The Praxis I, Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST), should be taken during the freshman or sophomore year. Students must achieve minimum scores on the PPST to demonstrate basic competencies for teacher education. Students register to take the PPST in the University College where review sessions and preparation materials are also available. Students who do not achieve minimum scores on the test should prepare a remediation plan and consult with their advisors before retaking the test. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores may be allowed instead of PPST scores for admission for the student seeking a post baccalaureate certification.

Students must complete the following courses with grades of C or better before they will be admitted to teacher education: EPSY 302 Educational Psychology and the sophomore field experience, ENGL 101 Composition I, and SPCM 101 Fundamentals of Speech, or SPCM 215 Advanced Public Speaking, or SPCM 222 Argumentation and Debate (Select one of three to meet requirement). Students must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.60.

Students seeking permission to take professional education courses through special policies should make written application to the Dean of Education following the procedures described in this handbook under the Policy for Certification Only, Special Admission Policy for Under-Represented Groups, Special Admission Policy for Students with Disabilities, or the Policy for Admission of Certified Teachers.