Pre-Professional Education Programs



The College of Education at JMU offers a number of pre-professional education programs that prepare you for licensure to teach in the public schools grades k-12.  A pre-professional education program is not a major or minor; it is professional preparation program consisting of courses and experiences designed to prepare you for a teaching career.

All public school teachers must pass a licensure exam before they are eligible to teach. JMU's pre-professional education programs are designed to provide you with the content knowledge, skills, and behaviors that are hallmarks of teaching excellence, and to prepare you for licensure and graduate study. You must make formal application to a teacher education licensure program.

Pre-Professional Education Programs:

  • Early, Elementary and Reading Education
  • Exceptional and Special Education
  • Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education


What Should I Major In?

You should major in the discipline associated with your specific teacher licensure area of interest. Please refer to the table below. Some programs, noted with an asterisk *, are 5-year teacher licensure programs leading to a master's degree.



 Teacher Licensure Area

  JMU Undergraduate Major
 Art Education

  Art

 Early Childhood Education

  Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies

 Elementary Education *

  Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies
 Middle Education *

  Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies
 Music Education

  Music

 Physical and Health Education

  Kinesiology

 Secondary Education *

  Select the major from the list below that best represents the discipline you
 wish to teach.

- Biology
- Chemistry
- Earth Science
- English 
- Math
- Modern Foreign Languages (French, German, Russian and Spanish)
- Physics
- Social Studies (You must select a History major and a Political Science
  minor,or a Political Science major and a History minor)

 Special Education *

 Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies

* 5-year programs leading to a master's degree



Advising

All students pursuing a teacher licensure program must meet with their major adviser and an education adviser.  You are assigned to an education advised based upon your teacher licensure area of interest.

If you are interested in becoming a teacher, inform your freshman or transfer adviser at orientation or contact the education coordinator for the licensure program you are interested in. Refer to the Education Licensure Program Coordinators.



Admission to a Teacher Education Licensure Program

All students must apply to teacher education and be accepted before they can take education courses.

To apply:    

    1. Submit an application to teacher education and 2 reference forms.

    2. Students cannot have any record of felony convictions or misdemeanors involving children or drugs.

    3. Complete training in universal precautions and child abuse prevention.


To be eligible for admission, you should meet all of the following requirements:

    1. Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5

    2. Have at least a GPA of 2.0 in education prerequisite coursework

    3. Make a grade of C or better in GWRIT 103, GENED math course and GPSYC 160

    4. You must have passed PRAXIS I exam or have acceptable SAT or ACT scores.

    5. Students must make at least a C grade in all required pre-professional coursework and satisfactory demonstration of
        professional behaviors, and acceptable performance in practicums and key assessments.


  

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