Step I. Admittance to The University of Alabama
- General Studies Requirements (freshman/sophomore semesters) 41-47 hours/15 classes
- Beginning of required courses for Education (second semester sophomore/first semester junior)
- Enrollment in pre-professional course (second semester sophomore/first semester junior)
Step II. Admittance to a Teacher Education Program (TEP) (junior semester)
Effective August 15, the College of Education will no longer be requiring the Praxis Core (5752) exam for admission into the undergraduate teacher education program and into the Alternative Masters degree program. This action is being taken because the Alabama Department of Education is no longer supporting the use of the test, and our main accrediting agency, CAEP, has recently dropped the requirement for writing scores. However, if you plan to seek certification in another state, be sure to check the requirements of that state regarding the Praxis Core (5752).
- GPA requirement
- 2.75 both UA and overall; as well as Professional Studies and Teaching Field GPA
- Successful completion of core and current required semester hours
- Successful completion of pre-professional course and experiences: CEE 320; CSE 390; KIN 350; MUE 389; SPE 304; MAP 331
- EN 101/102 or 103/101 – grade of C or higher
- Speech – grade of C or higher
- BEP 305 or BEP/BEF 360 – grade of C higher (undergraduate level)
- Successful completion of all requirements for EDU 200
- Successful completion of departmental interview
Fingerprinting Process with Fieldprint
Students in the College of Education must be fingerprinted for a background check by the FBI and the ABI. Students will not be permitted to enter any school in the Tuscaloosa area without background clearance from the two agencies.
***Enter all information carefully and correctly.***
- Create an AIM account. Go to https://aim.alsde.edu and select “Need an account?” to begin. (Make a note of your ALSDE ID#. This will be needed to complete registration with Fieldprint.)
- Complete background check registration in AIM.
When AIM account registration is complete, you will be taken to your home page. Select “Fieldprint Background Check” to register for a background check.
(NOTE: For the question about an RSA ID: If you do not have or do not know your RSA ID number, simply select “NO” and “Continue” to complete your AIM registration. You will be immediately transferred to the Fieldprint Welcome screen to create a Fieldprint account.)
- Create Fieldprint account.
- Schedule appointment.
You must schedule an appointment with Fieldprint before visiting a fingerprint location.
- Submit payment.
$46.20 online (debit card, credit card, or PayPal only).
- Review appointment details and logout.
You will receive an e-mail confirmation of the appointment. The e-mail will include a list of approved forms of identification that must be presented during your fingerprint appointment. (Original documents are required. Photocopies will not be accepted.) The name provided for the appointment must match both forms of identification, and the date of birth must be on the primary form of ID—and must match exactly. Be sure to review procedures for canceling an appointment, if needed.
- Results are typically received within 3-5 business days. You will receive an e-mail when the results of your background check are available for review.
- Provide a copy of your results to Student Services.
Bring a copy of your results to 104 Carmichael Hall or e-mail it to jachapman1@ua.edu to be processed into our system
TEP Portfolio Requirements
Step III. Admittance to Internship (senior semester)
- Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators Tests
Effective August 15th, the College of Education will no longer be requiring the Praxis Core (5752) exam for admission into the undergraduate teacher education program and into the Alternative Masters degree program. This action is being taken because the Alabama Department of Education is no longer supporting the use of the test, and our main accrediting agency, CAEP, has recently dropped the requirement for writing scores. However, if you plan to seek certification in another state, be sure to check the requirements of that state regarding the Praxis Core (5752).
- Fingerprints and background check cleared by the ABI and FBI
- Admitted to TEP
- 2.75 minimum GPA UA, Overall, Professional Studies and Teaching Field (UA and Overall in the Teaching Field)
Step IV. Graduation (must apply for graduation prior to final semester)
Information about applying for graduation is available at http://registrar.ua.edu/how-to-apply-for-graduation.
All students in teacher certification programs, regardless of date of initial coursework, must meet the following requirements for graduation:
- A grade of C or better in each of the professional studies courses.
- GPAs of 2.75 overall in the teaching field and professional studies (exception: GPA of 2.5 for Physical Education)
- Each student in a certification program must also show proof of mastery of all Quality Teaching Standards (QTS), Professional Standards and Content Standards prior to program completion. An Individualized Standards Assessment Report (ISAR) for each student will be reviewed and evaluated at various checkpoints to ensure mastery of standards. Upon program completion, the final ISAR will be evaluated prior to graduation and recommendation for certification.
- Successful completion of Internship
- Successful completion of edTPA, the newly required multiple measure assessment of teaching
- Successful completion of all required course work
Step V. Teacher Certification
- Graduation
- Successful completion of all Standards required by the Alabama State Department of Education
- Application to the Alabama State Department of Education
Special Information for Graduates of Teacher Certification Programs
- Certification
- We expect those we recommend to the Alabama State Department of Education to be granted certification, as all of our programs are approved by the ALSDE, and we recommend only those students who complete the approved programs. Each student has the responsibility to apply for certification after completion of his/her/their program. The ALSDE evaluates each student’s credentials based on its rules and regulations.
- Applying for Certification: All students must complete the online application for certification. Select “Form NAL.” Complete the first sections of the form electronically. (Handwritten forms are not accepted. Do not complete Supplement NA1). Submit the printed form, along with the application fee or proof of online payment, to Student Services & Certification in 104 Carmichael Hall.
- Applications should be submitted at least one semester in advance of graduation. A student who does not apply for professional licensure within five years after completing the state-approved program may be required to fulfill additional, current requirements.
- In addition to applying for Alabama certification, students who plan to teach in other states must secure the proper professional licensure application forms from those states’ departments of education. Other states may have additional requirements for certification, such as testing.
- The associate dean for student services in the College of Education has been designated the teacher certification officer for The University.
- Reciprocity: The University of Alabama’s teacher education programs are fully accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Therefore, once you have completed your program and receive certification, your certification will be accepted via reciprocity by a vast majority of states around the country. If you plan to teach in states other than Alabama, please contact the state’s certification agency to ensure compliance with specific state requirements such as testing, background clearance, etc.
- Teacher Warranty: According to regulations mandated by the Alabama State Board of Education, the College of Education ensures that “a candidate’s competency to begin his/her/their professional role in schools is assessed prior to completion of the program and/or recommendation for certification” and establishes, publishes, and implements “policies to guarantee the success of individuals who complete its approved programs and are employed in their area(s) of specialization.” The College of Education provides “remediation at no cost to such individuals who are recommended . . . and are deemed to be unsatisfactory based on performance evaluations established by the State Board of Education and within two years after program completion.”
