2024-25 Undergraduate Catalog
College of Education and Communications
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Edel Reilly, Interim Dean
Nicole Dunmire, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Educator Preparation
Holly J. Travis, Dean’s Associate for Educator Preparation, PK-12 and Secondary Programs
Website: www.iup.edu/education/
Since its founding in 1875 as the Indiana Normal School, Indiana University of Pennsylvania has been widely recognized for its excellent programs in teacher education. Although the scope of the university has been greatly expanded, the College of Education and Communications continues the tradition of preparing outstanding teachers to serve the students of the commonwealth and the nation.
The college comprises six multidimensional departments that offer 25 programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Included in the college are Communication Disorders, Special Education, and Disability Services; Communications Media; Counseling; Professional Studies in Education; Student Affairs in Higher Education; and the Center for Career and Technical Personnel Preparation.
The college is well-known for its opportunities to integrate hands-on learning. More than 100 students enjoy early field experiences each semester. In addition, the college places roughly 100 student teachers each year in public schools that provide a full semester of supervised teaching experience. Students are encouraged to take advantage of a full range of activities offered in urban, rural, and multicultural settings.
Practical experiences are important for students majoring in communications media. Students in this program are prepared in one of the largest internship programs in Pennsylvania. They select supervised work experiences with agencies throughout the commonwealth and neighboring states; many students are so successful in their internship placements, they are hired immediately upon graduation.
Mission Statement
The college provides leading-edge development and growth opportunities for students and professionals in education and allied fields.
Vision Statement
The college will be known nationally and internationally for the preparation of practitioners in education to serve a global society. The college will be prepared to serve a clientele of graduate and undergraduate scholars from increasingly diverse backgrounds. Teacher-scholars will apply diversified delivery systems to instruction, research, and service to meet the contemporary societal challenges.
Degree Requirements
All bachelor’s degree candidates must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 120 credits to include all Liberal Studies and major requirements. All bachelor of science in education degree candidates must also complete the IUP 3-Step Process for Teacher Education as defined by Chapter 354 of the Pennsylvania Education Code and in accordance with university policies.
Associations and Organizations
- American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
- Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)
- Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
- Council of Education of the Deaf (CED)
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
- National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
- National Broadcasting Society (NBS)
- National Council of Social Studies
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
- National Council of Teachers of English
- National Middle School Association (NMSA)
- Pennsylvania Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (PAC-TE)
- Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)
- Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE)
- Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU)
Undergraduate Degrees, Majors, Minors, Certificates and Concentrations
Associate in Applied Science:
Bachelor of Science:
Bachelor of Science in Education:
Minors:
Certificates:
K-12 and Secondary Education Programs:
Interdisciplinary Programs, Minors and Certificates
The interdisciplinary degree programs, minors, and certificates are multidisciplinary and are not specific to one university college. Visit Interdisciplinary Programs to view offerings and requirements
Graduate Programs and Certifications
- Master of Education: Education, Literacy, School Counseling, and Special Education
- Master of Arts: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Education, Training, and Instructional Technology, and Student Affairs in Higher Education
- Master of Science: Speech-Language Pathology and Strategic Communications
- Doctor of Education: Curriculum and Instruction
- Doctor of Philosophy: Media and Communication Studies, Counselor Education and Supervision
- Graduate-Level Certifications: Academic Advising, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Business, Computer and Information Technology, Principal Post-Masters Graduate Certificate, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Licensure, Reading Specialist, School Counseling, Special Education, Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility, Supervisor- Pupil Personnel Services K-12, Vocational Administrative Director
Information describing master’s and doctoral programs in education may be found in the current issue of the Graduate Catalog.
Change of Major to a Teacher Education Program
Currently enrolled students who wish to make application for a teacher education program may do so via MyIUP. Many PK-12 and secondary education programs are housed in the college of their respective discipline. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for all education majors by Chapter 354 of the Pennsylvania Education Code.
Students admitted to the new major will be advised by a faculty advisor in the major and permitted to register for major courses during the next registration period.
Students must comply with the IUP 3-Step Process for Teacher Education as appropriate to their current status. This information can be viewed on the College of Education and Communications website at www.iup.edu/education.
IUP 3-Step Process for Teacher Education
Step 1. Application for Teacher Education Candidacy
Eligibility requirements for enrolling in the professional education sequence:
, which includes EDEX 103 /EDEX 301 , EDUC 242 , EDUC 342 , EDUC 442 , EDSP 477 :
- A minimum of 48 earned credits and a 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Completion of the following courses with a minimum grade of “C”:
- ENGL 101
- ENGL 121 ,FNLG 121 , ENGL 225 , ENGL 256 , ARHU 122 , or ARHU 123 for all majors,
- EDSP 102
- ETIT 103 (or major program requirement in lieu of ETIT 103 ); includes satisfactory evaluation of Step 1 LiveText portfolio
- 6 credits in mathematics (level 101 or higher)
- Act 34 criminal background check (must be renewed annually)
- Act 151 child abuse clearances (must be renewed annually)
- Act 24 (PDE-6004) arrest or conviction report (must be renewed annually)
- Act 114 FBI fingerprinting (continuing enrollment in IUP Teacher Preparation Program is required for fringerprinting results to remain valid; some districts/sites require an updated ACT 114 within the year)
- Documented completion of ACT 126 training:www.reportabusepa@pitt.edu (must be retaken annually)
- TB test (results must be current prior to entering schools/annually; some districts/sites require a two-step TB)
- Speech and hearing test (recommended, not required)
- Proof of liability insurance (annual update required or join multiple years); PSEA student membership or private insurance (must have a minimum of $1,000,000 per claim and an aggregate of $3,000,000 per
occurrence if obtained via private insurance)
- Satisfactorily completed essay
- Advisor’s recommendation and signature
- Documents (Clearances, TB results, and liability insurance) should be updated and uploaded into CastleBranch
Results of Step 1 approval:
Ability to register for: EDUC 242 , EDUC 442 , and other professional education courses.
Step 2. Application for Student Teaching
Eligibility requirements for student teaching placement:
- Successful completion of Step 1
- Maintenance of a cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Current Act 34 clearance (must be renewed annually)
- Current Act 151 clearance (must be renewed annually)
- Current Act 114 clearance (must be renewed annually)
- Current Act 24 (PDE-6004) arrest or conviction report (must be renewed annually)
- Current documentation of completion of ACT 126 training:www.reportabusepa@pitt.edu (must be renewed annually)
- Current TB test (results must be current prior to entering schools /annually; some districts/sites require a two-step TB)
- Proof of liability insurance (annual updated required);- PSEA membership or private insurance (must have a minimum of $1,000,000 per claim and an aggregate of $3,000,000 per occurrence if obtained via private insurance)
- Completion of all major courses and methods courses with a minimum grade of “C”
- Completion of liberal studies science courses with a minimum grade of “C”
- Advisor’s or Program Coordinator’s recommendation and signature
Results of Step 2 approval:
Ability to register for student teaching
Step 3. Application for Graduation and Pennsylvania Teacher Certification
Eligibility requirements:
- Successful completion of Step 2
- Successful completion of student teaching with a grade of “C” or better
- Maintenance of a cumulative GPA of 3.0
- ** If needed verification of sliding scale Praxis 2 or PECT results based on final posted GPA
- Final satisfactory review of the LiveText Teacher Work Sample (submitted in LiveText) 9/11/2018
- Completed application for graduation
- Completed application for Pennsylvania Teacher Certification
- Copy of TIMS coversheet from PDE website
- Copy of IUP Marketplace receipt for certification processing
- The recommendation of designated student teaching supervisor and program coordinator
- The recommendation of the IUP Teacher Certification officer.
Results of Step 3 approval: Recommendation to PA Department of Education for Teacher Certification
Appeal Provision
A student who believes that any requirement of this policy has been inequitably applied or that he/she merits special consideration may appeal through the proper sequence of channels: academic advisor, chairperson, and finally the to Assistant Dean or Dean’s Associate for Educator Preparation. Appeals must be made before the end of the next regular academic semester following the application.
Every effort should be made to resolve the appeal through the described process. If, at the conclusion of the appeals process, the student is still in disagreement with the findings, the student may request review before the Teacher Education Appeals Committee of the Academy for Teacher Preparation. The committee will be composed of three members representing the faculty of the Academy for Teacher Education Preparation, the Teacher Education Coordinator Council, and senior teacher preparation students.
To initiate an appeal, the student must file a form obtained at the Office of Educator Preparation. Appeals will be heard only during the regular academic semester. The student will be expected to submit written documentation of his/her complaint about the process of review for continuation or eligibility in the Educator Preparation program. The committee will review the materials and make its recommendation to the associate dean for Educator Preparation. A final decision rests with the associate dean for Educator Preparation, who is the certification officer.
Federal Higher Education Act Title II
This act requires all institutions that educate teachers to publish annually the passing rates on Praxis tests for their program completers. The annual report for IUP can be found on the website www.iup.edu/education.
Student Teaching
Student teaching is designed to be the culminating learning experience for prospective teachers. Student teachers practice teaching and managing a classroom under the supervision of a full-time master teacher in an off campus center. A university supervisor is assigned to work with individual student teachers and their cooperating master teachers. To gain admission to student teaching, applicants must have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. In addition, students must complete all requirements of the 3-Step Process and should complete all other components of the Liberal Studies and professional core before student teaching. Some programs have standards above the minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and/or course grade expectations above the minimum grade of “C.” Each student should counsel with his/her advisor for information about specific program requirements related to qualification for student teaching. He or she should also check the College of Education and Communications web pages regularly for the most current information (www.iup.edu/education).
Student teaching is the capstone experience in the program of the emerging professional educator. Student teaching assignments are the responsibility of the university. To avoid conflicts of interest, students will not be assigned to districts from which they graduated or to districts in which they permanently reside or to schools in which an immediate family member is employed. Exceptions to this policy may be made in large urban school districts such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, where there are numerous elementary and secondary schools so avoidance of assigning student teachers to their “home school area” can be achieved. Any exception to this policy must be approved by the dean, College of Education and Communications, or his/her designee. All official policies and procedures, regarding the student teaching experience are included as part of the college’s official Handbook for Student Teaching. The handbooks are available for download as part of the Educator Preparation website at www.iup.edu/teachereducation.
All teacher education programs leading to a certificate issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education require that candidates complete field placements including student teaching in a school setting or intermediate unit. Under current law, no placement can be made until a candidate presents Pennsylvania Criminal Record (Act 34) and Child Abuse Clearances (Act 151), Arrest and Conviction Report (Act 24), FBI Fingerprinting Record (Act 114), and evidence of completion of on-line training for Act 126. Candidates for these programs should be aware that some districts or intermediate units may not accept placements if any criminal record is reflected on these background checks. Candidates with a criminal record, even a summary offense, are asked to disclose this history to their program upon entry so that a determination can be made about whether placement will be possible. Some serious offenses, typically involving child welfare, preclude state certification. Students who do not provide the required background checks or for whom the Educator Preparation office cannot find an acceptable placement will be terminated from the program. Copies of candidate clearances must be on file with the Educator Preparation office before the student’s beginning any school or intermediate unit placement.
Field Placements
The Office of Educator Preparation determines final placements for all fieldwork conducted in the public schools. In accordance with university policy, students must be officially enrolled in the course for which the fieldwork is being done. Students entering a classroom without being duly registered are in violation of university policy and may place themselves at risk legally. Therefore, registration for all field placements is mandatory.
All official policies and procedures for field experiences are included as part of the Field Experience I and II handbook, available for download as part of the Educator Preparation website at www.iup.edu/teachereducation.
Removal of a Student Teacher from a Student Teaching Placement
The policy for the removal of a student teacher from a student teaching placement can be found at the website www.iup.edu/education.
Certification Requirements
College of Education and Communications requirements for recommendation for certification as a teacher, as well as the intermediate steps leading to commonwealth certification, are outlined in the 3-Step Process. The requirements include the following:
- A minimum grade of “C” in all professional education courses and a 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Review and recommendation by the major academic advisor indicating completion of all university and departmental teacher education requirements
- Completion of student teaching with a minimum grade of “C”
- Successful completion of the PAPA, Praxis II, or PECT, and Praxis Specialty Area Tests
- Successful completion of PDE Form 430
- Competency in working with students with special needs (special education)
- Completion and submission of electronic portfolio, including portfolio evaluation of teacher work sample
Applications for certification cannot be processed until the student completes the BSED degree or its equivalent.
Commonwealth Requirements for Teacher Certification
(Excludes Vocational Instructional Certification. See “Career and Technical Personnel Preparation Center .”)
Certification standards for commonwealth public school teachers are established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Board of Education. The academic advisor of the student’s major department must verify for the dean of the College of Education and Communications that all academic requirements are met. The student’s name is then placed on the graduation list.
Applicants for certification must sign a statement attesting to United States citizenship. Applicants who are not citizens must have an immigrant visa that permits them to seek employment within the United States, and they must have declared the intent to become citizens of the United States. Applicants must also submit a physical examination report and certify they are not in the habit of using narcotic drugs in any form, do not use excessive amounts of intoxicating beverages, are not currently under indictment by legal authorities, and have not been convicted of a criminal offense.
Applicants who are unable to meet one or more of these requirements must submit a full explanation with the application. In addition, they must attest to the fact that all information supplied in the application is accurate.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education issues an Instructional I certificate to beginning teachers upon graduation from and recommendation by the College of Education and Communications.
Professional Certification Application Fee
All applicants for teacher certification or professional education certifications from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through IUP will be assessed a $260 application fee. Applicants for add-on and second certifications processed through IUP will also be assessed this fee. Requests for processing out-of-state teacher certification applications will be assessed a $35 processing fee per request.
Centers and Clinics
The five centers and one clinic supported by the college offer a variety of services to the university community and citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to include experiential learning, diagnostic testing, academic support, and learning resources.
The Bill and Judy Scheeren Literacy Center, housed within the Department of Professional Studies in Education, provides opportunities for graduate students in the MEd— Literacy program to gain experience toward a Reading Specialist Certification. The center offers assessment and instruction in reading and writing for children and adolescents. These instructional sessions are offered in the fall, spring, and summer. Family literacy services are also available.
The Center for Creativity and Change seeks to advance the knowledge base of undergraduate and graduate students as well as mental health professionals through the promotion and creation of professional trainings. The center is staffed by faculty members from the Department of Counseling.
The Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic is staffed by speech-language pathology faculty and supervised graduate students working toward advanced degrees in speech-language pathology. Using state-of-the-art equipment, clinic personnel provide diagnosis of speech problems and hearing tests and evaluations, as well as a regular program of therapy for clients. As part of this program, clinic staff members provide testing and necessary therapeutic services to all teacher education candidates, who must meet strict speech and hearing clearances. Regularly enrolled students at IUP, including all teacher certification candidates, are eligible to receive these services without charge.
The Center for Media Production and Research provides IUP students with real-world experiences in preproduction, production, and postproduction of digital media. Its primary technologies are advanced video techniques, such as green screen and digital video recording, but also include related media technologies such as animation, digital photography, video streaming, advanced audio production, and interactive software construction with video, audio, or animation components. The center supports the university and improves the region’s quality of life by providing clients with advanced digital media products and by improving the overall climate for technology companies in the region.
The Labyrinth Center provides a comprehensive and holistic approach to support IUP students with Autism Spectrum Diagnosis (ASD) as they build relationships, gain independence, experience academic success, and graduate from IUP with the professional and personal skills needed to embark on a fulfilling life and career.
The Larry F. Sobotka Science Discovery and Outdoor Learning Center is an outdoor classroom facility where students and educators have access to state-of-the-art facilities and a lush natural environment for versatile learning on campus. The center is open to use by IUP students, faculty, local community educators, members of the community, and local groups such as garden clubs and scout troops. This 7,150-square-foot facility consists of a large pavilion with seating for instructional presentations, projection and presentation equipment, and cabinets for storage of materials.
Specialized Instructional Facilities
The Audio Studios has multitrack analog recording and digital capabilities. Students are able to digitally master professional-quality tracks. Both analog and digital facilities are housed in sound-dampened studios and supplemented by radio production and recording studios for medium- and small-group recording sessions.
The Graphics Multimedia Lab provides a variety of software applications, black-and-white and color printing capabilities, color scanner, and a negative film scanner. The facility is used for instruction in graphics, as well as multimedia production.
The Photography Studio provides industry-standard photography studio equipment for students to create photographs in custom-controlled environments.
The Radio Station at IUP, WIUP-FM, is a 1600-watt, noncommercial, student-operated facility. Students from a variety of majors volunteer as DJs and news and sports staff members. There are also many opportunities for students to host a variety of different types of music shows.
The Television Studio, IUP-TV, broadcasts over a cable system that has a potential audience of 100,000 people. IUP-TV has approximately 100 students involved in management and production. The facility is student run with a faculty advisor and features state-of-the-art hardware and software.
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