As per PA Act 168 and Chapter 354, students in an educator preparation program must be formally admitted prior to taking upper-level coursework. At ESU this is referred to as Teacher Education Council (TEC) Approval.
Education majors who have completed a minimum of 48 credits of coursework may apply for formal admission through a digital and student-driven application process via the linked red button above. Prior to applying, education majors should consult with their adviser to ensure that all items needed for formal admission are complete.
Application Deadlines
Applications are due the 1st Thursday of the month for the 2025-2026 academic year.
- September 4
- October 2
- November 6
- December 4
- January 8
- February 5
- March 5
- April 2
Program Admission Criteria for Undergraduate Students
- Basic Skills Competencies - As per Act 55 of 2022, this requirement has been waived for students with a GPA of 3.0.
- Academic Ability: Earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 as determined by Pennsylvania law.
- Complete 6 credits of mathematics courses and 6 credits of English courses (including one composition and one literature) as outlined by Chapter 354 of the Pennsylvania School Code.*Graduate students are exempt as their undergraduate degree demonstrates this requirement.
- Complete a minimum of 48 credit hours *Graduate students are exempt from this requirement.
- Infraction-free Clearances: All candidates must renew their clearances as part of their TEC Approval Application process. All required clearances (Act 34, Act 151, & FBI) must have been renewed within the last 6 months from the date of application. Clearances must be uploaded to Anthology in the appropriate placeholders in the Clearances & Certificates portfolio.
- All clearances must be free of violations. If a candidate has a violation, he/she must successfully appeal for admission via the College of Education’s Appeals Process through the Office of Field Experiences.
- Complete the TEACH Disposition Self-Assessment
Teacher Education Council (TEC) Approval Process
Steps to completing and submitting your TEC Approval application online:
- Gather all required evidence in PDF format: Unofficial ESU Transcript, renewed clearances (Act 34, Act 151, & FBI)
- Note - ensure transferred courses are on ESU Transcript
- Upload and submit clearances to Anthology Portfolio (clearances must be renewed within 6 months of TEC application). Upload your renewed clearances to the Clearances & Certificates portfolio in the appropriate TEC placeholders.
- Complete the TEACH Disposition Self-Assessment
- Complete all requirements, including finalized coursework, and review all evidence with your advisor prior to submission (grades should be posted on ESU transcript, transfer grades included)
- Complete the TEC Approval application and submit
For more information
For basic application process questions, please visit the TEC Approval Application How-To document. This resource will walk you through all steps of the application process and provides video tutorials of the process.
TEC Approval Applications undergo a two-step review process. Applications are accepted on an on-going basis but reviewed only one time per month. TEC applications for approval are due by the first Thursday of each month. If you have submitted all required evidence, your application will be formally presented at the monthly TEC Meeting, which meets on the third Wednesday of the month. You will receive notification from your department if you are missing anything from your application or if your application has been approved. If necessary, you may re-submit your application the following month. You must be TEC approved in order to register for upper level courses.
Important Updates and Guidelines
A grade of C or better in math and English is required (including courses that are transferred in) for courses taken January 2023 and beyond.
An unofficial copy of ESU transcript is accepted. You can access your transcript by logging into Warriors Connect (Banner) and clicking on My Records. To "print" to PDF, you will select Control + P and Save to PDF (this works best in Chrome web browser).
Transfer/Post-bacc GPA – An ESU GPA is required for TEC approval. If you are a transfer or post-grad student who is in their first semester at ESU, you need to apply once your first set of grades have been finalized.
An ESU GPA is required for TEC approval. If you are a transfer or post-bacc grad student who is in their first semester at ESU, students should apply once the first set of grades have been finalized.
A limited number of students with a GPA between 2.8-2.99 can be accepted for TEC approval each calendar year. To be considered for acceptance, in addition to the requirements listed above, students must achieve a qualifying score on the Basic Skills exams. There are multiple assessment options available including:
- ETS Praxis Core exams (Reading - 5713, Mathematics - 5733, Writing - 5723) Composite score is not accepted.
- Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) (Reading - 8001, Mathematics - 8002, Writing - 8003)
Please reach out to your advisor for more information. Consideration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Contact Us
Campus Address
Rosenkrans Hall 123
(570) 422-3377
Dean, College of Education
Dr. Brooke Langan
blangan1@esu.edu
(570) 422-3377
