Dear Potential Teacher Education Candidate,

We are pleased that you are considering applying to the Teacher Preparation Program at Michigan State University.

MSU’s Teacher Preparation Program is dedicated to improving education for all students, especially those who live in rural or urban communities struggling with poverty, and those who have special needs. The Teacher Preparation program seeks to identify and nurture teacher candidates who have a commitment to teaching and working with these communities and these students, and to being advocates for children and families in all communities. Today’s K-12 school children are increasingly diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, language, and learning needs. Children of color currently constitute nearly 40% of the students who attend the nation’s public schools. This percentage is expected to increase over the next decade. In addition, nearly 20% of all school-age children live in poverty. Our nation’s public schools need teachers who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to ensure that their students meet high academic standards and who are passionate about and committed to working for a more just society.

MSU’s Teacher Preparation Program aims to prepare teachers who

• are expert in the subject matters they will teach and able to develop strategies and practices for creating learning experiences that make subject matter accessible and meaningful to all students;
• understand that children and adolescents bring varied talents, strengths and perspectives to learning and are able to use these assets to design and carry out instruction;
• create an inclusive community of learners which is characterized by respect, caring, and intellectual curiosity;
• are reflective practitioners who continually inquire into the nature of teaching and learning, analyze their own learning and professional practice, evaluate the effects of their choices and actions on others, and seek out opportunities to grow professionally throughout their careers;
• are knowledgeable about their own values, morals, beliefs and commitments relative to the community in which they teach;
• believe that schools have a responsibility and a commitment to ensure equitable learning opportunities to all students.

In order to accomplish these goals, MSU’s Teacher Preparation Program is committed to admit students who bring a variety of experiences and perspectives that can contribute to the diversity of the Teacher Preparation Program, and ultimately to a strong teaching force for K-12 public schools. Evidence from recent research has demonstrated that the presence of diversity among students in higher education has a profound positive impact on their academic and personal development. In turn, the Teacher Preparation Program provides teacher candidates with opportunities to gain critical knowledge and skills needed to teach children from diverse populations, to build on their students’ talents, strengths and capabilities and to recognize and build on the strengths of their students’ families and communities.

Admission to the Teacher Preparation Program requires an on-line application. Admission criteria include:

• Academic Accomplishments and Promise
• Commitment to Teaching and Dispositions that Support Learning to Teach
• Disposition to teach/work across racial or ethnic difference, with students in poverty, in urban settings or with special needs
• Contribution to Diversity of Program Participants
• Completion of a proctored, timed essay

Admission to the program is competitive since teacher education has limited enrollment. MSU undergraduate students apply at the beginning of their sophomore year for admission as a junior. They must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and have passed each portion of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in Basic Skills to be considered for admission to the program. All developmental/remedial mathematics and writing coursework must be completed by the end of Fall semester of the application year. Post BA applicants and students wishing to transfer into the program from other institutions must meet the same criteria set for MSU undergraduates admitted to the program and University admission criteria established for limited enrollment programs. The average grade point of students admitted to the program for the past several years has exceeded the 2.75 required minimum.

Students seeking elementary certification compete for the limited positions available in elementary education, which includes Special Education. Those seeking child development admission compete with other child development majors for limited spaces. Students seeking secondary certification compete within each of the majors in secondary education.

You may wish to print this page before starting your application! If you have read the above Teacher Preparation Program Application Criteria and wish to apply to the Teacher Preparation Program at Michigan State University, go to the application.