Post Baccalaureate Programs

Post Baccalaureate Application

The Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program is a non-degree program designed for students who hold bachelor’s degrees and are seeking the appropriate teaching or nursing certifications necessary for working in the public school system. It is an undergraduate level program, so undergraduate, per credit tuition and fees apply. Although some of the required course work may be offered in the evening or during the summer, all of the individual programs involve a field experience component in a public school setting, making it impossible to complete any program solely at these times. The extent of this daytime commitment, however, varies according to the individual program.

All individual programs consist of a combination of academic and professional course work, based on state and/or national certification requirements. In order for Rowan University to recommend you for certification by the state, you must successfully complete Rowan’s entire planned curriculum for that specialty area. Additionally, you must maintain minimum grade point averages overall, in your specialty area, and in your professional course work to be permitted to progress through the program.

Admission Information
In order to be eligible for the Post-Baccalaureate Program, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and meet the minimum grade point average requirements listed on the application. You should also have completed at least sixty semester hours in general education studies. Most post-secondary institutions incorporate this type of liberal arts and sciences work in their basic degree curricula. Instructional certification programs require official passing Praxis I exam scores in the tests of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Qualifying scores are set by a committee comprised of College of Education faculty members and administrative staff. Individual programs may have additional admission requirements; these are listed on the attached sheet. Limited resources restrict the number of students the programs can accommodate at one time, thereby restricting the number of applicants that may be accepted each semester. As a result, admission to these programs has become highly competitive; meeting the minimum admission requirements for your specialty area does not ensure acceptance.
Completed applications are initially processed in The Graduate School, and then forwarded for further evaluation to the department responsible for that specialty area. Final admission decisions are officially made by the Dean, but those decisions are largely contingent upon recommendations made by the evaluating departments. Grade point average and academic program tend to be the most influential components of an admissions evaluation. Minimum admission requirements are firm. Limited openings within the post-baccalaureate programs do not allow exceptions to be made.

If you are interested in registering for courses before you apply or are formally admitted to the University, you may do so as a non-matriculated student. Courses completed before the application deadline will be taken into consideration during your admissions evaluation. Successful completion of courses does not guarantee you acceptance; but if you are admitted, these courses may be used toward meeting the program requirements in your chosen field. University policy allows non-matriculated students to complete up to 24 credits. However, an academic department may limit the courses open to non-matriculated students, making it impossible to complete the program requirements for any field without matriculated student status.

Rowan University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation or disabling condition. University policies are consistent with federal and state laws pertaining to equal opportunity.

Application Information
Admissions evaluations are performed only on applications that are considered complete by The Graduate School; thus, it is important to send all application materials directly to the address listed in the headings of both this form and the application form. A complete application includes the application, application fee, official transcripts from each institution attended, and any supplemental materials required by that particular program. If needed, these additional materials are noted on the application.
Official transcripts must be submitted from all post-secondary institutions attended, regardless of the age of the credit or the number or type of courses in which you were enrolled. All undergraduate course work is considered equally in the cumulative GPA calculation. Rowan tries to be as lenient as possible in utilizing past academic credit to fulfill program requirements; however, all professional course work must be taken here at Rowan. Past graduate course work may also be used to fulfill program requirements. Program advisors determine acceptable credit.

Passing Praxis I exam scores are required for admission to instructional certification programs. These programs include Elementary Education, K-12 Subject Matter areas, and Health and Physical Education. The Praxis I: Academic Skills Assessments exam measures proficiency in basic skills considered essential for adequately prepared teacher candidates. Information concerning the Praxis I is available from the Educational Testing Service at (609) 771-7395 or online at www.ets.org/praxis. Please remember to designate Rowan University as a score recipient.

Specialty Areas
Requirements for certification differ significantly among the areas of teaching, causing it to be difficult to transfer course work from one specialty area to another. Therefore, it is important to research your area(s) of interest and feel confident in your final decision. If unsure, it may help to determine the age group that you would most like to work with; this will allow you to eliminate some of the options. In general, it is possible to attain certification in an offered area without possessing an undergraduate or graduate degree related to that area. However, gaining the required academic background in an area for which you have no previous course work can lead to a substantial amount of additional time and academic credit.

Endorsement programs allow students who are already certified to acquire second certificates in areas that are not recognized by the state as primary certificates. Thus, in order to be eligible for those programs, you must currently hold a standard New Jersey Instructional Certificate in a related teaching area.

More detailed information concerning an individual program is available from the department responsible for that particular area. These departments, with their areas of responsibility, are listed on the attached sheet.

Alternative Programs
In addition to the Post-Baccalaureate Program, Rowan University offers a graduate level program called the MST, Master of Science in Teaching. It is a full-time program beginning in May and ending in August of the following year. It is designed to allow students to satisfy simultaneously the requirements for state certification and a master’s degree. For more information on this program or its availability in your chose specialty area, please contact The Graduate School.

Other program options may be available directly through the state of New Jersey. You may receive information concerning state programs from the county office of education in which you live or by contacting the New Jersey Department of Education, Licensing Unit at (609) 292-2070.