Secondary Education

• For all guidelines and requirements for your specific degree program, PLEASE SEE AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES IN THE ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY CATALOG.
• Reach out to your advisor or the contact person listed for your area of interest to learn more about the specific programs.
• Since all programs of study that lead to certification in the state of Alabama are subject to change depending on the State Department of Education guidelines, make sure you are following the guidelines in your catalog (i.e. the semester/year you first enrolled at Athens State) as well as all updated teacher certification requirements.
• Meet with both of your advisors (content and education) to discuss your plan of study.

Prior to Entry into the Teacher Education Program

• Review all information
• Take courses that are needed prior to TEP, including all general education and pre-professional courses
• There are 4 general education courses and 3 secondary courses you can take PRIOR to being admitted into the Teacher Education Program (TEP) in the College of Education. The general education courses should be taken before the secondary courses. For more information on the coursework for secondary programs, please click here.
• Pay attention to timelines!

Applying to the Teacher Education Program

Once you have met all requirements for admission into TEP, you should apply. This means that you should apply EARLY in the semester. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE TERM TO APPLY FOR TEP. If you are lacking some TEP requirements that will be completed at the end of the semester in which you want to apply for TEP, you may complete a Conditional TEP Interview, in which you will go ahead with the interview and portfolio review but will not be officially admitted into the TEP program until the end of the semester when all requirements have been met. Review TEP requirements and apply early!

• Please refer to the Teacher Education Services’ (TES) TEP webpage for a complete list of TEP requirements and more information on applications
• Your assigned EDUCATION advisor will contact you to set up interview after you apply for TEP

After admittance to the TEP, you must pass the PRAXIS II content exam in your content area. Before you intern, you must pass the PRAXIS II content exam,  complete all required coursework, Practicum field experiences, and critical assignments. For more information on the coursework for secondary programs, please click here.

Internship

In your final semester prior to graduation, you will complete a 70-day Internship in the area of your certification. Each student teacher performs full-time teaching responsibilities under the guidance of a mentor teacher and university supervisor.

• Prior to Internship, you must obtain a passing score on the Praxis II exams required in your certification area
• Interns must now complete an edTPA portfolio as part of their Internship
• Please refer to the TES website for more information on Internship requirements and expectations, including testing, fingerprinting, and other requirements

Following the Internship, apply for graduation and certification. Please refer to the webpage on certification for more information on certification, including frequently asked questions

For a recommended rotation, please click on the Fall or Spring Admission Rotation.

Fall Admission

Spring Admission

You have two advisors: one in secondary education (based on your major) and one in your subject field. Contact the College of Arts and Sciences for your CONTENT ADVISOR if you don’t already have one.

• The role of your content advisor is to guide you through your subject matter coursework and answer any questions related to transfer credit.
• The role of your secondary education advisor is to guide you through your education coursework and the TEP process.
• Student Success Center staff evaluate your transcripts for general education coursework upon entry to the university and may also assist with advising
• You should contact your content and education advisor for specific program advisement. As a student, it is extremely important that you know the role(s) of these 3 contacts. Please work with both your education advisor and content advisor to ensure timely program completion.

In addition, all necessary forms for joint enrollment, change of major/minor, transient letter, change of address, and other necessary transfer type forms can be found here. All financial aid advising is done through the Student Financial Aid Office.

Athens State University offers coursework to fulfill course requirements for teachers hired with a provisional certificate in a teaching field (PCTF). PCTF was previously called an alternative baccalaureate-level certificate (ABC).

Although anyone has the ability to submit an application for admission, coursework listed as requirements for a Provisional Certificate in a Teaching Field requires special overrides for registration. To be granted an override to enroll in classes not only will the requesting teacher need to be classified with the correct student type, selected on application to Athens State University, but students will need to provide a document to confirm their provisional teaching field and eligibility.

For more information on alternative approaches to certification or provisional certification, please review the following resources:

• Contact Beth Jenkins at the student Success Center: (256) 233-8159 or Beth.Jenkins@athens.edu
• Visit the Department of Teacher Education Services’ page on Certification, where you can find the Provisional Certificate in a Teaching Field (PCTF) Enrollment Guide

Please be sure to reference the Alabama State Department of Education’s website for the most up-to-date information.