Middle School Education Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

Qualification(s) Earned:

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Middle School Education is designed to meet the needs for educational professionals seeking one of the following three options:

1. A middle level (grades 5-8) endorsement for individuals who already are entitled with an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Professional Educator License (PEL)

2. A credential for individuals who plan to transfer the program courses into a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree leading to entitlement of an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Professional Educator License (PEL) plus the middle level (grades 5-8) endorsement simultaneously.

3. A credential for individuals who are not seeking licensure at this time, but wish to gain expertise at the middle school level to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to be an effective instructional designer, curriculum developer, youth program director or educator, and/or tutor for private schools, non-school settings, museums, business corporations and non-profit organizations.

Program Vision and Focus:

The Middle School Education licensure program meets content designation specialized standards, the Association of Middle Level Education (AMLE), the Illinois State Board of Education Illinois Professional Educator Standards (IPES) and the Illinois Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards (IL CRTLS). For those students seeking a middle grades (grades 5-8) endorsement, candidates will need to successfully complete the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) Content Area Test related to the area of content designation at the middle grades level.

General Requirements | Entry Points:

Entry Point 1: Admission to the CSU Graduate School

• Bachelor’s Degree Awarded from an Accredited Institution of Higher Education
• Cumulative GPA - Full Admission > 2.50

Entry Point 2: Admission to College of Education [Attribute Code: ECOE]

• Program GPA > 2.50
• Degree Audit Completed by Advisor
• Early Methods STOT Report 1: Average Score > 3
• Disposition Audit 2 Report
• Disposition Audit Report 1 - Self-Reflection
• COE Safety Training Module
• Article 21 Disclosure
• Clear Background Check
• Interview and Writing Sample
• Illinois Educator Identification Number (IEIN)

Entry Point 3A (Non Licensure): Completion of Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program [Attribute Code: CCOE]

• Program GPA > 2.50
• Degree Audit Completed by Advisor
• Early Methods STOT Report 2: Average Rubric Score > 3
• Disposition Audit 2 & 3 Report

For Candidates Seeking Middle Level (Grades 5-8) ISBE Endorsement to Initial Professional Educator License:   Entry Point 3B (Endorsement to Initial PEL): Admission to College of Education Professional Program [Attribute Code: ACOE] 240 Tutoring - Transcript Report: 100% Plan of Study Module Completion 240 Tutoring - ILTS Content Area Practice Examination > 80% ILTS Content Area Exam Score > 218* [within 1 standard deviation from Pass Score of 240] Program GPA > 2.75 Degree Audit Completed by Advisor Early Methods STOT Report 2: Average Rubric Score > 3 Disposition Audit 2 & 3 Report *Students who do not pass the ILTS Content Examination with a Pass Score > 240 after three attempts will be transitioned to a non-licensure option at the graduate level in consultation with an academic advisor and must maintain a 2.75 GPA to be in good academic standing.

• All post-baccalaureate certificate requirements must be completed within six years.
• Candidates must abide by all College policies stated in this catalog, unless exceptions or adherence to higher expectations are noted in program documentation.

Curriculum Requirements - Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Secondary Education (Licensure) - 12-15 Credits

* Restricted to students admitted to the College of Education. f Field Block Course

^f Register along with Corequisite Field Block Course - ED 3471, ED 3472, ED 4473 or ED 4474.

Professional Education - Core Across Disciplines (12 credit hours)

• ED 5020 | ED 5400 | ED 2020 - Urban Teacher (3)
• ESL 5120 | ESL 4120 | ESL 2120 - Teaching English Language Learning (3^f)
• ED 5200 | ED 4200 | ED 5500 | ED 4500 - Principles & Practices in Middle & Secondary Schools (3^f)
• ED 5312 | ED 4312 | ED 3312 - Teaching with Technology (3)

Supportive Courses - 0 Credit Applied to Certificate

• ED 2471 | 3471 - Pre-Clinical Field Experience I (1-2f75) [Pass/Fail]
• ED 3472 - Pre-Clinical Field Experience II (1-2f75) [Pass/Fail]

Prerequisite Content Area Focus Areas (15 credit hours) | Minimum GPA > 2.50

• Courses may be accepted from undergraduate or graduate degree or as transfer credit.

Other electives, as approved by department advisor

Middle School Mathematics

• MATH 1200 - College Algebra (3)
• MATH 1600 - Probability & Statistics (3)

​Additional Recommended Courses:

• MATH 1210 - College Algebra & Trigonometry (3) MATH 1410 - Calculus I (3)
• MATH 1420 - Calculus II (3)
• MATH 2430 - Calculus III (3)
• MATH 2550 - Differential Equations (3)
• MATH 4040 - Number Theory for Middle School Teachers (3) MATH 4050 - Geometry for Middle School Teachers (3)
• MATH 4070 - History of Mathematics for Middle School Teachers (3) Other electives, as approved by department advisor

Middle School English Language Arts

Courses taken must include at least nine credit hours at/above the 2000-level.

• Humanities (Foreign Language, Literature, Philosophy)
• (3) Other electives, as approved by department advisor

Middle School Social Studies

Courses taken must include at least nine credit hours at/above the 2000-level.

• US History [Recommended HIST 1310 or HIST 1300]
• (3) POLS 1010 - American National Government (3)
• GEOG 1100 - Global Diversity (3)
• Other electives, as approved by department advisor

Field Hour Block - Middle School Education (Grades 5-8):

• Candidates are expected to complete pre-clinical and clinical field experiences in the classroom setting one to five days per week, as noted below.

Semester	Field Course: Integrated Field Tasks Assigned to Match Course Registration	Day	Min. Hours	Activity
Spring Semester	ED 2471| ED 3471 - Pre-Clinical Field Experience I (1-2f150) [Pass/Fail]   ED 5200 | ED 4200 - Principles and Practices in Middle and Secondary Schools (3^f)	Two Days (i.e. MW)	150	Pre-Clinical: Participatory Observation/ Small Group/Tutoring/Co-Teach /Teach One Lesson
Typical School Day = 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. = 6.5 hours

 

PLAN OF STUDY - Middle School Education PB Certificate [22-25 Credits]

Effective Fall 2025

Semester 1 - Fall - 12 Credits	Semester 2 - Spring - 9+ Credits
Entry Point 1: Admission to the CSU Graduate School	Entry Point 2: Admission to College of Education [Attribute Code: ECOE]
ED 5020 | ED 5400 | ED 2020 - Urban Teacher (3) ED 5312 | ED 4312 | ED 3312 - Teaching with Technology (3) Elective (3) Elective (3)	ESL 5120 | 4120 | 2120 - Teaching English Language Learning (3^f) ED 5200 | ED 4200 - Principles and Practices in Middle and Secondary Schools (3^f) ED 2471 | ED 3471 - Pre-Clinical Field Experience I (1-2f75) [Pass/Fail] Elective (3)
	Field Block: School Day = 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Field in this block meets two (2) days a week on MW or TR [Minimum of 75 hours]
Semester 3 - Summer Semester - 6+ Credits
Entry Point 3A (Non-Licensure): Completion of Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program [Attribute Code: CCOE] Entry Point 3B (Endorsement to Initial PEL): Completion of Program [Attribute Code: ACOE]	Entry Point 3B - ILTS Middle Grades Tests: ILTS Middle Grade Science (203) ILTS Middle grade Language Arts (201) ILTS Middle Grade Math (202) ILTS Middle Grade Social Science (204).
ED 3092 | ELED 3092 - ILTS Test Preparation (1-3 variable credit, 0 credit applied to degree) [if needed for Endorsement to Initial PEL] Elective (3) Elective (3)
Restricted to students admitted to the College of Education. f Field Block Course ^f Register along with Corequisite Field Block Course - ED 2471 or ED 3471