Requirements and Procedures

We recommend that students regularly consult this page, Education Student Services staff, their department, and their college advisement center for updates on changes required for program entrance, graduation, and licensure.

TEACHING MAJORS AND TEACHING MINORS

A teaching major is a necessary condition for a teaching minor.

  • To declare a teaching minor, a student must first declare a teaching major.
  • If a student changes to a non-teaching major, s/he must also drop the teaching minor ( or where possible and desired, change to a non-teaching minor).

FBI BACKGROUND CLEARANCE

FBI clearance is required to prepare for a career in teaching.

  • Students must obtain a BCI/FBI background clearance prior to beginning their teaching major, and it must be maintained throughout their teaching program. 
  • A current BCI/FBI background clearance is also required for graduation and licensure.

Please go to education.byu.edu/ess/fingerprint.html for further instructions.

PRAXIS II

To be eligible for graduation and licensure, students are required to take and pass the Praxis ll test designed for their teaching major. Some teaching minors require a specified Praxis II test as well.

  • A student who does not obtain a passing score on the Praxis ll test associated with his or her  teaching major must change to a non-teaching major.  If this student has declared a teaching minor, it must be changed to a non-teaching minor or be dropped.
  • A student whose teaching minor requires a Praxis ll test who does not obtain a passing score on this second Praxis II must change the minor to a non-teaching designation or drop it.

Please go to education.byu.edu/ess/praxis_info.html for more Praxis II information and a complete list of approved Praxis II tests for the State of Utah.

ORAL PROFICIENCY INTERVIEW (OPI)

Students declaring a language teaching major or minor must receive the required rating on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) as part of their graduation and licensing requirements. 

  •  Students with a language teaching major who do not receive the required rating on the OPI must change to a non-teaching major. Such students with a teaching minor must change to a non-teaching minor or drop the minor altogether.
  • Students with a language teaching minor who do not obtain the required rating on the OPI must change to a non-teaching minor or drop the minor altogether.

Please go to education.byu.edu/ess/opi.html to view the OPI rating required for the different majors and minors.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

Speaking English clearly is an important skill for communicating with students, parents, administrators, and colleagues in a country where English is spoken as a first language. 

  • Any student whose first language is not English must pass an oral English speaking screening prior to beginning any teaching major or teaching minor. 
  • Students wishing to appeal a non-passing score on this screening must take the English OPI to demonstrate competency in speaking English.  A rating of advanced low or higher is required on the OPI to begin any teaching major or teaching minor. (Please see the above OPI information.)

GRADE / GPA REQUIREMENT

Grades below C- in professional education courses or content area courses will not be accepted in the teaching major or teaching minor. Students must have a cumulative 2.85 or higher GPA in their teaching major and teaching minor courses to be eligible to enroll in a student teaching / internship course.

Complete Grade and GPA document.

STUDENT TEACHING / INTERNSHIP

Teaching majors at BYU must participate in the capstone experience of a one-semester student teaching experience or a year-long internship.   Student teaching and internships bring together the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students have acquired in their course work and allow these prospective teachers to make applications in a classroom setting. 

For a comprehensive guide, please go to http://education.byu.edu/ess/documents/policy_handbook.pdf

GRADUATION

Students in a teaching major must complete all program requirements in order to graduate or be licensed.  Student teaching will not be waived.

TEACHING LICENSURE

Please go to http://education.byu.edu/ess/licensure.html for additional information on  going through the licensure pocess and obtaining a teaching license.

Although Education Student Services makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information found on this website, we reserve the right to make changes at any time. Students should regularly consult with their department, their college advisement center, the university catalog, and Education Student Services for updates and changes.

Page updated 7/27/2012