Were you aware that Catawba College's Department of Teacher Education offers View Pathways that allow students greater flexibility in completing education majors and minors while providing different options for future careers as educators? These pathways, the traditional licensure route and the non-licensure route, help equip graduates for different journeys as educators after they depart Catawba. And, for those students who simply want to get some Education course work under their belts as undergraduates without committing to a career as a teacher, they have the option to pursue an Education Studies minor.
In the traditional pathway ("licensure route"), students who meet the minimum GPA requirement of 2.75 are admitted into a nationally accredited program, complete student teaching, and earn a recommendation for full licensure. This traditional pathway requires students to complete a series of standardized assessments in order to obtain licensure. Historically, Catawba's program completers have been in high demand (100% job placement, often with multiple offers), have entered the teaching profession with all requirements completed for an initial teaching license, and have qualified for licensure in other states.
The non-licensure pathway is for students who want to: 1) work in public or private schools that do not require teachers to have a teaching license, but who still want a solid preparation in developing the skills to teach; 2) get a "head start" on alternative routes to licensure (such as the NC Residency License); or 3) develop knowledge and skills useful in industry (working as Educational trainers) or college/university teaching. While there is a minimum GPA requirement of 2.50 (and work in the public schools often requires a criminal background check), students in the non-licensure pathway are not required to pass the standardized assessments required of students in the traditional, licensure pathway. The non-licensure pathway allows students to continue in education coursework and earn an education degree or minor without seeking licensure.
Both the licensure and non-licensure pathways are academically rigorous, and the "FLEX Pathway" model allows Catawba students to transition between pathways as plans change.
Catawba's Educational Studies minor allows students in any major to obtain EDUC coursework that may assist them later in obtaining licensure in areas for which Catawba College does not have state approval (e.g, Business, Computer Science, Spanish, etc.). No application for admission is necessary but a declaration of the Education Studies minor is required. A cumulative GPA of 2.50 is recommended. Students pursuing the Educational Studies minor may qualify for residency license positions with LEAs after graduation and will be equipped with much of the coursework needed for residency license. Students should be aware that the State of North Carolina requires a minimum, cumulative GPA of 2.7 on the undergraduate degree for residency licensure. Furthermore, Catawba College offers no assurances that these courses will be accepted by other institutions.
Karla Fragoso-Perez, who will graduate in May, is pleased that she declared and pursued an Educational Studies Minor. She shared this about the flexibility it will offer her as she enters the workforce after graduation:
"I chose the Educational Studies minor offered at Catawba because it enables me to have a perspective of the teaching profession just as those who are majoring in the education program. One of the things I love about this minor is that I can start teaching while working to obtain my professional education licensure."
