Academic Policies & Regulations

Students are responsible for complying with all university-wide academic policies that apply to their individual academic status. Additional and unique policies related to state requirements for teacher certification are aligned with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (P.D.E.) and College of Education requirements.

Temple University Requirements

• All students must complete Temple University's General Education (GenEd) curriculum. 
• All students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses at Temple University (including transfer students).

College of Education Requirements

All Teacher Certification Education Programs

(Early Childhood Education, Middle Grades Education, and Secondary Education)

Students receive a Bachelor of Science in Education degree by meeting the following minimum College requirements:

• Completion of program requirements as detailed on the program advising sheet/8-semester matrix.*
• Achieved a "C-" or above in all required Education Courses.
• Achieved a "C-" or above in all required University General Education Courses.

*The required total credit hours may vary depending on the course of study.

All students seeking to graduate with the recommendation for Pennsylvania teacher certification (Instructional I Certification) must successfully complete their program requirements with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. The required total credit hours may vary depending on the course of study. These credit hours are satisfied by taking courses in four categories:

(1) University General Education requirements (General Education)

(2) Education courses

(3) Teacher Education Certification Courses (i.e. methods and student teaching)

(4) Elective courses as permitted by your program of study.

All students, including transfer, must meet the following requirements: 

• Must complete at least 48 credits, 12 of which must be completed at Temple University, with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
• Complete at least 36 credits toward your teacher certification program of study, as detailed on the program advising sheet/8-semester matrix.
• Earned a "C-" or above in all required Education Courses.  (Students must be aware, however, that the State of Pennsylvania requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for teacher certification. For this reason, obtaining the minimum grade of "C-" in multiple courses will not be sufficient to obtain certification.

• Earned a "C-" or above in all University General Education Courses.
• Passed all three sections of PAPA (reading, writing and math) and passing scores in all required PECT or PRAXIS II exams.
• Completed six credits of college-level math as specified by your program. Courses at the Mathematics 0702 level or below are not applicable to this requirement.
• Completed six credits of college-level English (3 credits of composition and 3 credits of literature).
• Passed a speech screening assessment conducted by an academic advisor.
• Secondary Education students are required to earn a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA in their content area.  Students may earn a "C-" in a course, if it is approved by the department; however, the cumulative GPA for their specialization MUST be a 2.0 GPA.  (i.e. English, History, Math, etc.)
• Middle Grades students are required to earn a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA in their concentration area.
• Pennsylvania requires students to have valid clearances prior to entering a school or other setting where children are present. This applies to ANY student who is taking ANY course with a field experience component. Students must maintain valid and current records of four required clearances.

Courses Inapplicable to Certification

Specific courses are required in order for students to be endorsed for Pennsylvania teacher certification. For example, it is possible that a student may have accumulated enough credits to graduate; but not have the appropriate courses to be recommended for certification. This is one of the reasons why it is imperative to meet with an academic advisor at least once per semester.

Courses Inapplicable to Graduation

Some credits from ROTC and preparatory courses do not count towards the total number of semester hours needed to graduate.

Courses Over Five Years Old

Courses over five years old are subject to review to fulfill certification requirements.

Dean's List

Each fall and spring semester, those undergraduates who have met the credit hour and academic criteria for their school or college are placed on the Dean's List. See the Dean's List policy for specific GPA and credit-hour requirements.

Graduation without Certification

In rare instances, a student who is unsuccessful in meeting certification program requirements or who has less than the required grade point average(s) may be graduated without certification, provided the student submits a petition to Graduate without Certification and that said petition is approved and that the selected additional requirements are met as recommended by the academic advisor and approved by the department chair and Dean's designee.

Permission to Take Courses At Another Institution

Consistent with University Policy, students will not receive transfer credit for courses taken at another institution while they are matriculated (Degree Seeking) at Temple University unless prior permission has been obtained.  Permission forms are available on the Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies web site (www.temple.edu/vpus), under Forms.  Students should allow at least two weeks for processing once permission forms and documentation have been submitted.

Change of Program to The College of Education

Students will need to register for a Change of Program workshop with the College of Education and then meet with an academic advisor before officially being transferred into the program of study. The Change of Program session will provide students with details and expectations regarding their possible new course of study. Students seeking to transfer into the College of Education from other colleges and schools at Temple must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Change of Program within the College of Education

Students must be in good academic standing in their program to transfer to another program within the College of Education. To transfer to another program within the College of Education, a student must meet with a professional advisor to complete a change of major form.