If you have questions about PA certification that were not answered on Eastern’s Website go to:the PA Department of Education Website or call 717-787-3356. If you have other questions, the answer may be found on the Graduate and Professional Studies FAQ page maintained by the registrar’s office

You can get your Program of Study online from MyEastern (my.eastern.edu).  Depending on your program, you will either have a degree audit (Academics, Student Planning, My Progress) or your Program of Study will be in the advising section (Academics, Student Planning, Plan & Schedule, tab Advising).

You will receive an email account with an ID and a password when they are admitted to academic programs. These ID and password are necessary in accessing a variety of resources such as library databases and Brightspace sites for online instruction.

Go to https://clep.collegeboard.org or contact your local community college.

No, CLEP tests are equivalent to undergraduate-level courses. Eastern will indicate that you have fulfilled the course requirement that you took through CLEP test.

Application for readmission is required if a student wishes to return after being inactive. The factors to be considered in readmission will include those considered at the initial admission of the student. In addition, we will seek feedback and recommendations from the department’s faculty, Chairperson, and Student Success Advisor. The readmissions form can be found on Eastern’s website under Registrar.

Eastern does not guarantee where (among EU established sites) or when courses will be offered. It is the student’s responsibility to adjust his/her schedule in order to complete program course work regardless of course location. Individualized Instruction will not be approved for student to take course(s) that are being offered at one of our locations. The education department tries to offer every course at least two or three times a year.   

In the regular fall and spring semesters, the full academic load is 9 credits (usually 3 courses). This includes taking coursework elsewhere. Additional credits may be taken with written approval from the Program Director and Department Chairperson prior to the beginning of the semester.

Summer Sessions - The recommended course load is 3 credits (1 course) per session. For more than 6 credits per session student will need approval from the Dean of Education prior to the beginning of the semester.

If you want to drop the course during the drop/add period use the drop/add form that is found on the Registrar page or can be done using self-service through MyEastern. If it is after the drop/add period but before the last day to withdrawal without academic penalty.

Log into MyEastern with your username and password (same one that you use for your email).

1. Click on the "Student Records" tab along the top.

2. Select "Class Schedule and Registration" on the left side of the screen. (This will show you the classes you are enrolled in, including the course numbers, titles, and times and dates.)

3. Click on "View Details" on the right side of the screen, to see a more detailed version of your schedule. (You will see your schedule again, but this time the amount of credits, grading type, professor, and room/location will be added.)

4 .Select each course number to see additional information and to look up the required text books.

Hybrid courses can refer to those that are not fully online courses nor fully on-site courses or they can refer to a course that is fully online with required synchronous learning via zoom. They require up to half of the coursework be completed online using Brightspace.

Application for readmission is required if a student wishes to resume their studies within the five year period following the exit date. The factors to be considered in readmission will include those considered at the initial admission of the student. In addition, we will seek feedback and recommendations from the department’s faculty, Chairperson, and Student Success Advisor. The readmissions form can be found on Eastern’s website under Registrar.

Students may not “transfer” credits from a previously earned Master’s Degree to satisfy requirements for a Master’s Degree or certification in progress at Eastern. For most students, a maximum of nine graduate semester credits may be transferred from another accredited graduate program with the approval of the director of the appropriate program and the dean. An official transcript for this course work must be received by Eastern in order for the course to be transferred. No credit will be granted for courses taken at another institution in which the student has earned less than a grade of “B.” Nursing MEd programs accept a maximum of 6 credits from another accredited college.

The Basic Skills exam is no longer required as of July 1, 2025.

PreK-4 Certification (Pearson) 
PK-4 module 1: Child Development (#8006)    
PK-4 module 2: Lang, Soc. St., Arts (#8007)
PK-4 module 3: Math, Science, Health (#8008

If unsuccessful reaching the qualifying score of a module, retake ONLY that module.

Students may pass tests with their GPA, check qualifying score.

Grades 4-8 Middle Level (ETS)

Required for All Students: All 3 modules may be taken together or separately
Pennsylvania Grades 4-8 - module 1: Pedagogy (#5153)
Pennsylvania Grades 4-8 - module 2: Eng. Lang. Arts and Social Studies (#5154)
Pennsylvania Grades 4-8 - module 3: Math and Science (#5155)

Pennsylvania Grades 4-8: Subject Concentration (pick your area)
English Language Arts (#5156)
Social Studies (#5157)
Mathematics (#5158)
Science (#5159)

If unsuccessful reaching the qualifying score of a module, retake ONLY that module.

Secondary Education, 7th-12th Grade (ETS)
Biology: Biology Content Knowledge (#5236)
English Language Arts: ELA Content Knowledge (#5038)
Chemistry: Chemistry Content Knowledge (#5246)
Math: Math Content Knowledge (#5165)
Soc. St.: Social Studies: Content Knowledge(#5581)

PK-12 Certifications (ETS)
Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge  (#5511) MUST be taken for all PK-12 certifications.
Subject Concentration
Music:  Music Content Knowledge (#5113)
Spanish: World Language (#5195)
French: World Language (#5174) 
Reading: Reading Specialist (#0301/#5301)
Special Education PK-12 (#5355)
Chinese (Mandarin) (#5665)
H.& P.E.: Health and Physical Education Content Knowledge (#5857)

Administrative and Supervisory (ETS)
Supervisory: Educational Leadership: Admin. & Supervision (#5412) 
Administrative (Principal): School Leadership Licensure Assessment/SLLA  (#6990 Computer) 

For study guides and other questions go to, the Praxis website http://www.ets.org or http://www.PA.NESINC.com. 

Test requirements are subject to change, therefore candidates for certification are responsible for checking current PA test information prior to registering for tests. Students may pass ALL tests with their GPA, check qualifying score.

There are no longer prerequisite courses required for initial  certification. Must have a bachelor's degree. Candidates for principal certification programs must have three years of experience related to the instructional process and candidates for supervisory certification must have five years of experience in the certification area sought.

In order to qualify for certification in Pennsylvania, you must

• Be of good moral character
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Unless applying to teach a world language, be a U.S. citizen, or legally authorized to work in the U.S. A permanent resident immigrant visa holder is legally authorized to work in the U.S.
• Hold a minimum of a bachelor's degree
• Complete a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) approved preparation program with a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Meet all testing requirements
• Submit an online application through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS)
• The PDE approved preparation program provider must verify program completion through TIMS

Yes. Any professional serving in the public schools must hold an appropriate, valid Pennsylvania certificate.

1. To enroll in a Teacher Intern Program, a candidate must possess a minimum of a baccalaureate degree related to the area of certification requested.  For example, an individual with a B.S. degree in Chemistry may seek chemistry certification. Refer to the PA Department of Education for more information.

2. Candidates entering must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA in their baccalaureate degree from an accredited college/university.

3. The candidate must apply to and complete an approved institution of higher education's (IHE) admission screening and be accepted into the program.

4. The candidate must achieve qualifying scores in the appropriate specialty area test required by the Pennsylvania Teacher Certification Testing Program (PTCTP) before applying for a Teacher Intern certificate. (See "What Praxis test do I need to take?") All PK-12 certification areas must also complete the Praxis Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge.

 Note: To be official, test scores must be received by PDE, Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) or in an ETS-sealed, unopened envelope.  If you take the tests in Pennsylvania, the scores of teacher certification tests are reported automatically to the Bureau by ETS.

Test dates, locations and registration procedures may be obtained by contacting:

The Praxis Series
Educational Testing Service
PO Box 6051
Princeton, NJ 08541-6051
Telephone: 609-771-7395
Online: https://www.ets.org/praxis/site.html

PECT - Pennsylvania Educator Certification Tests
PECT Program (Evaluation Systems)
Pearson
PO Box 660
Amherst, MA 01004
Telephone: 800-877-4591 or 413-256-2886
Online: http://www.pa.nesinc.com

5. Eastern Univ. certification officer must receive a letter from the school district stating that you have a position or an offer.

6. The teaching position that you have or will have must match the certification that you are seeking from the state.

7.  The candidate must be continuously enrolled in a Teacher Intern Program.  (Continuously enrolled is defined by the institution where the candidate is enrolled.)

8.  When a candidate obtains a teaching position or a firm offer, the institution in which the Intern candidate is enrolled applies to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation for an Intern Certificate.  After the Bureau verifies the candidate has received passing scores on the required Praxis Series tests, an Intern certificate is issued. The Intern candidate cannot teach without the Intern certificate. 

The Instructional Teacher Intern certificate is valid for three years of service. Validity is determined by service time, not calendar years.

8. Upon completion of an Intern Program, the candidate must achieve satisfactory assessments on their Student Teaching conducted by their college or university and have a 3.0 GPA.

9.   Upon completion of the approved Intern Program, the institution of higher education can recommend the candidate for an Instructional I certificate.  Before issuing an Instructional I certificate, the Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation must have a record stating that the candidate has passed the Student Teacher Assessment conducted by their college/university during Student Teaching

Pennsylvania currently has two levels of certification. The initial certificate, Level I, is valid for a specific number of service years, during which time you must complete established requirements. Upon completion of those requirements, the Level I may be converted to a Level II certificate. If not converted, the Level I lapses. You may not be employed in a Pennsylvania public school with a lapsed certificate.

To add an additional area to a valid Pennsylvania Professional Certificate, you must pass the PRAXIS/PECT specialty area test.

School staffing is the responsibility of the chief school administrator in each school district. You should apply directly to the chief school administrator at the school district. The names and addresses of these officers are usually available in most college placement office libraries. Names and addresses of local school administrators are listed in the Pennsylvania Education Directory, available for a fee from Applied Arts Publishers, Box 479, Lebanon, PA 17042 (Telephone: (717) 272-9442). For those with access to the Internet, check the following Web sites: https://www.education.pa.gov/Pages/Employment-Opportunities.aspx, http://www.psba.org

Read about all of our teacher certification programs and involve yourself in volunteer and/or paid positions that afford you the opportunity to work with a variety of different age groups and types of students. You can also look for certification programs based on your area of interest.

Eastern University offers several graduate programs leading to teacher certification. You can read about these programs in greater detail online.

The registrar’s website is updated with registration dates for upcoming semesters and has step-by-step instructions on how to register using MyEastern.

Currently, there are Interstate Agreements in place for those with a PA Instructional I certificate. If your destination state is known, you should contact that state's Department of Education to find out more details of the agreement.

Eastern regularly reviews and updates programs in order to conform to changes mandated by PDE. Recent changes include:

• Replacing the two Special Education (K-8 and 7-12) Add-On Certifications with one PK-12 Stand Alone Special Education Certification. 
• Replacing the Elementary Certification (K-6) Program with a PDE approved Early Childhood (PK-4) Certification.
• Creating Middle Grades (4-8) Certification programs as mandated by PDE.
• Implementing required Common Ground competencies as mandated by Chapter 49. 

Learn More: Information about Act 48.

Learn More: Information about Act 48.

Students pursuing a degree must complete the online Graduation Application in the year they expect to graduate. This form will provide us with mailing instructions and the name you wish to have printed on your diploma. Students should submit this at least 3 months before graduation.

To access the form, log in to MyEastern with your student username and password, and look for Academic Profile under the Self-Service menu. Graduation Application will be one of the choices underneath Academic Profile.

Eligibility for graduation will be confirmed by the Registrar’s Office via your student email. If not already included in program tuition, eligible students will be billed for the non-refundable graduation fee, payable even if not participating in commencement.

If you have questions, difficulty accessing the online form, or would like to change your intended graduation date, please email Brian Minster at brian.minster@eastern.edu

No. Commencement exercises are held at the close of the May academic sessions. Students who earn degrees in December or August are included in Commencement exercises in May of the following year.

Students pursuing a degree must complete the online Graduation Application in the year they expect to graduate. This form will provide us with mailing instructions and the name you wish to have printed on your diploma. Students should submit this at least 3 months before graduation.

For students seeking certification in Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. PDE has established new guidelines based on certification type:

Teaching/Instructional I (Including ESL) Certification Candidates:

• At least 50% of student teaching must be completed in a Pennsylvania school to qualify for state certification.
• No more than 50% of student teaching can be completed at an out-of-state or out-of-country entity.
• No more than 50% of student teaching can be completed at an online or virtual accredited school.
• The 50% of student teaching completed at an out-of-state or out-of-country entity cannot be combined with the 50% allowed at an online or virtual accredited school.
• Other course-based field experiences (those experiences that precede student teaching) may be completed out of state. 

For School Counseling & School Psychology Certification Candidates:

• At least 50% of field experience must be completed in a Pennsylvania school to qualify for state certification.
• No more than 50% of field experience can be completed at an out-of-state or out-of-country entity.
• No more than 50% of field experience can be completed at an online or virtual accredited school. 
• The 50% of field experience completed at an out-of-state or out-of-country entity cannot be combined with the 50% allowed at an online or virtual accredited school.

For Administrative/Supervisory Certification Candidates:

• 100% of field experience must be completed in a Pennsylvania school to qualify for state certification.
• No more than 50% of field experience can be completed at an online or virtual accredited school. Exception: If you are employed by an online or virtual school, you may be eligible to complete 100% of your field experience at that institution. Please contact your advisor for further details.

If you plan to pursue certification in Pennsylvania, your student teaching/field experience placements must adhere to these guidelines. 

Yes, all students must apply for graduation so a diploma can be issued to you.

Once all degree requirements and financial obligations are met, your diploma will be mailed up to two months after the conferral date: January 31, May 31 and August 31.

If you worked only on a certification you do not participate in graduation. You file on TIMS for your certification and PDE will issue you an Instruction I certificate.