Bachelor of Science in Education Frequently Asked Questions
What is a “degree completion program?”
A degree completion program is a transfer program for students who have earned some college level credit, but did not earn a degree. Applicants must have earned at least twenty-four college credits with a grade of C or better in courses taken within the last ten years, or a B or better in courses taken more than ten years ago, prior to applying, and have a college GPA of at least 2.5. Note that you will need a Drexel GPA of 3.0 or better by the end of our program to obtain a Pennsylvania teaching certification, but transfer credits do not count toward your Drexel GPA.
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Is this a part-time program?
Yes. We expect students in this program will take their required Education courses, plus one or two additional content/elective courses per term. The number of courses students take per term is determined on a student-by-student basis, but the average is between two and three courses per term.
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How long will it take to finish my degree?
It will take you at least ten terms (2.5 years) to finish, as that is how long it takes to progress through the Education courses. You may need additional terms to complete your content and elective coursework, depending on what previous college coursework credits transferred and how many content/elective courses you take during the first ten terms.
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How soon can I begin teaching?
With Drexel's Teacher Certificate it is possible to begin teaching in Pennsylvania in six months after fulfilling our field experience requirement, EDUC 410, taken and passed the State issued Praxis exam and completed all the coursework requirements towards the Bachelors of Science degree. After completion of these requirements, Drexel will recommend you to the PA Department of Education to receive a temporary teaching certificate which is valid in Pennsylvania for three years. Once you fully complete Drexel's teaching certificate program, you will receive your official teaching certificate. If you plan to teach in a state other than Pennsylvania, you will need to contact the State Department of Education of your intended state to evaluate your credentials as a candidate already in possession of a teaching certificate issued by another state.
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What is a cohort?
A cohort is a group of students who enter a program at the same time and progress through it together. Studies have shown that cohort-based programs, particularly for distance education, result in higher retention and better student success.
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Do I have to take the Praxis I before I can start the program?
No, not before you start the program. You will have to pass it prior to your pre-student teaching experience, which is usually completed in the fifth term of your program (a little over one year after starting the program).
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I have a Bachelor’s Degree already but it’s not in education. Is this the program I should pursue to become a teacher?
Most states do not require an undergraduate degree in education, but rather a teaching certificate. If you already have a Bachelor’s (or Master’s) degree and wish to become a teacher, you will want to pursue Drexel’s online Post-Bachelor’s Teaching Certificate Program (see http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/education-degrees/cert-pbt/index.aspx) rather than the BS program. Even if you did not study Education as an undergraduate, you can become certified to teach at the elementary or secondary level through this program.
In very rare cases, a state requires teachers to have an undergraduate degree in education. If for some reason you decide to pursue a second Bachelor’s degree, please note that courses taken in pursuit of your first degree may not be transferred toward a second degree; you will have to start from scratch.
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Are online students eligible for financial aid?
Yes! There are a number of different kinds of aid (federal grants and loans, state grants, Drexel loans) for which you may be eligible, depending on your financial situation. For assistance call 1-877-DREXEL-5, visit www.drexel.edu/financialaid, or email finaid@drexel.edu. We also developed a web-based presentation just for online undergraduate students. Once you are accepted to the program, you can follow this checklist through the Financial Aid process.
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How do I know what transfer credits I’ll get?
Upon acceptance, your transcript will be evaluated by your academic advisor who will provide you with a list of transfer credits you will receive and the specific program requirements they satisfy. Note that with very few exceptions, Education courses cannot be transferred into your program at Drexel. Also, except in special cases (evaluated individually), additional courses cannot be taken elsewhere and transferred to your program at Drexel once you have started the program.
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What is student teaching and how does it work?
Student Teaching requires the student to spend 5 days per week for 12 weeks with a cooperating teacher in an appropriate elementary school classroom. A coordinator of field experiences from Drexel's School of Education will work with you to arrange a school-based, field placement related to your area of certification in your local area. Once you find an acceptable site, Drexel will work with the school's principal and cooperating teacher regarding meeting the course's objectives/goals. You will also videotape yourself teaching and send the Field Experience Coordinator tapes periodically for evaluation.
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What are Field Experiences?
Field Experiences are defined as a range of formal, required school and community activities participated in by students who are enrolled in teacher preparation programs. The experiences take place in collaborative, educational settings to give candidates an understanding of the values, cultures and working styles of learning communities (The Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2008).
The Pennsylvania Department of Education required 190 hours of pre-service experiences prior to Student Teaching, the full-time, twelve week, capstone experience, which each candidate must complete prior to certification. These hours are embedded in a number of the pedagogy courses and typically range from 10-15 hours of field experience within the embedded course.
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I don’t live near Philadelphia, or even in Pennsylvania. How do I find pre-student teaching and student teaching placements?
We know online students live in places other than the Philadelphia area. A coordinator of field experiences from Drexel's School of Education will work with you to find an appropriate site in the area where you live or work.
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Will I be automatically certified as a teacher after I complete the program?
Upon successful completion of the BS online program (successful completion of all required content, pedagogy and elective courses; 3.0 GPA and B or better in all pedagogy courses) and passage of the Praxis exams, Drexel will recommend you to the Pennsylvania Department of Education which issues teacher certifications.
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I do not live in Pennsylvania. What are the requirements to transfer Drexel’s PA Instructional I teaching certificate to my state?
Upon successful completion of the BS online program (successful completion of all required content, pedagogy and elective courses; 3.0 GPA and B or better in all pedagogy courses) and passage of the Praxis exams, Drexel will recommend you to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which issues teacher certifications. Once you are certified in Pennsylvania you may send your credentials/transcripts for evaluation to the State Department of Education of your choice. Please note that some states may require additional course work prior to obtaining that state's teacher certificate. A list of current requirements for each state is listed on the web site of the University of Kentucky at http://www.uky.edu/Education/TEP/usacert.html. Since requirements change, please be sure to confirm them with your State's certifying agency. A list of state agencies is available through the Florida State University Clearinghouse (http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/jjclearinghouse/jjeducation.html).
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