Auburn Bulletin 2024-2025

Teacher Education Information

Clinical Experiences

Auburn University's College of Education is committed to co-constructed and mutually beneficial clinical-based experiences for all candidates in educator preparation programs. A commitment from P-12 school partners and university faculty is central to ensuring all candidates develop the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions necessary to demonstrate a positive impact on all P-12 students' learning and development. It is within varied and diverse clinical experiences that candidates have multiple opportunities to observe, reflect upon, and adjust their methods of practice. Effective clinical experiences provide a bridge between the knowledge candidates acquire in their educator preparation programs to real-world classroom practices.

The pre-teaching experience is a prerequisite for admission to educator preparation. This five-day experience is intended to provide the opportunity for students to observe the school as a total organization and increase their awareness of the teaching profession. The primary focus is observation and reflection. Students should consult with their advisor as to the specific requirements for their program.

Additional clinical experiences are conducted concurrently with enrollment in professional education courses. These experiences occur prior to clinical residency/internship and provide students with multiple opportunities to work with diverse learners in schools and communities.

Clinical residency/internship is the culminating field-based experience and spans a full semester. This experience immerses clinical residents in the learning community and provides them with intensive and extensive opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in the professional roles for which they are preparing.

Admission to Educator Preparation Programs

The first transition point in education educator preparation programs is admission. Criteria are noted below:
  • Completion and submission of the Admission to Educator Preparation Program Application
  • Completion of 45 semester hours in the program
  • Satisfactory completion or current enrollment in the orientation course
  • Successfully meet current grade point average requirements:
    • Students admitted prior to July 1, 2017 — a minimum 2.50 grade-point average on all college coursework attempted at Auburn, in professional studies, and in the teaching field
    • Students admitted on July 1, 2017–Feb. 24, 2022 — a minimum 2.75 grade-point average on all college coursework attempted at Auburn, in professional studies, and in the teaching field
    • Students admitted on Feb. 25, 2022, and thereafter — a minimum 2.50 grade-point average on all college coursework attempted at Auburn, in professional studies, and in the teaching field
  • Satisfactory performance in the pre-teaching experience
  • Documentation of clear background check
  • Satisfactory completion of a professional interview

Students who fail to meet these criteria upon initial application may submit new evidence in an effort to satisfy admission to educator preparation requirements. Meeting the above criteria at a minimum level does not guarantee admission into educator preparation. Specific programs may have additional requirements for admissions. Therefore, students should meet with their academic advisor to discuss any additional program specific requirements.

Admission to Clinical Residency (Internship)

The second transition point in educator preparation programs is admission to clinical residency (internship). Criteria are noted below:
  • Completion and submission of the Clinical Residency (Internship) Application one year in advance
  • Admission to Educator Preparation
  • Satisfactory completion of all courses on the program checklist designated as prerequisites for clinical residency
  • Successfully meet current grade point average requirements:
    • Students admitted prior to July 1, 2017 — a minimum 2.50 grade-point average on all college coursework attempted at Auburn, in professional studies, and in the teaching field
    • Students admitted on July 1, 2017–Feb. 24, 2022 — a minimum 2.75 grade-point average on all college coursework attempted at Auburn, in professional studies, and in the teaching field
    • Students admitted on Feb. 25, 2022, and thereafter — a minimum 2.50 grade-point average on all college coursework attempted at Auburn, in professional studies, and in the teaching field
  • No grade below a C in professional studies courses
  • Passing score(s) on the appropriate content assessment(s) required for the area of specialization
  • Demonstrated potential for teaching with program approval

Students who fail to meet these criteria may submit new evidence in an effort to satisfy admission to clinical residency/internship requirements. Specific programs may have additional requirements for this transition point. Therefore, students should meet with their academic advisor to discuss any additional program specific requirements.

Exit from Clinical Residency (Internship) 

The third transition point in educator preparation programs is successful completion of clinical residency (internship). Criteria are noted below:
  • Satisfactory completion of all key assessments including submission of edTPA portfolio for official scoring
  • Satisfactory completion of teaching requirements (20 full days of teaching, including 10 consecutive days)
  • Satisfactory completion of attendance requirements (full-time, full semester)
  • Satisfactory compliance with all rules and regulations outlined in the Clinical Residency Handbook

Specific programs may have additional requirements for this transition point. Therefore, students should meet with their academic advisor to discuss any additional program specific requirements.

Graduation

The final transition point in educator preparation programs is graduation. Criteria are noted below:
  • Registration for UNIV 4AA0 (graduation check)
  • Completion of all courses on the program checklist (Note: Approvals of Course Substitution Requests must be on file in the Office of Student Services, 3464 Haley.)
  • Successfully meet current grade point average requirements:
    • Students admitted prior to July 1, 2017 — a minimum 2.50 grade-point average on all college coursework attempted at Auburn, in professional studies, and in the teaching field
    • Students admitted on July 1, 2017–Feb. 24, 2022 — a minimum 2.75 grade-point average on all college coursework attempted at Auburn, in professional studies, and in the teaching field
    • Students admitted on Feb. 25, 2022, and thereafter — a minimum 2.50 grade-point average on all college coursework attempted at Auburn, in professional studies, and in the teaching field
  • No grade below a C in professional studies courses
  • Satisfactory grade in clinical residency/internship including completion of all requirements

Specific programs may have additional requirements for this transition point. Therefore, students should meet with their academic advisor to discuss any additional program specific requirements.

Certification

The Assistant Dean for Assessment has been designated as the educator certification officer for Auburn University. Applying for certification with the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) is a separate process from applying for graduation. It is critical that educator preparation students meet with their academic advisor in the Office of Student Services (Haley 3464) routinely to ensure they meet the most current ALSDE requirements for certification. To obtain certification in the state of Alabama, program graduates must submit a completed certification application with required processing fee to the Office of Student Services in order to begin the process of certification with the ALSDE. Instructions for completing the certification packet are provided to the student during their clinical residency or final semester via AU email. Program graduates who delay obtaining Alabama certification may be subject to changes made in teacher educator certification requirements between the time of graduation and the time of the certification request. Students seeking certification in other states should contact those state certification offices to obtain their application forms and requirements.

The following list shows undergraduate educator preparation programs by department and by grade levels of certification. Music Education (P-12) and secondary education programs in English language arts, agriscience, business and marketing, foreign language, mathematics, science, and social science meet the university requirements for a second major in the teaching field.

A candidate cannot be recommended for certification based on completion of a program for which state approval expired more than seven years prior to the date prior to the dates of program completion.

Programs (Grade Levels)

  • Agriscience Education (6-12)
  • Business and Marketing Education (6-12)
  • Chemistry Education (6-12)
  • Early Childhood Education (P-3)
  • Elementary Education (K-6)
  • English Language Arts Education (6-12)
  • French Education (6-12)
  • General Science Education (6-12)
  • German Education (6-12)
  • Mathematics Education (6-12)
  • Music Education, Instrumental and Vocal (P-12)
  • Physical Education (P-12)
  • Physics Education (6-12)
  • Spanish Education (6-12)
  • Special Education
    • Collaborative Teacher Special Education (K-6 & 6-12)
    • Early Childhood Special Education/Collaborative Teacher (P-3 & K-6)

Assurance of Competence

The College of Education guarantees the success of graduates who receive initial professional certification through the college and who are employed within their area(s) of specialization. The college will provide remediation at no cost to an individual who was recommended for certification by the College of Education and whose job performance within two years after program completion is deemed unsatisfactory by a local education agency based on performance evaluations established by the Alabama State Board of Education.