Admission to Teacher Education

Students must formally apply and be admitted to the Teacher Education program.

Admission Requirements

• Cumulative GPA of 2.75 and strength of academic record
• If your GPA is under 2.75 and you have switched majors to an education major, you may request an alternative GPA calculation based on courses that will be used towards your education major. Please consult with your education advisor. Students must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 to be eligible for a recalculation.
• Completion of 15 credits that apply towards graduation.
• Completion of the prerequisite course of T&L 250 Introduction to Education, earning a C or higher, including a successful Level I Disposition from the corresponding field experience. As a student, it is your responsibility to request a signed copy of your Level I Disposition from your cooperating teacher.
• Complete Communication Essential Studies requirements with a C or higher in ENGL 110, ENGL 130 & COMM 110 (or RHS 200)
• Successfully complete an FBI and NDBCI Background check through ESPB.
• Create an account in Watermark, a web-based tool required for all teacher candidates. The account is now paid for by the College of Education and Human Development. Go to the Watermark Website using your UND-issued email and ID to set up your account. 

Evidence of Basic Skills

Prior to program admission, you will need to demonstrate proficiency of basic skills. You may demonstrate basic competency in Reading, Writing, and Math through any combination of the following three assessment series:

• Specific college courses (a grade of B or higher is required)
  • Examples of courses that can be used. (If you have a course that is not listed below that you believe may qualify, please discuss it with your advisor).

• • An ECON course (i.e., ECON 201, 202, or 210) cannot be used to show competency for basic skills in the area of math.
• Praxis Core exams
  • Minimum scores of 150 - Math; 156 - Reading; 160 –Writing OR have a CORE composite score of 466 with the following minimum scores: 143 – Math, 149 - Reading, and 153 - Writing.
• ACT Tests
  • Taking the ACT Plus Writing and earning a Reading score of 20, a Math score of 21, and an English Language Arts subscore of 20 or a Writing score of 6.5.

Transfer students may meet the Level I Disposition Report requirement by:

• Asking the supervisor from the previous practicum/field experience (30 hours) with young children/adults that was associated with the transferred T&L 250: Intro to Education equivalent course to complete the UND Teacher Education Disposition form and submit this with your application.
• Providing evidence, through a transcript review, that you have completed an Intro to Education equivalent course with practicum/field experience (30 hours) with a grade of B or better or if S/U, a grade of S. For this option, students must also obtain a memo from the department where the course was taken confirming that a practicum/field experience of at least 30 hours was successfully completed.

Provisional Admissions to the Teacher Education Program

• Students may be approved for provisional admission for up to one semester before meeting the remaining criteria for formal admissions.
• By qualifying for provisional admissions status, students can enroll in courses for the upcoming semester even if they:
  • Haven’t yet received their grades for an ENG/COMM/RHS Essential Studies course or T&L 250: Intro to Education
  • Haven’t yet demonstrated the evidence of basic skills.
• If a student did not pass T&L 250: Introduction to Education or the corresponding field experience, they will not be eligible to apply for provisional admissions until they successfully complete T&L 250 and the field experience.
• If a student is registered for any pre-admit courses that are required for admission to the Teacher Education Program (ENGL 110, ENGL 130, RHS 200/COMM 110, T&L 250), they need to be actively completing those courses before they can apply for provisional admissions and are approved to take post-admit courses.
• Talk with your advisor if you are interested in provisional admissions to the Teacher Education Program.

Important Information to Consider Before Applying

• Travel to off-campus locations will be required as part of the program at your expense.
• Full-time, daytime attendance will be required at various times of your program.
• Graduation from the program does not guarantee certification to teach.
• Background check through ESPB is required for admission to teacher education and for licensure:
  • You will be required to submit a full background check (including FBI/CBI fingerprint background check) when applying for admission to Teacher Education. This background check is good for 18 months.
  • Each state to which you apply for certification/licensure is likely to require a separate background check.
  • Individual school districts may require background checks before you can be placed for field
    experiences.
• Misdemeanor or felony convictions, other than minor traffic offenses, may prevent you from obtaining 
  state teaching certification/licensure, even if you successfully complete the program.

Additional Costs in Teacher Education

There are several additional costs that you will incur in the Teacher Education program that are NOT covered by tuition. Apart from the Student Teaching Fee, these expenses are NOT covered by financial aid. Fees are subject to change without notice. Here are a few you should know about:

•  Student Teaching fee of $70/credit (Eligible for financial aid; (international student teaching placements may incur more costs)
• Praxis Core Pre-Professional Skills Test (prior to admission, check Praxis web site for current fees)
  
  • Basic Skills Menu Options: ACT+ Writing (See ACT website for cost) or paying tuition to earn a B or higher in courses within reading, writing, and math (tuition will vary depending on where the courses are taken)
• Praxis Specialty Area Tests (taken before student teaching, varies by licensure area, check Praxis web site for current fees)
• North Dakota Fingerprinting= $44.50 (prior to admission to teacher education) 
• CPR/First Aid Certification = ranges anywhere from $50 to $110; certification programs vary (required prior to student teaching)
• Initial North Dakota State Teaching Licensure = $110 (post-graduation)
• Initial Minnesota State Teaching Licensure and Fingerprinting = $90.25 (post-graduation)
• Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examination = (visit for MN testing costs)

When to Apply to Teacher Education

Formal admission to Teacher Education is required of all students prior to enrollment in the core courses of each program. All materials required for admission must be included in the application packet in order for your application to be processed.

Apply for admission to the Teacher Education program only when you have met all the admission requirements (listed below). If you have not met all the requirements, your application will not be processed. When ready, visit Teacher Education to apply.

Admissions Process

There is a multi-step process to completing your application. Prepare the following items before starting your application.

Attachments

The following items must be attached to the application form.

Letter of Introduction

Teaching is a profession that requires the ability to write clearly and well. The audience for your letter will be the Office of Teacher Education Staff who administer the programs you hope to enter. The content of your response to the question: “Why do you want to become a teacher?” and your ability to express yourself clearly and well will be assessed. To aid you in preparing the content of the letter, consider the following topics:

• Experiences you have had with children that have helped prepare you to become a teacher.
• Experiences with people who have influenced you to choose teaching as a career.
• The “teacher-like” qualities you exemplify.
• What you might contribute to the lives of children and to the profession of teaching.
• Other experiences, understandings or beliefs that will convince the committee members that you are a good candidate for the teaching profession.
• Be sure that your letter is error free and formatted correctly. Your letter should be double-spaced and a minimum of two pages in length.

Evidence Of Basic Skills

If you plan to use coursework, ACT, or PRAXIS CORE exam and passed using the cut-off scores (see Admission Requirements), attach those scores to your application. If you are planning on using ACT or PRAXIS CORE and have not yet passed, please attach a Word Document indicating when you plan to take either exam, so we will know that you are applying for provisional admission to the Teacher Education Program. If you are using coursework, you will not need an attachment for that requirement. 

Professional Dispositions Report

At the end of your T&L 250: Intro to Education field experience, you must request a signed copy of your Level I Disposition form from your cooperating teacher. This disposition will be submitted with your program application. A successful Level I Disposition is required for admission.

FBI and NDBCI Background Check

Background Checks will be completed through the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board. Visit ND ESPB Background Checks for directions. A copy of your background check results will be submitted with your program application.

Create an account in WATERMARK

The College of Education and Human Development uses an online assessment platform called Watermark - Student Learning & Licensure to capture numerous accreditation assessments. All applicants to the Teacher Education Program must create a WATERMARK account.

• Go to the Watermark Website.
• Enter your university email address (ending in @und.edu OR @ndus.edu).
• Enter your UND-issued student ID number as the password.
  • If your student ID number has a leading zero, omit it in this field. (Example: a student ID of 012345 would be entered as 12345.)

Watermark Website

Application Decisions

Application decisions are based on:

• Your GPA and academic record
• Completion of, or in the process of completing, prerequisite coursework (T&L 250 – Introduction to Education)
• Professional Dispositions
• Letter of Introduction

Notification of admission decisions takes approximately 15 working/school days. You will receive an email at your official university email address with the admission decision. Plan an alternative schedule for the next semester's registration in the event you are not formally accepted into the Teacher Education Program.

Contact Information

Questions about the Teacher Education Program can be directed to the Office of Teacher Education. 

Teacher Education Handbook Table of Contents