Education
Undergraduate Education Programs
Major Honors
Undergraduate degree-seeking student must have earned at least 50% of major credits at Franklin Pierce University to be considered eligible for major honors.
An Honors candidate in Education (Licensure) is required to have at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average and a 3.33 grade point average in Education. A High Honors designation is awarded to students who have at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average and a 3.67 grade point average in Education.
An Honors candidate in Education Studies (Non-Licensure) must have a 3.00 cumulative grade point average and a 3.25 grade point average in all major courses with no grade lower than C-. A High Honors candidate in Educational Studies must have a 3.00 cumulative grade point average and a 3.50 grade point average in all major courses with no grade lower than a C-.
Pi Lambda Theta
To be inducted into Franklin Pierce University’s chapter of the Pi Lambda Theta, students must be sophomores, juniors, or seniors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, while pursuing a major in Education (Licensure). National membership is awarded directly through Pi Lambda Theta.
Requirements for Education Licensure Majors
All licensure programs are approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education (NHED) and must fulfill the requirements described in N.H. Ed Administrative Rules 500 and 600 series. Students must pass through specific gateways to progress through the licensure programs. Students seeking licensure in states other than New Hampshire are advised to consult with their state’s licensure requirements.
Education Studies
The bachelor’s in Education Studies prepares students to work in educational settings outside of the traditional public-school classroom setting, such as instructional design, youth advocacy, training, and development, as well as education nonprofits. Education Studies isa non-licensure major and does not lead to a New Hampshire teaching license.
Students are encouraged to think broadly about an area of interest to develop a plan which will include a content area sequence of classes with no less than 6 courses (18 credits). The Education Studies major must include a minimum of 45 hours of clinical field experience or lab experiences and must include a capstone experience through a thesis.
Teacher Licensure Programs
Teacher Licensure Gates
The School of Education works with program faculty and clinical experience educators to prepare students for clinical field experience, student teaching/clinical practice, and licensure. The following gateways outline the licensure requirements for all Education students. Please note that some licensure programs may have additional requirements.
| Licensure Gate | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Licensure Gate 1 – Initial Acceptance | |
| Licensure Gate 2 - Acceptance into the Teacher Licensure Program |
|
| Licensure Gate 3 - Acceptance as a Student Teacher Candidate |
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| Licensure Gate 4 – Graduation |
|
Graduate Education Programs
The School of Education offers graduate education in Teacher Licensure and Educational Leadership. Teacher licensure candidates can earn a post baccalaureate licensure, a Master in Education (M.Ed.), or both. Candidates in Educational Leadership earn a M.Ed.
Graduate Teacher Licensure Programs of Study
Students may apply to the M.Ed. program, teacher licensure, or both in any of the following areas. Total number of credits required for “licensure only” may vary, depending upon whether the student is seeking a first or second licensure.
Elementary Education (K-6 or K-8)*
- M.Ed. Degree and Licensure – 42 credits
- M.Ed. Only – 36 credits
- Licensure Only – 40 credits
*All students must meet the bachelor’s/undergraduate content area requirements for Elementary Education K-6. Students must also demonstrate a 15-credit content concentration in English, Mathematics, Science or Social Studies for the Elementary Education K-8 licensure.
Social Studies Education (5-12)*
- M.Ed. Degree and Licensure – 42 credits
- M.Ed. Only – 36 credits
- Licensure Only – 40 credits
*All students must meet the bachelor’s/undergraduate content area requirements for Social Studies.
Life Sciences Education (7-12)*
- M.Ed. Degree and Licensure – 42 credits
- M.Ed. Only – 36 credits
- Licensure Only – 39 credits
*All students must meet the bachelor’s/undergraduate content area requirements for Life Sciences.
English Language Arts Education (5-12)*
- M.Ed. Degree and Licensure – 42 credits
- M.Ed. Only – 36 credits
- Licensure Only – 40 credits
*All students must meet the bachelor’s/undergraduate content area requirements for English Language Arts.
General Special Education (K-22)*
- M.Ed. and Licensure – 48 credits
- M.Ed. Only – 45 credits
- Licensure Only – 49 credits
* All students must meet the bachelor’s/undergraduate content area requirements for Elementary Education K-6.
Educational Leadership
- M.Ed. Only – 36 credits
Admissions and Acceptance
Criteria for initial application can be found in the Admissions section of the catalog. Students applying to the School of Education Teacher Licensure Program should provide transcripts to demonstrate a CGPA of 2.8 or higher. Applicants who provide transcripts demonstrating a CGPA of 2.79 or lower may work through the School of Education to explore potential solutions and/or alternative pathways to acceptance. The undergraduate transcripts of teacher licensure applicants will be reviewed to ensure content requirements are complete. Any applicant with a deficiency of content required at the bachelor’s level will be required to develop a plan to complete required content. Evidence of the required content must be completed prior to student teaching/clinical practice.
Students accepted into M.Ed. only will not need to take the Student Teaching/Clinical Practice and Seminar. However, they must take ED585 Student Research Capstone and pass a background check for New Hampshire.
Requirements for Teacher Licensure Programs
All licensure programs are approved by the New Hampshire State Department of Education and must fulfill the requirements described in N.H. Ed Administrative Rules 500 and 600 series. Students must meet the following gates to progress through the teacher preparation program. Students seeking licensure in states other than NH are advised to consult that state for their respective licensure requirements.
Teacher Licensure Gates
| Licensure Gate | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Licensure Gate 1 – Initial Acceptance | |
| Licensure Gate 2 - Acceptance into the Teacher Licensure Program |
|
| Licensure Gate 3 - Acceptance as a Student Teacher Candidate |
|
| Licensure Gate 4 – Graduation |
|
M.Ed. Only
Students accepted into M.Ed. only program do not need to take Student Teaching/Clinical Practice and Seminar. However, they must take ED585 Student Research Capstone and complete a background check for New Hampshire and any state they have lived in in the past 5 years.
Licensure Only
Students pursuing teacher licensure without a degree will need to meet all requirements for enrollment in the teaching licensure program. Total number of credits for "licensure only" may vary.
Double Licensure
Students interested in combining elementary, middle, or secondary licensure with General Special Education may do so by indicating that in the application process. Students must also specify whether the M.Ed. degree will be in the area of elementary, middle, secondary, or special education. Once accepted, students will need to take all applicable coursework in each area, complete a full 16-week student teaching/clinical practice experience in the first licensure area, and a 10-week placement in each additional licensure area. The NH TCAP must also be completed for recommendation.
Use of Undergraduate Credits
Undergraduate credits may be approved by the School of Education Director as credits only when a candidate is enrolled for the sole purpose of licensure. Undergraduate credits will not count towards the Master’s Degrees. Candidates may transfer in graduate credits with the Director’s approval.
Clinical Field Experiences and Student Teaching/Clinical Practice
All licensure programs are approved by the New Hampshire State Department of Education and must fulfill the requirements described in N.H. Ed Administrative Rules 500 and 600 series. All students taking courses in the teacher licensure program are required to meet all enrollment criteria and to take part in clinical field experiences. Those students seeking licensure also participate in student teaching/clinical practice.
Clinical Field Experience
Many courses in the School of Education require field-based assignments to ensure that the teacher licensure majors experience authentic teaching situations. We work with community partners to ensure that there is a mutually beneficial experience for the students in the local school districts and for our teacher licensure students. Teacher licensure majors must successful complete all required clinical field experience hours to pass the associated course. If a student retakes a course with clinical field experience hours, the student must also redo the full set of clinical field hours and all relevant clinical field assignments assigned through the course. Professional attire and travel to local schools are required for this course. Any student participating in a clinical field experience must pass a New Hampshire background check before a placement will be made.
Student Teaching/Clinical Practice
Student teaching/clinical practice is the final summative experience for all Teacher Licensure majors. All licensure programs are approved by the New Hampshire State Department of Education and must fulfill the requirements described in N.H. Ed Administrative Rules 500 and 600 series. Students must complete Teacher Licensure Gates 1-3 before they are placed in a student teaching/clinical practice experience.