Education Department

Mission Statement of the Department of Education

The mission of the DeSales University Department of Education is to prepare teacher candidates to demonstrate content mastery applied in effective, creative, reflective, technologyenhanced, and data-driven pedagogy. Our candidates explore and confirm a personal and professional commitment to the teaching profession, possessing skills of collaboration and effective and respectful interaction with colleagues, students, and families. Our candidates commit to supporting the uniqueness and high potential of self and of students whose lives they will touch. They strive to ensure educational equity in local and global contexts, thus adhering to the key tenets of Christian Humanism.

Admission into the Professional Educator Phase for Pennsylvania-Teacher-Certification-Seeking Students

To proceed into professional and advanced methods courses, students intending to major or enter a program in education must meet Pennsylvania state guidelines for future educators. A formal application to the professional educator program must be submitted to the chair of the education department upon completion of professional phase requirements, including completion of the pre-professional course sequence (or with permission of department chair).

Professional Educator Program (Certification Track) Requirements for Acceptance:

The professional educator program (PEP) is designed to prepare the education student to achieve teacher certification in Pennsylvania. Students applying to PEP must have satisfied all requirements of the track before entry. Acceptance into PEP will consist of

Completed, formal application for PEP (See department office for application form.)
Completion of a minimum of 48 credits
Completion of the Basic Skills* exam requirement (a pass on all ETS Core Exam modules OR all PAPA modules OR SAT/ACT exemption documentation)
Transcript(s) from all colleges attended
Cumulative GPA of 3.0, or 2.8 for conditional admission with the approval of the department chair (note: Students must meet certification GPA requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education to be recommended for certification at program completion.)
Pre-professional education course GPA of 2.5 or higher
Essay that responds to the prompt: Why do I Want to be an Educator?”
Recommendation of two faculty members
Documentation of successful completion of at least 40 hours of course-related eligible field hours with satisfactory evaluations
Completion of the pre-professional course sequence (or with permission of the department chair

Other criteria for admission include:

Completion of the mathematics sequence MA 107 and MA 108 , with a minimum grade of C in each course and/or two college- level mathematics courses for some majors;
Three credits/one course of college-level English composition, and three credits/one college-level course in either American or British literature, with a minimum grade of C in each of the courses;
Completion of the following courses with a minimum grade of C in each course: ED 109 , ED 209 , and ED 218 .

Alternative Admissions Policy

Students whose overall GPA is between 2.80 and 2.99 are invited to appeal to the department chair and meet the following additional requirements for admission: (1) Completion of the following courses with a minimum grade of B- in each course: ED 109 , ED 209 , ED 218 , and (2) a successful interview with the chair of the education department, receiving his/her recommendation.

*Please note: Students with a GPA below a 2.79 will not be admitted into the professional educator program or be permitted to take certification-required professional education courses. Those students can continue as intended majors until the GPA meets minimum standards or may elect to continue in the noncertification track.

Transfer Students

Transfer students who enter DeSales with at least 48 credits completed will be accepted into the professional educator program (PEP) only if they have met the requirements of the track before admission. The cumulative GPA of all institutions attended before matriculation at DeSales will be used to meet the GPA minimum requirement. If the student has not yet met the requirements of PEP, the student will enter the careers in education (CEP) track. Students will be enrolled in courses satisfying general education requirements and/or education courses designated pre-professional phase courses and/or CEP courses. After the completion of 12 credits at DeSales, the student may apply to PEP based on performance at DeSales and meeting all other PEP requirements.

Program Progression

Students who have successfully been admitted into the professional educator program (PEP) must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.8 throughout the program. A re-evaluation of GPA status will be conducted in the advising session during the semester before the completion of 90 credits or senior status. All education courses required for certification must be completed with a minimum grade of C. When that grade is not achieved, the course must be repeated in order to be recommended for PA Teacher certification.

Change of Track

Students may be accepted into the PEP track before earning 90 credits toward a DeSales University degree. The student must meet all requirements of PEP at the time of application. After earning 90 credits, the student will be advised to apply to the post-baccalaureate program for certification.

Admission into the Careers in Education Program (Non-Certification Track)

The careers in education program (CEP) track prepares students for a variety of careers related to education. The track does not prepare students for Pennsylvania certification, but rather builds capacity for the pursuit of careers in counseling, social work, human resources, private school teaching, and other positions that do not require teacher certification.

Acceptance into the CEP track will consist of

Typed, well-written personal statement of future career goals, approximately 500 words in length.
Transcript(s) from all colleges attended
A cumulative GPA of 2.0 at time of application
Successful completion of 60 hours of clinical field work documented in observation log copies

Students in the CEP track do not need to meet the Pennsylvania Basic Skills or Advanced Skills exam requirements. However, before earning 90 credits, the student may move from the CEP track to the PEP track by meeting all requirements of PEP.

Programs

Major

Minor

A student who wishes to complete a minor must choose one from among the subject areas listed below. The minor consists of 6 courses and will be indicated on the student’s permanent record. Students may not take courses required for the minor under the pass-fail option. A G.P.A. of 2.0 or higher is required in the 6 courses required by the minor, at least 3 of which must be completed at DeSales University. The student is responsible for scheduling his/her minor program in such a way that he/she can take the required courses as they are available during the four-year period. After degree conferral, a minor may be added within one year. Students who seek to add a minor after graduation, however, may not be eligible for additional financial aid. The choice of a minor should be made in consultation with the student’s advisor. Please note that in some cases scheduling conflicts between required major and minor courses may occur, preventing a student from completion of a minor. Tutorials and independent study courses are not considered an acceptable way of resolving such conflicts. For this reason, a student would do well to begin taking appropriate courses as early as possible in his/her collegiate career. Additional information and “Completion of a Minor” forms are available in MyDSU under the Forms and Documents heading as well as in the academic affairs office. Courses used to satisfy area of emphasis in the liberal studies program may not be applied toward a minor.