Admissions Criteria

Acceptance for graduate study in Drexel University's School of Education Post-Bachelor's Teaching Certificate or Graduate Teacher Certification program requires: 

• Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. 
• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher (graduate degree GPAs will be considered along with the undergraduate GPA). Students with a GPA in the range of 2.70 to 2.99 may also be considered for admission on a case by case basis. For more information on meeting the criteria, please contact the School of Education at 215-895-6770. 
• Complete graduate school application. 
• Official transcripts from all universities or colleges and other post-secondary educational institutions (including trade schools) attended. Instead of hard copy transcripts, you may supply official electronic transcripts issued by a post-secondary institution directly to Drexel University Online (use our email address, customerservice@drexel.com). You must supply transcripts regardless of the number of credits earned or the type of school you attended.  If you do not list all post-secondary institutions on your application and these are listed on transcripts received from other institutions, processing of your application will be delayed until you have submitted the remaining transcripts.  Use our Transcript Lookup Tool to assist you in contacting your previous institutions. If a college or university that you attended offers the option to send transcripts in a secure, password-protected electronic format, you may have the transcript sent  to customerservice@drexel.com.   
• Two letters of recommendation - professional or academic.
  • Drexel University Online now accepts electronic letters of recommendation.  Please access the following webpage for instructions regarding their submission: http://www.drexel.edu/apply/recommend.  If a recommender prefers to submit an original, hard copy letter of recommendation, please remind the recommender that it must be signed and submitted in a sealed envelope signed across the flap by the recommender.  
   
• An essay describing why the applicant is interested in pursuing graduate study in this field and stating intended area of certification (e.g. secondary certification in mathematics). 
•  International Students: must submit a TOEFL score of 550 or higher. Students with transcripts from non-US institutions should have such transcripts evaluated by World Education Service (WES). The TOEFL examination is required for some non-citizens.  Applicants whose native language is English (who list themselves as born in or citizens of the following countries: American Samoa, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British West Indies, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, England, Ghana, Guam, Ireland, Jamaica, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad/Tobago, Uganda, Virgin Islands, Wales, Zimbabwe) are exempt from the TOEFL.  Applicants whose native language is not English are exempt from the TOEFL if the applicant completed 4 years of high school in the United States or completed English 101 and English 102 with a grade of C or better from a US domestic accredited institution. Applicants who received an undergraduate or graduate degree from an academic institution located in the U.S., UK or Canada are also exempt from the TOEFL. 

Please note all submitted materials become the property of Drexel University. 

The Admissions Committee evaluates all credentials submitted by applicants to determine a student's ability and potential to succeed in graduate study. The applicant’s transcripts are evaluated in relation to state standards for the intended certification area for those seeking to gain certification. 

Supplemental Materials Required:

Required Clearances (PA): In addition to the above application materials, applicants should begin the process of obtaining the proper PA required clearances to be prepared to enter into a PreK-12 classroom within the first term at Drexel. PA requires that pre-service teachers must submit copies of all required clearances (FBI, PA Child Abuse, and PA Criminal Background) to Drexel University's School of Education's Field Placement Office by the second week of the first term. In addition, some School Districts will require that you obtain the TB Skin Test. Students should retain all original copies and present them to the schools during all field experiences as well as fax them to the School of Education's Field Placement Office at 215-571-4270. For more information and clearance procedures go to: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/background_checks/8623 

Clearances (out of state): For applicants not living in PA, please contact your State's Department of Education or local School District to determine which clearances will be required in your state/school district to enter classrooms for all types of field experiences. Once obtained, follow the instructions above to submit them to Drexel's School of Education.

Clearances (International): For applications living overseas or planning to complete field experiences in an approved International or DODEA school, please obtain FBI and Criminal History background checks at the very least. Also please indicate your intentions within your application essay and contact the School of Education for more information regarding International Field Experiences at 215-895-6770.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for all four terms. Apply today! See the above criteria for specific supplemental materials required.  

Download Program Info as PDF