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Initial Teacher Certification - Graduate Teacher Certification Program (GTCP) / Masters in Education (Ed.M.)
The Graduate Teacher Certification Program (GTCP) prepares students and working professionals with undergraduate majors outside of education to make an important contribution to educating today's youth.
Teacher Certification Concentrations
Students may concentrate in the Career and Technical Education (grade K-12), Middle Grades Education (grades 4-8), or Secondary Education (grades 7-12) tracks of the GTCP. Upon completion of the program, students receive a Master of Education degree (Ed.M.) and are eligible for a Pennsylvania Instructional I Teaching Certificate.
Core Course Requirements
In addition to required courses in the specialty area, students in the GTCP program must complete:
- Education 5402: Child and Adolescent Development
- Education 5888: Supervised Teaching
- Education 5255 - TCPK for Teachers
- Special Education 5111 - Educating Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings
- TESOL 8631 - Foundations of Language Teaching
Specializations within the Graduate Teacher Certification Program
Students interested in attaining a teaching certificate will enroll in one of the following program specializations. Click on the link to view the Program Advising Sheet (in PDF format).
- Career & Technical Education
- Business, Computer, and Information Technology (K-12)
- Industrial Education (7-12)
- Marketing Education (7-12)
- Middle Grades Education (4-8).
- Secondary
Education
- English (7-12)
- Math (7-12)
- Science (7-12)
- Social Studies (7-12)
- World/Foreign Languages (K-12)
Admission Requirements
Candidates must meet the general admission standards of the College of Education and the Graduate School. A personal interview is not required.
Minimum Testing Requirements:
Applicants must pass the Praxis I and II in order to be admitted to the program.
- A minimum score of 180 must be obtained in each of the Pre-Professional Skills Test in Reading , Writing, and Mathematics of the Praxis I exam.
- All applicants must submit passing Praxis II scores in their respective content areas.
- Industrial-education students must pass the Occupational Competency Assessment.
- Non-native speakers of English must take the TOEFL examinations. Scores of at least 575 are necessary for admission to the program (230 on the computer based version). Students who score between 575 and 600 (230-250 on the computer- version) must take an English refresher course.
Minimum GPA Requirement:
Applicants are expected to have a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0. There are two types of possible exceptions.
- Standard exceptions:
- 3.5 UGPA during the last two years.
- Minimum of 3.25 Graduate GPA for nine hours (typically taken as a non-degree seeking student in the GCP).
- Special exceptions: Applicants who do not meet regular admission criteria may be considered for a special exception if a compelling case can be made for admitting them. These special exceptions will only be rarely granted.
Prerequisites
All applicants must fulfill required prerequisites before admission. Each specialty area has additional prerequisites. Please refer to GCP Admissions Policies and Guidelines for complete details.
In addition, state and federal criminal background checks, a TB test, and a child abuse clearance are required to be eligible to complete the program.
Credit for Graduate Study Prior to Admission
Students may take up to, but not more than, nine semester hours of graduate study in the GCP before being admitted to the program. The credits will transfer into the program, if the student is admitted. Students enrolling in certification courses before being admitted to the program are NOT guaranteed admission.
How to Apply:
A completed application will include:
- Graduate School Online Application – NOTE: select application type “Teacher Certification EdM”
- Submit official transcripts from all colleges and graduate schools attended. Applicants are expected to have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 (see Admissions Exceptions).
- Praxis I scores.
- A minimum score of 180 must be obtained in each of the Pre-Professional Skills Test in Reading , Writing, and Mathematics of the Praxis I exam.
- In addition, Industrial Education students must pass the Occupational Competency Assessment.
- Praxis II scores. All applicants must submit passing Praxis II scores in their respective content areas.
- TOEFL examinations scores for non-native speakers of English. Non-native speakers of English must take the TOEFL examinations. TOFEL scores of at least 575 are necessary for admission to the program (230 on the computer based version). Students who score between 575 and 600 (230-250 on the computer-version) must take an English refresher course.
- Two professional letters of recommendation are required. Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members and others who can provide insight into the applicant's academic competence.
- A Statement of Professional Plans and Goals. In the Statement of Goals, applicants should indicate their goals and objectives for obtaining teacher certification in their speciality area. The statement should be approximately 500-1,000 words in length and should include the following elements: your specific interest in Temple’s program; your future career goals; any job-related experiences that are relevant to the program; and your academic and research achievements and interests.
- A current professional resume.
Submitting Your Materials
The Office of Graduate Academic & Student Affairs in the College of Education at Temple University receives supporting application materials for graduate admissions via the Interfolio service. See the Application Checklist for complete details on how to submit your application materials.
It is the student's responsibility to see that everything is completed by the deadline date.
Application deadlines:
To be considered for admission, your complete application, including all required supplemental materials must be post-marked no later than:
- For Fall admission: April 1
- For Spring admission: October 1
Completed applications received by the deadline are guaranteed a decision for the upcoming term. Applications received after the stated deadlines will be reviewed on a space available basis. Once an application is complete and all required materials have been received, students can expect to receive a decision within 30 days (excluding summer).
We strongly encourage applicants to apply early and to periodically check TUPortal (http://tuportal.temple.edu) as to the status of their materials.
Contact Information
For more information about this program, contact:
Ms. Marilyn Weber
email:edcert@temple.edu
phone: (215) 204-6026
office: 150 Ritter Annex
