

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RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS

In order for the University of Central Oklahoma to recommend candidates for certification, candidates must meet all requirements for teacher education. In addition, candidates must complete at least their last 24 semester hours in the area of specialization (the teaching field) and professional education at UCO. These 24 semester hours must include the following:

TCHED 4901 Practicum in Professional Teacher Education  

                       (if Educational Psychology taken elsewhere)

 

TCHED 4852 Instructional Designs

 

TCHED 4812 Contemporary Issues

 

TCHED 4828, 4838 Directed Observation and Student Teaching

                 or , 4848

Neither CLEP tests, nor advanced standing tests, nor teaching experience can be used to meet the UCO residency requirements.

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 COLLEGE CREDIT

Only work completed in state and regionally accredited colleges and universities, or transfer credit validated by an accredited college, will be accepted as a basis for teacher certificates. In order for the applicant to be eligible for certification, the grade point average of the applicant on all work submitted in qualifying for teacher certification shall be equal to or greater than that required for admission to the teacher education program at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Candidates transferring credit from out-of-state colleges or from Oklahoma colleges not having an approved program for a specific certificate area to an Oklahoma college or a university having an approved program in that certificate area shall have their work evaluated by the receiving institution. Transferring candidates shall expect to satisfy all requirements imposed by the approved program of the receiving institution in qualifying for a standard certificate.

The amount of college credit earned during one year, including correspondence and extension work, which can be used to meet certification requirements, will be controlled by the rules and regulations of the college or university. However, not more than one-fourth of the work completed to satisfy requirements in any area of preparation (general education, professional education, specialization) nor more than one-fourth of the total academic work completed may be taken by correspondence and/or extension study.

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WORK COMPLETED IN JUNIOR COLLEGES

Only 64 semester hours of credit taken in an accredited junior college may be counted toward satisfying the general education and specialized education requirements of an approved certificate program. Work taken in an accredited junior college after achieving sixty-four (64) or more semester hours may count toward certification in the areas of general education and specialized education providing the following guidelines are met:

A. The course work is lower division work as determined by the course level assigned to the course by the four-year institution that will make recommendation for certification. If UCO designates a course as a junior or senior level course (3000 or 4000 level), then a comparable course completed at a junior college will NOT substitute for the course in the UCO approved teacher certification program.

B. The course work is applicable in meeting the approved program of certification at the recommending institution.

C. The course work CANNOT include any early childhood or elementary specialization area courses (this refers to the 40 hours of specialization).

D. The course work CANNOT include any teacher education courses (this refers to courses in the 30-33 hours in teacher education).

E. The course work is counted in lieu of an equal number of hours of the 64 already taken at a junior college so that no more than 64 semester hours, in total (including all general education), are being counted from junior colleges.

F. The last nine semester hours of credit in the area of specialization were completed in an institution having an approved teacher certification program in the area of concern. Junior colleges do not have state approved teacher certification programs.