A post-baccalaureate (or alternative) program is a teacher certification program that is offered after the completion of a bachelor’s degree, which may or may not lead to a master’s degree. Some programs are accelerated, while others can take up to 2 years.
Types of Post-Baccalaureate Programs
- Second Undergraduate Degree
- Certification Only
- Master’s Degree with Certification (MAT: Master of Arts in Teaching)
- Limited content area where there are shortages of teachers
First Steps
- Decide which state you’d like to be certified to teach in
- Check out accredited institutions through NCATE or CHEA
- Consider all of your options and contact the advisors of the programs you are interested in
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Websites to Help You Get Started
The Department of Public Instruction website provides all the information you need to know about licensing requirements, approved educator programs in and out of Wisconsin. You can also get in touch with professional organizations and find job postings here.
Teacher Certification Programs
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in Wisconsin has put together a list of approved Wisconsin Alternative Programs that lead to teacher certification. All programs require a bachelor’s degree (unless otherwise noted) and some programs are geared toward specific fields of study – be sure to check with the program to ensure it will provide you with the education you’re looking for.
If you know what you want to teach and would like to attend a public or private university in Wisconsin, DPI has a list that indicates which schools offer each program. It is broken down by level, such as concentration, teaching major, or graduate program.
Education Degree compiles alternative certification programs from over 865 schools and breaks them down by state and/or program. After clicking on the program, you can learn more about the school and request information about that particular program. After you’ve submitted the request, you are directed to other schools that offer similar programs that you may be interested in (see screen shot)
The National Center for Alternative Certification provides information about the different routes you can take to become certified to teach and has a search engine that allows you to narrow your search to specific levels, locations, cost, length of program and much more. Tip: The FAQ section has a lot of helpful information and links to find specific information quickly on this website.
Alternative Programs in Urban and/or Rural Education
Alternative programs in urban and/or rural education are designed to target a shortage of teachers in underserved urban and/or rural school districts. Some positions are in high need areas such as Special Education, Math, Science, ESL, and Bilingual Education only – be sure to check the website thoroughly. Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all options available.
Each of the programs below recruits people from a variety of disciplines in order to increase the number of highly qualified individuals entering the teaching field. Within each program, specific fields may be recruited more heavily than others depending on need. All programs offer full-time teaching salaries and teaching certification during the first year of teaching. Though eligibility requirements may differ slightly (see each program’s website for specifics), all require the following:
- A bachelor’s degree in an area other than education
- 2.5-3.0 GPA (program specific)
- U.S. Citizenship or permanent residency
- Passing scores on the Praxis I exams (or satisfying MD scores on the SAT/GRE/ACT tests)
- Passing scores on the Praxis II Content Knowledge in your assigned content area (this test may differ depending on the state)
- Relevant content knowledge in one or more of the subject areas for which the program recruits
- Additional requirements may apply depending on state certification requirements – see each program’s website for details
Candidates cannot have any of the following:
- A professional certificate in education (including school counseling) from any state
- A degree in education (undergraduate or advanced) with a certification track
- 15-18 or more credits (depending on program) in education-related coursework
Teaching Certification Fellowship Programs
- Baltimore City Teaching Residency
- Oakland Teaching Fellows
- Teach Arkansas
- Teach for America – This program also allows students to take a loan forbearance to postpone payments; students may be eligible for loan cancellations if they complete their 2-year commitment.
Master’s Degree Teaching Fellowship Programs
- Academy for Urban School Leadership
- Indianapolis Teaching Fellows (offers just teacher certification as well)
- Mississippi Teacher Corps
- Teach Kentucky
- Boettcher Teachers Program
- NYC Teaching Fellows
- Urban Education Fellows Program in Milwaukee
- Milwaukee Teacher Education Center (MTEC) (offers teacher certification as well)
Programs That Require Previous Education Experience
One-Year Education-Related Opportunities
- Americorps – Opportunities with Americorps change every year, so keep checking back to see what’s new.
- Minnesota Reading Corps – Schools of Hope Project (Madison) – Contact Mariah Flynn for more information: 608-441-7895 or schoolsofhope@rsvpdane.org
- City Year
- WorldTeach
- Admission Possible
- Public Allies
Other Related Opportunities