Post Baccalaureate Certification Program

The Education Core:

The education core, which is required of all students seeking a teaching license, is the nucleus of the Teacher Education program and includes basic courses in education and psychology. Elementary Education majors, students seeking secondary licensure, and Post Baccalaureate students are required to take all EDCO courses for a letter grade and to earn a minimum grade of “C-” in each course.

• EDCO 250 - Educational Psychology/Human Development and Field Experience 3 Credit(s) *
• EDCO 280 - History of American Education 3 Credit(s)
• EDCO 291 - Human Relations Field Experience 1 Credit(s) (Note: Special Education majors complete ESSI 292 )
• EDCO 390 - Instructional Technology and Innovative Teaching 3 Credit(s)
• EDUC 336 - Literacy Foundations I 3 Credit(s) (Elementary Education Majors)
• SEDU 365 - Methods of Reading in the Content Areas and Field Experience 3 Credit(s) (Secondary Majors and Post Baccalaureate)
• ESSI 101 - Introduction to Exceptional Learners 3 Credit(s)
• ESSI 303 - Methods of Teaching Differentiated Curriculum and Field Experience 3 Credit(s)

Eligible candidates must meet all of the following:

Hold a bachelor’s degree and 30 credit hours in the desired area of licensure which meets the Iowa Department of Education content requirements for certification per secondary field. If the candidate does not have 30 credit hours in the desired area of licensure, the candidate must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours in the licensure area prior to beginning the program:

• Requirements must be met for one of these individual or broad fields: Art, Basic Science, Business All, English/Language Arts, Language Arts All, Foreign language - Spanish, Mathematics, Physical Education, All Science, All Social Sciences, Special Education.
  OR
• Requirements must be met for two (or more) of the limited fields (listed below) or combine a limited field with an individual or broad field (please refer to individual and broad fields listed above). The following fields are considered limited fields because of limited opportunities for practicum, student teaching and job placement: American History, Biological Science, Chemistry, Health, World History.

To complete a secondary certification program:

• Complete all checkpoints of the Teacher Education Program.
• Complete the education core
• SEDU 310 Standards, Assessment and Instruction for Engaged Learning 
• Complete a 3 credit hour methods course specific to the content area
• Complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of coursework through Buena Vista University before student teaching. This requirement is for any who have completed some of the education core prior to admission to this program. Nine of the 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level
• Student teach for one 16 week placement or two 8 week placements in one secondary setting