Admission to the Teacher Apprenticeship Program

The final courses in the professional development sequence involve supervised teaching, an associated seminar, and the instructional technology course. Undergraduates enroll in the Teaching Apprenticeship, a one-semester experience of supervised teaching in conjunction with a Teaching Apprenticeship Seminar and Technology in Education.

Students must apply for Teacher Apprenticeship the semester BEFORE they plan to apprentice. The Dreeben School of Education, the university-wide Teacher Education Advisory Council, and the State Board for Educator Certification all recommend that students applying for apprenticeship must have completed, or be in the process of completing, all required course-work prior to making application. On a case-by-case basis, the Director of Teacher Education may give approval for registration in only one three-credit course along with the Apprenticeship coursework; students must request this consideration in writing.

Applications for the Teacher Apprenticeship Program are accepted each fall and spring semester. Students wishing to complete the apprenticeship in the fall semester should apply in the previous spring. Students wishing to do the apprenticeship in the spring semester should apply the previous fall.  

Specific application dates are announced at the beginning of each semester. Applicants are responsible for adhering to all deadlines. The students must submit application packets by the specified deadline.  The application requirements include:

1. Documentation of full acceptance and good standing in the Teacher Certification Program (verified by the Teacher Education Program).
2. Demonstration of content area proficiency documented with a passing score on the state content area TExES exam.
3. A current transcript issued by each college or university attended (an unofficial transcript is acceptable) verifying:
   1. All coursework on degree plan has been completed or is in progress, with the exception of the apprenticeship coursework and seminar, and the option of one additional three-hour course (if approved by the Director of Teacher Education).
   2. The student has a cumulative grade point average of a 2.75 or greater at the time of application. Students are responsible for maintaining a minimum GPA until program completion. All courses taken at all institutions will be calculated to determine the cumulative grade point average. In the event courses are repeated at the same institution, only the last attempt will be included in the calculation.
   3. For undergraduates, a grade of “C” or better must have been earned for every course taken toward the major and supporting coursework.  IDS majors must earn a “C” or higher in all coursework included in the full IDS degree.  If a lower grade is earned, the course must be repeated. Students must earn grades of "B-" or higher in professional development courses or the course must be repeated.

NOTE: Additional data regarding fitness for teaching - maturity, independence, responsibility, interpersonal relations, etc., - are solicited from UIW members of the community who have come in contact with the applicant; this data will be considered in the application review as described below. This information is of great significance to the decisions made by both the Dreeben School of Education and the university-wide Council regarding acceptance into the Teacher Certification program. Additional information about Professional Disposition guidelines and procedures can be found in the Teacher Certification Handbook and the Apprenticeship Handbook.

   4.  An updated degree plan or planning guide verifying the completion of all courses other than the apprenticeship coursework. 

   6.  A portfolio demonstrating the applicant's experiences and work within the education program. These portfolios are designed to reflect and assess the applicant's growth and expertise within their chosen fields throughout their educational experiences.