Admission to the Clinical Teaching Cohort

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

Students applying for Clinical Teaching must have completed, or be in the process of completing, all required course-work, with the exception of the clinical teaching courses, 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 concurrent with the the Clinical Teaching coursework.  Students must request this consideration in writing.

Applications for the Clinical Teaching Cohort are accepted each fall and spring semester. Students must apply to the clinical teaching cohort specific to the semester in which they will clinical teach.  Students planning to complete the clinical teaching in the fall semester should apply the previous spring; students planning to clinical teach 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. Students must submit application packets by the specified deadline.  Application requirements are subject to change in accordance with TEA regulations.  As of May 2017, the application requirements include:

1. Documentation of full acceptance to, and good standing in the Teacher Education Program (verified by the Dreeben School of Education).
2. Demonstration of content area proficiency documented with a passing score on the state content area TExES exam.
3. A current transcript (dated within three months of the application) issued by each college or university attended verifying:
   1. All coursework on degree plan has been completed or is in progress, with the exception of the clinical teaching coursework.
   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 highest earned grade will be included in the calculation (in agreement with UIW policy).
   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.  A minimum grade of B- is required for all professional development coursework.  If a lower than required grade is earned, 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 Teacher Education Advisory Council regarding acceptance into the Clinical Teaching Cohort. Additional information about Professional Disposition guidelines and procedures can be found in the Teacher Eductation Handbook and the Clinical Teaching Handbook.

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

   5.  Submission of the applicant's philosophy of teaching. This essay must be typed and must reflect the applicant's experiences and attitudes toward individual teaching style, methods, and goals. 

   6.  Applicants will participate in a group interview to assess effective and professional oral communication skills.