Admission Requirements:

When you are accepted to Pitt-Bradford, you may declare education as a major but you are not considered a teacher education candidate until you have been officially admitted into a teacher certification program. You must be formally admitted into a certification program by the end of the semester in which you will complete 60 credits.

Due to Pennsylvania regulations for teacher education programs, if you are transferring more than 60 credit hours to Pitt-Bradford you must provide evidence of basic skills competencies in mathematics, reading and writing. If you have more than 60 credit hours and have not passed a basic skills assessment, please contact Ms. Jody Randolph at jar1@pitt.edu or Dr. Jonathan Chitiyo at chitiyoj@pitt.edu.

You must meet certain criteria and provide some items before you can be officially admitted into a teacher education program:

• Successfully complete a minimum of 48 credits
  
• Successfully complete basic skills requirement*
  
• Achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. You can be provisionally admitted with a 2.8 GPA.
  
• Successful completion, with at least a grade of C- in the following courses: Introduction to Education and Instructional Design
  
• Provide copies of current clearances
• Provide Tuberculin Test (TB Test) results
  
• Provide a Career Goals Statement
• Provide three Letters of Recommendation

Submission of application does not guarantee admission into the Teacher Education Program. Your application will be reviewed by all Education Program faculty. An audit of your academic progress will also be completed. Your admission to the program will be dependent on the evaluation of your professional and adademic dispositions.

The PA Department of Education requires all undergraduate certification candidates to pass basic skills assessments. Candidates can meet the basic skills requirement with any of the options below. Effective March 2016, scores can be combined from different testing vendors. Post-baccalaureate candidates are not required to provide proof of passing basic skills assessments.

*Special Announcement: "Act 55 of 2022 signed into law by Governor Wolf on July 8, 2022, requires the Secretary of Education to waive the requirement to satisfactorily complete the assessment of basic skills required under section 1207.3 and 22 Pa. Code 49.18(c) (relating to assessment) for three years from July 8, 2022 through July 8, 2025. This applies to all students who enter preparation programs during this period."

Tests for the basic skills requirement generally cover 11th grade content. We recommend the tests be completed as close as possible to the first year of college.

Score requirements are shown below and are also on the PA Department of Education's website. Also available on that page is a calculator for determing if composite scores qualify.

If a student has qualifying SAT scores, a report must be submitted to the Education Program. We do not have access to scores that are sent to the Pitt-Bradford Admissions Office. A report can be downloaded from the College Board website.

 

If you choose to take the Core Academic Skills Tests through ETS, are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program and are receiving financial aid, you may be eligible for a fee waiver. Please visit the ETS website at this link: Core Fee Waiver.

If you choose to take the PAPA modules through Pearson, are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program and are receiving financial aid, you may be eligible for a fee waiver. Please visit the Pearson website at this link: PAPA Fee Waiver.

Basic Skills Assessments
I. Alternate Basic Skills Assessments for all Certificates
Test Name	Minimum Score Per Section	Test Vendor
SAT Critical Reading, Math & Writing	Old Scores: Reading 500; Math 500; Writing 500 New Scores effective 2/29/16: Reading 27; Math 26; Writing 28	College Board
ACT English, Writing & Math	Old Scores: Reading 22; Math 21; Writing 21 New Scores effective 8/31/16: Reading 22; Math 21; Writing 8	ACT
II. Pre-Service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA)
Test Name	Qualifying Score	Minimum Composite Score	Test Vendor	Cost
PAPA Reading - #8001	220	193	ES Pearson	$37
PAPA Mathematics - #8002	193	176	ES Pearson	$44
PAPA Writing - #8003	220	192	ES Pearson	$37
All three modules				$110
If the sum of reading, math and writing modules total 633 or higher AND each module's score meets the minimum composite score above, the basic skills requirement has been met.
III. Core Academic Skills for Educator Tests
Test Name	Qualifying Score	Minimum Composite Score	Test Vendor	Cost
Core Reading - #5713	156	148	ETS	$90
Core Mathematics - #5733	142	132	ETS	$90
Core Writing - #5723	162	158	ETS	$90
Core Combined - #5752	Reading, Writing and Mathematics combined		ETS	$150
If the sum of reading, math and writing modules total 460 or higher AND each module's score meets the minimum composite score above, the basic skills requirement has been met.
IV. ENG 0101 AND ENG 0102 at Pitt-Bradford
Effective October 29, 2021, students who receive a grade of B or higher (A+, A, A-, B+, B) in BOTH English Composition I and English Composition II at Pitt-Bradford will meet the basic skills requirement for both reading and writing. Transfer credits do not apply. We do NOT have an alternative option for the mathematics requirement at this time.

The PAPA and Core modules are computer-delivered tests. For study guides, practice tests and location information go to the following links:
PAPA - www.pa.nesinc.com
Core - www.ets.org

To purchase additional preparation materials: Fee-Based practice test information.pdf

 

Applications for Admission to a Certification Program in Teacher Education:
Application for Admission to Certification Program March 2023.pdf
Post-Baccalaureate Admission Form March 2023.pdf


Pitt-Bradford Academic Programs

"I can't believe I am already in my second year of teaching. I can't thank you all enough for everything. Pitt-Bradford has an amazing education program. I have all of my college binders in my classroom and I'm constantly pulling resources from them!"

Erica Blair, 2017
1st Grade Teacher
Warren Area Elementary Center