To teach elementary students (grades K-6), students major in elementary education. To teach in secondary schools (grades 7-12), students major in the field they would like to teach (English, Spanish, math, etc.) and complete the Teacher Education Program to earn licensure.

Elementary education
Students interested in majoring in elementary education should apply to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and indicate an interest in elementary education.

Secondary education
Students interested in secondary education should apply to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and indicate a major in the field they would like to teach.

Admission requirements for transfer students
Admission to teacher education programs is competitive. Admission requirements may vary by program and are based on demand and faculty availability.

To be considered for admission to a teacher education program, an undergraduate student must have met the following criteria:

• been admitted to The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with the appropriate subject area major;
• attained sophomore standing (complete at least 33 semester hours) prior to the semester during which application for admission is made;
• achieved a grade-point average (GPA) of 2.70 or higher on all college course work as well as on course work completed at The University of Iowa (some secondary teaching programs may have higher admission GPA and semester-hour standards);
• completed the "Application to a Teacher Education Program" on the College of Education Web Site, and submitted all required materials;
• completed a 10-hour volunteer experience and submitted the signed verification form before the deadline; and
• completed the PRAXIS I exam provided by the Educational Testing Service (or the GRE if applying to a Graduate program) and have scores subitted before the application deadline.
  • Praxis I cut scores have been set at 522 composite with a minimum score of 170 on any one of the three tests.
  • The minimum GRE cut score is 400 for each individual exam (verbal, quantitative, analytical) or 400 each for verbal and quantitative and 3.0 for analytical writing.

Application process
All students must apply and be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to be eligible to apply to the Teacher Education Program.

U.S. Citizens & Permanent Residents

• Deadlines to apply to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:
  
  • Fall Semester—April 1
  • Spring Semester—October 15
  • Summer Session—April 1
• Deadlines to apply to the Teacher Education Program:
  • Summer or Fall 2011 admission—March 15, 2011
  • Spring 2012 admission—October 15, 2011
  • Summer or Fall 2012 admission—March 15, 2012
  • Spring 2013 admission—October 1, 2012
  • Summer or Fall 2013 admission—March 1, 2013

International Applicants

• Deadlines to apply to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:
  • Fall Semester: March 1
  • Spring Semester: October 1
  • Summer Session: March 1
• Deadlines to apply to the Teacher Education Program:
  • Summer or Fall 2011 admission—March 15, 2011
  • Spring 2012 admission—October 15, 2011
  • Summer or Fall 2012 admission—March 15, 2012
  • Spring 2013 admission—October 1, 2012
  • Summer or Fall 2013 admission—March 1, 2013

Degree Audit
When you are admitted, a Degree Audit will become part of your Admissions Profile in ISIS. The audit:

• tells you whether you have completed the necessary High School Course Requirements, which are the same as for applicants to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,
• specifies which General Education Program Requirements you still need to fulfill,
• indicates (for pre-business, pre-nursing, and pre-pharmacy students) which prerequisite courses necessary for applying to the respective colleges need to be fulfilled, and
• monitors other degree requirements including semester hours, GPA, residency requirement, and college-specific regulations.

Credit evaluation
The Office of Admissions evaluates transfer courses applicable to High School Course Requirements and General Education Program requirements, as well as a number of courses applicable to the requirements of your major. Your major department makes decisions about how the rest of your transfer courses apply toward the requirements for your major.

Course equivalency guide
Search the Transfer Equivalency Guide for commonly transferred courses offered at other Iowa institutions and our major out-of-state transfer colleges. The system is designed for prospective students who want to know how courses will transfer to Iowa and for UI students who plan to take courses at other institutions in the summer or at other times.

If your first language is not English

• U.S. citizens and permanent residents who graduated from a U.S. high school may be required to complete an English Proficiency Evaluation during your Orientation program. Exceptions are made if your ACT English subscore is 21 or higher, SAT Critical Reading score is 540 or higher, or if you have a TOEFL score of 100 or higher.
• U.S. citizens and permanent residents who graduated from a high school outside the U.S. must present evidence of English proficiency by submitting an ACT English score of 21 or higher, SAT Critical Reading score of 540 or higher, a minimum TOEFL score of 80 with no subscore lower than 17, or an IELTS total score of 6.5 with no subscore below 6. Students who meet the ACT, SAT, or IELTS score requirement will also be required to complete the English Proficiency Evaluation at Orientation. Please note: students with a TOEFL score of 100 or higher will not be required to take the English Proficiency Evaluation.
• English Requirements for International Applicants

For more information

Admission to the Teacher Education Program