Education Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Complete York College's online admission application, including submission of official transcripts showing your completed Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree from an accredited college or university.

Interview with the Director of Post-Baccalaureate Programs to determine your eligibility for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program. At this time, we will identify which courses will be necessary for teaching certification.

In accordance with Chapter 354, information regarding the candidate’s prior knowledge and experiences will be obtained during this interview, allowing you to avoid unnecessary duplication of coursework.

• If it is evident the candidate has extensive prior experience working with children, this experience may be applied toward the completion of requirements regarding clinical field experience. 
• If it is evident the candidate is able to demonstrate content mastery through the completion of Praxis or PECT certification exam scores at passing levels, the Post-Baccalaureate certification program may be further streamlined.

Admission to the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program requires candidates to meet a number of initial benchmarks:

• The transcript of the candidate’s completed undergraduate degree must document a final undergraduate cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. If the candidate’s cumulative GPA is below that benchmark, the Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Programs will determine if it is reasonable to provisionally admit the candidate for one semester of courses (12 credits) at the conclusion of which a 3.0 GPA minimum is required for full admittance to the intended Post-Baccalaureate certificate program. Candidates will then be fully admitted to the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program following the completion of one semester if the GPA threshold is met.
• The transcript of the candidate’s completed undergraduate degree must document a minimum of 6 credits in mathematics courses, 3 credits in English composition, and 3 credits in literature, all with a final grade of B/3 or better. In cases where the candidate’s transcript does not show evidence of meeting this requirement, the Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Programs may make a determination to allow the candidate to be provisionally admitted for one semester of courses (12 credits) to complete any needed mathematics, English composition, or literature courses necessary for admission to the Post-Baccalaureate certificate program. All courses must be completed during a single semester of provisional admittance, and the final grade for each of these courses must be a B/3 or better.
• All three required Pennsylvania clearances must be available for review by the Director of Post-Baccalaureate Programs at the time of the admissions interview.

All Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program students must obtain Pre-Professional Educator Status (PPES) before they are eligible to enroll in advanced education coursework. Requirements for obtaining Pre-Professional Educator Status (PPES) are outlined on the Pre-Professional Educator Status application.

Requirements for Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program students to obtain Pre-Professional Educator Status have been modified per Pennsylvania Department of Education guidelines as follows:

1. Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program students are not required to pass the Basic Skills exams in Reading, Writing, or Math, unless the student was previously enrolled in an educator preparation program.
2. Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program students will submit documentation of the completed specific coursework noting the required grades of 3/B or better to the Director of Post-Baccalaureate Programs.
3. All Pre-Professional Educator Status (PPES) applications must be submitted as a full and complete packet, including all additional documentation as required. All three Pennsylvania clearances are required to be submitted as part of this application.

Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program students may be eligible to apply for Pre-Professional Educator Status after the completion of their first semester of coursework.

Regardless of certification area, the Pennsylvania Department of Education requires all Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program students to complete field experience and student teaching as outlined in Chapter 354.

Depending on the candidate’s prior experience working with children, modifications to the required field experience hours may be made. A determination if such a modification is appropriate will be made by the Director of Post-Baccalaureate Programs at the time of the admissions interview. Any Stage 1-3 Field Experience courses taken must be completed with a final grade of 3/B or better.

All Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program students are required to complete one semester of Stage 4 Field Experience/Student Teaching in their area of certification. Students must have a cumulative Grade Point Average in their completed post-baccalaureate coursework of a 3.0 or higher to complete Stage 4 Field Experience/Student Teaching.