Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification

Are you ready for a career change? If you now want to pursue a career in education and have already earned a bachelor degree, the RMU post-baccalaureate teacher certification program is for you. Robert Morris University offers several non-degree post-baccalaureate teacher certification program options, and each option prepares our teacher candidates for an amazing career as a teacher.

The following seven program options are available:

• Early Childhood Education (PreK-4)
• Secondary Education
  • Business, Computer & Information Technology (BCIT; K-12)
  • Biology (7-12)
  • English (7-12)
  • Mathematics (7-12)
  • Social Studies (7-12)
• Special Education (PreK-12)

Note: You may choose one of the standalone certification program options listed to obtain teacher certification only.

Affordable, manageable course loads

The RMU post-baccalaureate teacher certification program include required courses that provide both professional knowledge and professional practice.

Professional Knowledge: 24 credits
Includes graduate general education and special education courses; specific RMU tuition rate applies.

Professional Practice: 12-24 credits 
Includes graduate education courses that provide application of content-specific teaching methods, and pre-student teaching and student teaching clinical experiences; specific RMU tuition rate applies.

Note:  Before full acceptance to an RMU post-baccalaureate teacher certification program, you must have completed content (subject area) prerequisite coursework required for Pennsylvania teacher certification. See Prerequisite Coursework Requirements below for a description of the required coursework for each program option.   

Contact Information

Mary A. Hansen, Ph. D.
University Professor
Robert Morris University
428 Nicholson
Moon Twp, PA 15108
412-397-6213
hansen@rmu.edu

Course Information

Professional Knowledge

(All Programs; 24 Credits)

• EDUC6000 Critical Issues Affecting American Education (3 cr.) or ECED2100 Introduction to Early Childhood (3 cr.) Early Childhood Education Program only
• EDUC6010 Theories of Learning/Classroom Management (3 cr.)     
• EDUC6060 Curriculum Design/Assessment (3 cr.)    
• EDUC6110 Integrating Instructional Technology (3 cr.)
• SPED6080 Special Learning Needs (3 cr.)   
• SPED6085 Principles of Inclusion (3 cr.)    
• SPED6040 High Incidence Disabilities (3 cr.)    
• EDUC6400 Reading Across Curriculum/English Language Learners (3 cr.)

Professional Practice

(Early Childhood Education; 24 credits)    

To be completed semester prior to the Professional Practice semester:

• ECED4030 Reading/Language Arts Methods (3 cr.)
• ECED4010 Math Methods (3 cr.)
• ECED4020 Science Methods (3 cr.)
• ECED4000 Social Studies Methods (3 cr.)
• ECED2140 Reading Difficulties & Diagnosis (3 cr.)

To be completed during the Professional Practice semester: 

• EDUC6500 Student Teaching Seminar (3 cr.)
• EDUC6061 Pre-Student Teaching (0 cr.)   
• EDUC6205 Student Teaching (6 cr.)

(Secondary Education; 12 credits) 

To be completed semester prior to the Professional Practice semester:

• One Content-Specific Methods course (3 cr.) 

To be completed during the Professional Practice semester: 

• EDUC6500 Student Teaching Seminar (3 cr.)
• EDUC6061 Pre-Student Teaching (0 cr.) 
• EDUC6205 Student Teaching (6 cr.)

(Special Education; 18 credits)    

To be completed semester prior to the Professional Practice semester:

• Reading Instructional Methods courses (9 cr.) 

To be completed during the Professional Practice semester: 

• EDUC6500 Student Teaching Seminar (3 cr.)
• EDUC6061 Pre-Student Teaching (0 cr.)
• EDUC6205 Student Teaching (6 cr.)

Admissions Requirements

To pursue post-baccalaureate teacher certification at RMU, students must meet/submit the following: 

For Conditional Acceptance:

• Official Transcripts (from all post-secondary institutions attended)
• Minimum combined GPA of 3.0 
• Letter of Reference
• Resume
• Three acceptable criminal record/child abuse clearances

For Full Acceptance:

• All the above items
• Completion of applicable program option Prerequisite Coursework Requirements

Prerequisite Coursework Requirements

Required coursework varies depending on the program option. You may have completed much or all of required prerequisite coursework as part of your previously awarded degree(s). 

When you apply to one of the Robert Morris University post-baccalaureate teacher certification programs, a faculty member evaluates submitted official transcripts to determine the number of transfer courses and credits that apply toward satisfaction of the required prerequisite coursework. Completion of all such coursework is necessary for full acceptance.

Note, however, that conditional acceptance provides you as the teacher candidate an opportunity to complete some or all of the required Professional Knowledge graduate courses (24 credits, all of which must be completed at RMU) at the same time as completing required prerequisite coursework, either at RMU or at any other accredited college or university (online included).  

Early Childhood Education (57 credits)

• Math (9 cr.)
• Humanities, Art, & Music (9 cr.)
• Reading and Literature (15 cr.)
• Psychology & Child Development (6 cr.)
• Science (6 cr.)
• History & Geography (12 cr.)

Secondary Education – Biology (45 credits)

• Biology (8 cr.)
• Botany & Zoology (8 cr.)
• Anatomy & Genetics (8 cr.)
• Chemistry (4 cr.)
• Ecology & Physiology (8 cr.)

Secondary Education – Business, Computer, and Information Technology (BCIT) (48 credits)

• Accounting (6 cr.)
• Business Law (6 cr.)
• Finance (6 cr.)
• Computer Science (18 cr.)
• Marketing & Management (6 cr.)
• Economics (3 cr.)
• Child Development (3 cr.)

Secondary Education – English (48 credits)

• Study of English (6 cr.)
• Communications (6 cr.)
• Literature (12 cr.)
• Writing (6 cr.)
• Rhetoric (6 cr.)

Secondary Education – Applied Mathematics (39 credits)

• Geometry/Calculus (18 cr.)
• Algebra (6 cr.)
• Discrete/Statistics (6 cr.)
• Computer Science (3 cr.)
• Math Electives (6 cr.)

Secondary Education – Social Studies (42 credits)

• Sociology (6 cr.)
• Psychology (3 cr.)
• Geography (3 cr.)
• Anthropology (3 cr.)
• Economics (6 cr.)
• Political Science (6 cr.)
• History (15 cr.)

Special Education (42 credits)

• Content Area Interventions (Advanced) (3 cr.)
• Low Incidence and Communications (6 cr.)
• Child & Adolescent Development (6 cr.)
• Disability Studies (3 cr.)
• Math (9 cr.)
• Early Intervention and Transitions (6 cr.)
• IEP & the Law (3 cr.)
• Behaviors and Autism (6 cr.)