I. Admission to the Professional Program
All education students are coded Pre-Education upon admission to the University. Candidates may apply for advancement to the Special Education professional program after meeting the requirements listed below. Pre-Education students are not permitted to enroll in upper-level professional education courses until admission requirements are met and application is approved.
Students wishing to enter the Special Education professional program must meet the following minimum requirements at the time of application:
• Completion of at least 56 credit hours by the end of the semester of application
• Completion of all Western Michigan University Intellectual Skills Development courses if required (e.g. MATH 1090, LS 1040, ENGL 1000)
• Completion of an approved college level writing course
• Completion of ED 2500 or the equivalent with a grade of”CB” or better
• Achievement of a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of *3.0 or better
• Achievement of reading, writing, and math proficiencies - see advisor for specific requirements
• Submission of Letter of Intent
• Completion of a formal application for admission to Special Education by February 1. Admission applications will be processed once a year.
• Completion of a background check and submission of any necessary additional documentation
Once all of the above requirements have been met, a formal application requesting admission to the program must be submitted to the Office of Admissions and Advising, 2421 Sangren Hall.
*Candidates with a cumulative GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 can be granted provisional admission to the Elementary Education professional program. Candidates admitted under “Provisional Admission” can continue in their program provided they receive a “CB” or above in all professional education coursework.
II. Admission to Intern Teaching
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0** must be attained for enrollment in Intern Teaching and for a recommendation for the teaching certificate.
**Candidates with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 may submit an appeal to complete their intern teaching and the request will be considered by an appeals committee. Decisions of the appeals committee are final.
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