1. Laurie A. Haines, Certification Specialist Lisa Vernon-Dotson, Ph.D., Associate Dean & Certification Officer & Certification Officer

2.  Initial Certification Eligibility Requirements Bachelor’s Degree in the appropriate content area or Master’s Degree for MST students. APPLY TO GRADUATE!! Passing Praxis II scores in the appropriate content area. Check your Praxis II score report to verify that your SSN is correct and that the scores were sent to Rowan University (Institution Code 2515) and the NJ Department of Education (State Code 7666). Contact ETS at 1-800-772-9476 if any of these items are incorrect or missing. All required forms must be completed in the TK20 Clinical Practice Binders by all parties (Teacher Candidate, Collaborating Teacher and University Supervisor.

3.  Middle School Certification Eligibility Requirements Meet all requirements & apply for initial certification. All additional required coursework must be completed prior to graduation from Rowan University. Passing Praxis II scores for appropriate Middle School certification area must be on file by the time your degree is conferred. Application must be submitted during the semester in which you are applying for your initial certification. Note: If you have not met these requirements by the end of the semester is which you will graduate, you must apply directly to the NJ Department of Education for the Middle School certification when you do become eligible. (Available to Elementary or Subject Matter Education candidates only)

4.  Endorsement Certification Requirements Teacher of Students with Disabilities (TOSD), Teacher of Reading and Driver Education Meet all requirements & apply for initial certification. Complete all additional coursework, including clinical practice, if required, at Rowan University. Passing Praxis II scores must be on file, if required, for the program/certification. Certification application must be submitted during the semester in which you have met all eligibility requirements for the endorsement. Note: Extended TOSD students may apply at the same time as initial certification. Attach all additional required documents to your application if required (Driver Education Only).

5.  Certification Applications Certification applications are available for pick-up in the College of Education Advising & Field Experience Center, 2 nd Floor, James Hall OR for download at: http://www.rowan.edu/colleges/education/AdvisingCenter/certification/do cuments/certapp.pdf. http://www.rowan.edu/colleges/education/AdvisingCenter/certification/do cuments/certapp.pdf Please read all application directions carefully BEFORE you begin to complete the application. Print legibly when filling out the application & fill out the form completely according to the directions. Applications must have original signatures. No faxed or photocopies of signed forms will be accepted. Applications MUST be notarized. Banks and school offices have notaries. See page 4 of the application for a list of on-campus notaries.

6.  Certification Applications Submit one application and separate payment for each certification for which you are applying. Please see your Education advisor for any questions regarding eligibility. Payment may be made by check, money order, & credit card. Please make all checks & money orders payable to Rowan University & write your Banner ID number on the check/money order. Contact Laurie Haines (haines@rowan.edu) for credit card slips.haines@rowan.edu The fee schedule is located on page 2 of the application. Fees are established by the NJ Department of Education. The fees you are paying will cover the Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS), Provisional and Standard certificates. Note: The Provisional Teacher Program will require additional fees which your hiring district will review with you. Submit all applications and fees by the established deadlines.

7.  Certification Application Deadlines Spring 2015 January 20, 2015 – March 15, 2015 Please note: Graduation and certification are two separate processes. If you are in a degree-granting certification program, you must apply for graduation as well as certification. You will not be eligible to be certified until AFTER the degree date posted on your transcript. Graduation applications must be completed on-line through Banner Self-Service during the time frames identified by the Registrar’s office. For questions regarding the graduation application, please email the Graduation Coordinator at graduation@rowan.edu.graduation@rowan.edu

8.  Helpful Tips Holds Pay ALL outstanding fees to the University. Certification applications cannot be processed if there are holds on your account. Withdrawals Notify the Certification Specialist immediately if you withdraw from Clinical Practice or want to withdraw your application for certification for any reason. You will receive a full refund of certification fees paid, unless you have any Bursar holds on your account. The Bursar will apply any certification fee refunds to unpaid fees on your account first before releasing any refunds. Degree Dates Rowan University is prohibited from processing certification applications prior to the actual date of your degree conferral (May 30, 2015 for spring graduates). Requesting that your degree be posted earlier than the official University degree conferral date will not speed up the certification process.

9.  I’ve completed Clinical Practice, now where is my certificate? The timeline begins when the following conditions are met: Degree has been conferred and posted to official transcript. All required documents have been completed in TK20. All eligibility requirements have been met (Praxis II, GPA, etc.). Advisor and/or program coordinator has approved certification application(s).

10.  Certification Timeline After you have met all of the identified eligibility requirements, Your certification application will be submitted to the New Jersey Department of Education 10-15 business days AFTER your degree posts to your transcript. The New Jersey Department of Education processes applications and issues certificates within 2-4 weeks AFTER receipt. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you should receive your certificate within 6-8 weeks after your degree posts to your transcript. Note: A “Letter of Program Completion” is available for use in interviews prior to the receipt of your certificate. Please contact your Education Advisor for additional details.

11. Congratulations! Questions? Contact: Laurie Haines, Certification Specialist haines@rowan.edu 856.256.4726