2025-2026 Academic Catalog

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Admission into the Teacher Education Program

The Teacher Education Program is a structured sequence of coursework and field experiences that includes benchmarks for formal admission, student teaching, and program completion.  Students pursuing any Education major that leads to teacher licensure, including Elementary, Secondary, and K–12 programs, must be formally admitted into the Teacher Education Program. Admission to Carroll College does not automatically qualify a student for admission into the Teacher Education Program. All students pursuing academic programs that lead to teacher licensure must submit a Program Admission Application to the Department of Education, by the end of their sophomore year (not later than March 1st of their sophomore year). It is the student’s responsibility to seek admission to the program.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission, students must meet the following criteria for acceptance:

  1. Receive acceptable minimum scores on the Core Academic Skills for Educators Test or provide verified passing scores on an acceptable college entrance exam (ACT or SAT);
  2. Earn a grade of “C-” or better in CO 101;
  3. Earn a grade of “C-” or better in CORE 110;
  4. Earn a grade of "C-" or better in all program required courses;
  5. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 at the time of application;
  6. Complete an interview that meets program standards;
  7. Receive positive faculty recommendations;
  8. Pass a clear background check; and
  9. Demonstrate a positive performance in prior K-12 field experiences

The student's application will be evaluated by Department of Education faculty based on the above criteria. Applicants will be fully admitted into the program, provisionally admitted on a provisional basis, or denied admission into the program.

Provisional Admission

Students will be admitted on a provisional basis if they meet the following criteria:

  • Passed at least a minimum of one area (reading, writing, mathematics) of the Core Academic Skills for Educators Test or possess verified scores on an acceptable college entrance exam (ACT or SAT) in a minimum of one area (reading, writing, mathematics);
  • Participated in an interview but may not have met program standards;
  • Have not yet met the 2.75 cumulative GPA requirement but are expected to do so before the start of the fall semester of the junior year.
  • All other areas have met program standards.

Students who are not directly admitted into the program will be informed of any deficiencies and may be given further opportunity for admission following academic counseling and/or academic assistance and/or counseling.

Notes:

Students who have been admitted into the Teacher Education Program, but have not been enrolled in Carroll College for one semester or more, must seek readmission into the program. See "Readmission After Interruption" below.

For Junior Level Transfer students: Transfer students entering at the junior level may be granted conditional admission to the Teacher Education Program for one semester. See “Transfer Student Admission “ below. Two months prior to the end of that semester, they must submit a formal application for full admission. Their application will be evaluated using the same criteria as for sophomore-level students entering at the junior level and are admitted to the program on a conditional basis for one semester. One month prior to the close of that semester, junior transfer students must submit an application for full admission into the Teacher Education Program. Transfer candidates will be reviewed using the same criteria as Carroll College sophomore students.

All candidates will be informed of their admission status no later than June 30 of the application year.

Readmission After Interruption

Students who have been admitted to the Teacher Education Program but have not been enrolled at Carroll College for one semester or more must seek readmission to the program. Readmission is not automatic and will be reviewed by Department of Education faculty.

The readmission process may include:

  • Submission of a written request for readmission;
  • An updated transcript review to ensure continued academic eligibility;
  • A review of previously assessed field experiences and professional dispositions;
  • An updated background check, if more than one year has passed since the last clearance;
  • Additional requirements at the discretion of the department, especially if program standards or licensure requirements have changed during the student’s absence.

Students returning after an extended absence may be required to complete additional coursework or field experiences to ensure alignment with current program expectations.

Transfer Student Admission

Students who transfer to Carroll College and intend to pursue teacher licensure must apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program in accordance with all standard admission procedures and timelines. 

Junior-level transfer students may be granted conditional admission to the Teacher Education Program for their first semester at Carroll College. These students must submit a complete application for full admission during that semester (by October 15 for Fall Semester). The Department of Education will notify students of their admission status no later than November 10, or the official course withdrawal deadline, whichever comes first.

Transfer students are required to:

  • Meet the same admission criteria as students who begin their education coursework at Carroll College, including GPA minimums, course grades, testing requirements, and dispositions evaluations;
  • Submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions for review by the Department of Education;
  • Complete any missing pre-admission courses, including those with embedded field experiences, which provide essential assessment data on professional dispositions and teaching potential;
  • Participate in an advising meeting with a Department of Education faculty member to develop a customized plan of study;
  • Complete at least one supervised field experience that includes a formal evaluation of professional dispositions, as approved by the Department of Education. If prior field experience was completed at another institution, students must provide sufficient documentation (e.g., supervisor evaluations or disposition rubrics) for departmental review. If such documentation is not available or deemed insufficient, the department may require the student to complete a customized field placement at Carroll College prior to admission.

Post-Baccalaureate Pathway to Licensure

Individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and wish to pursue initial teacher licensure may be eligible to complete a customized post-baccalaureate program of study at Carroll College. These candidates will meet with an advisor in the Education Department to determine licensure area(s) of interest and to complete a transcript review.

Based on this review, a tailored plan will be developed that outlines the coursework, field experiences, and assessments required to meet Carroll’s Teacher Education Program standards and Montana licensure requirements. In some cases, previously completed coursework may be deemed out-of-date or not aligned with current research-based practices, in which case the student may be required to repeat or update prior coursework.

Post-baccalaureate candidates must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program and meet all the same benchmarks for progression, including student teaching, licensure assessments (e.g., the MACK), and demonstration of professional dispositions.