Secondary Education Program
Teaching Certificates
To earn a secondary teaching certificate in Pennsylvania, a student must:
- Earn a bachelor's degree (with a GPA of 3.0 or higher) at an accredited institution
- Successfully complete an approved Teacher Education Program
- Meet all testing requirements established by the State Board of Education. For secondary education, these are Praxis I (basic academic skills) and Praxis II (knowledge of major subject).
Teaching certificates are awarded by state departments of education, not by universities or colleges. When a student completes Susquehanna’s Teacher Education Program and meets all other requirements, the student will be recommended to the Pennsylvania Department of Education to receive a teaching certificate. After officials at the State Department of Education satisfactorily reviews student records, the state awards a certificate.
Pennsylvania has two levels of certification, Level I and Level II. Students completing teacher education requirements at Susquehanna is Level I, best known as Instructional I.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education Web site is an excellent source of information about teaching and the laws and regulations affecting it.
Download the Secondary Education Semester Planner, showing recommended courses for the program term by term.
