General Requirements for Admission to the Graduate School

Please refer to admission information in the Graduate School  section.

Admission Requirements for all Graduate Certificates in Teaching Programs

1. An undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited four-year institution
2. A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0. [For alternative ways to demonstrate academic competence, contact the Office of Teacher Education Advising, Licensure, and Recruitment (TEALR).]
3. Three recommendations from persons knowledgeable of your interaction with children or youth
4. Statement of purpose
5. Clear criminal background check
6. Apply online at graduateschool.uncc.edu

Content Background Requirements

To be accepted into the Graduate Certificate in Teaching French, German, or Spanish program candidates must fulfill one of the following content background requirements:

1. Have completed a bachelor’s degree majoring in French, German, or Spanish
2. Have completed a bachelor’s degree and the equivalent of a major in French, German, or Spanish via the completion of 24 credit hours of instruction in the foreign language (note: at least two courses must have been taken at the 4000 level)
3. Be a native speaker of French, German, or Spanish and obtain passing scores on the corresponding Praxis II exam

Admission to Candidacy

The Candidacy form supplied by the Graduate School must be received no later than the eighth instructional day of the semester in which completion of all program requirements is expected.

Application for Graduation

The Application for Graduation supplied by the Graduate School must be submitted early in the semester in which completion of all program requirements is expected.

Clinical Field Experiences

Most courses require students to develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions in public school settings. These experiences broaden their ability to help all students learn, including children with exceptionalities and students from diverse ethnic/racial, linguistic, gender, and socioeconomic groups. During clinical experiences, students apply theories and understandings gained in coursework, analyze P-12 student learning, and develop the ability to positively impact all learners. All students are expected to complete clinical experiences in at least two significantly different settings.

Candidates who are lateral entry teachers and teacher assistants must move beyond their own classrooms and schools for at least two clinical experiences.

Alternative settings must be approved by the instructor and may include schools on different schedules, after-school and summer programs, Saturday programs, private, and charter schools. A limited number of clinical experiences may be approved in significantly different classrooms within their school of employment. Employed candidates are encouraged to seek assistance and support from their administrators.

Internship/Student Teaching

The graduate-level student teaching/internship is the culminating experience of the Graduate Certificate program, offering students the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness for the initial Standard Professional I teaching license. Students are assigned to an appropriate classroom for a full-time, semester-long experience under the supervision of the classroom teacher and University faculty. Lateral entry teachers and teacher assistants must contact the Office of Field Experiences to determine the appropriateness of their classroom for the student teaching/internship experience and licensure requirements. This contact should take place at least one semester before student teaching. Prior to student teaching, foreign language education teacher-candidates must demonstrate advanced French, German, or Spanish language skills by obtaining a minimum score of Advanced-low on the related Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI).

Advising

All students are assigned an advisor upon formal admission to the program. Students should consult with their advisors at least once each semester.

Licensure

Upon successful completion of the Phase I/Graduate Certificate, students will be recommended for the North Carolina initial Standard Professional I teaching license. For this license, students are required to complete an electronic licensure portfolio that is created during coursework and student teaching.

Financial Aid

Information is available from the Office of Teacher Education Advising, Licensure, and Recruitment (TEALR). See tealr.uncc.edu for details. Additional information is available from the Office of Student Financial Aid at finaid.uncc.edu.

Program Approval

All teacher education programs at UNC Charlotte are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education.