Teacher Certification Overview

The Education Department works in collaboration with academic departments in the Arts and Sciences to professionally prepare students for teaching. The first teaching certificate that can be earned is the Provisional Certificate, specified for teaching either at the Elementary or Secondary Level. Successful candidates become eligible for recommendation by Marygrove to the Michigan Department of Education for the initial Provisional Teaching Certificate after completing Teacher Certification Program requirements. These include the undergraduate degree with all necessary major and minor course work, the professional Education sequence coursework, and the appropriate Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC).

It is important to determine the desired teaching level early in one’s undergraduate program, as Elementary and Secondary Level requirements are different. Elementary and Secondary school settings are also different—make sure to choose the level that interests you. An Education student must have a certifiable major (and minor for Secondary Level certification). The Elementary Level teaching certificate allows the holder to teach all subjects in a self contained classroom, grades K-8. The Secondary Level certified teacher is allowed to instruct grades 6-12 in endorsed subjects. Art and Music teachers are certified to teach their subject areas across the K-12 spectrum, minors are not required in these majors. Program admission occurs in phases. Entrance into the College does not guarantee admission to the Teacher Certification Program. Students must make a separate application to the Teacher Certification Program, for which forms and directions are available in the Education Department Office.

Certifiable teaching major and minor coursework is generally done in Arts and Sciences subject area departments; the Early Childhood certification minor is offered in the Education Department. For full descriptions of these programs, please see their respective program sections in this catalog.