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Certification

Cabrini graduates are eligible to obtain teaching certification, but must first apply through the Education Department.

Certification Programs
Cabrini College's teacher preparation programs are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, and the National Association of School Directors for Teacher Education Certification. Cabrini College is a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Education (PACTE).

Graduates of Pennsylvania-approved programs legally qualify for certification in all states party to the Interstate Certification Compact (see Education Division for a list of states). Student transcripts read: "Completed state-approved teacher education program for the preparation of ____certification."

Cabrini offers programs leading to teaching certification in Pennsylvania and reciprocating states in the following areas:

  • Early Childhood Education
  • Elementary Education
  • Special Education
  • Secondary Education (Biology, Chemistry, English, English/Communication, Mathematics, and Social Studies with a concentration in History)
  • Spanish (K-12 certification in Spanish is offered in cooperation with Eastern University; credit for student teaching and practicum granted on a pass/fail basis)
  • Reading certification also is offered, but on the graduate level only.

Application for Certification
Students who complete a certification program at Cabrini are eligible for a Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate. Students must apply for the certificate through the Education Division office. The steps are as follows:

  1. Complete two forms: PDE 338 G and PDE 338 C. These forms are available in the Education Division office or can be downloaded from the Pennsylvania Department of Education website: www.pde.state.pa.us. Complete both in black ink, all caps. A medical doctor must sign section 10 of the PDE 338 G form.
  2. Obtain a $40 money order made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  3. Make sure Cabrini College has the ETS sticker noting all required Praxis are passed or include a copy of the score reports.
  4. Submit these documents to the director of student teaching

Once the application is submitted, the following process takes place.

  • The Director of Student Teaching processes all applications for certification.
  • They are then signed by the Certification Officer (the Education Division Chair).
  • The Business Office provides the okay that each applicant has no outstanding debt to the college.
  • The applications are copied and the copies are kept at Cabrini.
  • The applications are mailed to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) via certified mail, return‑receipt.
  • When PDE receives the applications, they give them to various processors. The application is logged into the system. At this point, applicants can review the progress of their application online.
    Click here for more information.

When complete, PDE mails the certificate directly to the applicant. It takes about 6 weeks from the time the application is submitted until the applicant receives the certificate from PDE.

Dean's Letter
The Dean's letter is a letter documenting that the student has completed all requirements for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate and is just waiting for their actual certificate. Many school districts will accept and will request a Dean's letter in lieu of the actual certificate while the application for certification is still being processed.

A Dean's letter is available to the applicant once the application for certification has been processed. In order to receive a Dean's letter, the applicant need only to request one and indicate if he/she would like to pick it up or have it mailed to them.

Educational Studies students and Certification
Once a student has graduated with a bachelor's degree in Educational Studies, the student still has the opportunity to earn eligibility for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate. The student must either have had a grade point average of 3.0 or better as an undergraduate or must complete new, graduate level course work and earn a 3.0 or better. The student must also pass all required Praxis exams. Once these criteria are met, the student can then apply for student teaching, complete student teaching and then be eligible for applying for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate.