Becoming a Teacher The University of Pittsburgh's teacher certification programs in the School of Education are offered at the fifth-year, post-baccalaureate level. There are three paths to obtaining teaching certification. 1. Master of Art in Teaching (MAT) Offered in cooperation with school districts that provide yearlong apprenticeships, this full-time graduate program begins in June and ends the following June. MAT students complete 45-48 credits and intern at a school site, resulting in both a Master of Arts in Teaching degree and Instructional I Certification from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 2. Professional Year Certification (PY) The "Pro Year" program for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Instructional I Certification is a full-time graduate program for students already holding a bachelor's degree. Beginning in the Fall Term and ending in April, PY students complete 30 credits and student teach for one term. The PY results in not only the Instructional I Certificate, but also 24 credits of post-baccalaureate work, 18 of which can be applied toward a master's degree in the future. 3. Special Education Certification/MEd Those students interested in obtaining specific specialized Instructional I Certification in Special Education have several programs available through the School of Education, including certification in the teaching of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, students with visual disabilities, and students with mental and physical disabilities. These programs offer a significant clinical experience, similar to the MAT and PY programs. An MEd is also available. Education Certification Programs Early Childhood: birth to age eight Elementary: kindergarten (K) to grade six Secondary: grades seven to 12 English/Communications, Comprehensive English, Speech, Theater Arts, Film Media Services, Foreign Languages, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish, Mathematics, Science, Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space, General Science, Physics Social Studies Special Education: K to grade 12 Teaching the Hearing Impaired Teaching the Mentally/Physically Disabled Teaching the Visually Impaired/Orientation & Mobility Additionally, the School of Education offers programs in Reading and Early Intervention to students who already hold Instructional I Certification or who are interested solely in Master's degrees A guarantee to graduate school Outstanding freshmen applicants who indicate an intended field of study in pre-education on their admission application will automatically be reviewed for guaranteed admission to one of the teacher education programs. The choice of preferred program can be made early in the senior year at Pitt. Why offer a fifth-year program? Pitt's undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences provides students with a strong liberal arts education, an important element in becoming a successful educator. The University's School of Education prides itself on its close work with students and cooperating teachers from a wide variety of urban, suburban, and rural districts--large and small. Those who are in the business of hiring teachers give our graduates high marks, often referring to them as their top recruits. A fifth-year, post-baccalaureate program also offers students additional time to consider and learn about their chosen profession, time to better define their goals, and better develop their philosophies about learning and teaching. The Student Service Center in the School of Education can help students begin preparing for the various teacher preparation options at any time during their undergraduate studies. An education pre-admissions advisor can augment the work of the advisor in the student's major by recommending courses that fulfill both Arts and Sciences requirements and pre-requisites for the teaching programs. Pre-Admission advisors can also evaluate transcripts from other schools for students hoping to transfer to the University of Pittsburgh. For additional information, contact: School of Education Office of Student Personnel Services Suite 5N Wesley W. Posvar Hall Pittsburgh, PA 15260 412-648-2230 www.education.pitt.edu