Undergraduate K-12 Teaching Certification

Consult the Certification FAQs

More information on PA Tests

We offer different levels of certification programs, according to students' prior preparation/background:

BALC Language Concentration and Teaching Certification

Undergraduate students may do certification in conjunction with a major concentration in French, German, Russian or Spanish. The required courses and testing are listed below. This includes any students who are transferring to WCU who have done part of a language major and/or certification elsewhere.

Remember that all Certification Students will have to complete an Assessment 7 Assignment  before Student Teaching.

Increase your employment options! Seek a Dual Language Certification. More information regarding our traditional and non-traditional routes to dual certification.

See also the information below on the Graduate Certification page under Graduate Programs.

Post Bac Undergraduate Level Certification

See the Undergraduate Post-Bac Advising sheet  (Nov 2017)

Non native-speaker students who are college graduates but have not finished the undergraduate major in the language and wish to become certified:

  • Must complete the course requirements equivalent to the undergraduate major, to include linguistics and the remaining required language courses for the major (minus the extras like a second language and cognate course).
  • Must complete the non-departmental undergrad requirement in anthropology.
  • Certification courses:
    • You may elect to do certification courses at the graduate level. You will pay graduate tuition for all courses and the grades for all of them count in your GPA. (Important: if you get an F you are dismissed from the graduate program). Post-bacc undergrad level students cannot enroll in the MALC until they finish the equivalent of the language major.
    • You may do the certification courses at the undergraduate level as well. HOWEVER, certified teachers may earn a higher salary based on the number of graduate credits they have accumulated.

*Students who are college graduates may do their student teaching as an internship in a contract job (usually called emergency certification) at full salary, but they still have to enroll in student teaching, EDS 411-412, and complete the program with practicum sessions and a certified language coop teacher in their school.

Required Courses for PA K-12 State Certification in a Language

Professional Education (37 S.H.)

  • EDA 103 Foundations of Special Education (3 credits)
  • EDP 250 Educational Psychology (3 credits) -Clearances Required
  • EDP 355Assessment for Learning 7-12 (3 credits) -Clearances Required
  • EDP 349 Adolescent Development or PSY 382 Infant, Child and Adolescent Development (3 credits)
  • EDR 347 Literacy Development and Secondary Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Classroom (3 credits)

Formal admission [EDF 030] to the teaching program (Formal Admission to Teacher Education-FATE) must be completed in order to take the following courses:

  • EDM 349 Technology Tools to Transform Teaching and Learning (1 credit)
  • EDA 304 Special Ed: Processes/Procedures for General Educators  (3 credits) -Clearances Required
  • EDS 306 Teaching Principles and Field Experience in Secondary Schools (3 credits) -Clearances Required
  • LAN 401 Teaching of Modern Languages K-12 (3 credits) -Clearances Required

PREREQ: Completion of language courses through the advanced level, LIN 230 or LAN 327 [min. grade of "C"], and professional education courses including EDS 306 (excluding EDS 411/412).

  • Student Teaching (12 semester hours) - EDS 411 (6 credit hours) and EDS 412 (6 credit hours)

For more information on applying for certification, please consult the College of Education web site.