College of Education

The College of Education

Clemson University’s College of Education is a transformative leader in systematically improving education, beginning at birth. We prepare teachers, counselors and leaders for P-12 schools; counselors to serve in communities; student affairs practitioners, administrators and faculty to serve in higher education; and training and development specialists for business and industry. In addition, we engage tomorrow’s educators in high-quality research and professional learning that helps them make a difference in the world.

The College of Education includes three academic departments-Education and Human Development; Educational and Organizational Leadership Development; and Teaching and Learning-and the Eugene T. Moore School of Education, home to nationally renowned classroom and clinical training for pre-service teachers, professional mentoring of early-career teachers, and cutting-edge continuing education for in-service teachers.

Modern Language Requirement

A number of Clemson University degree programs require the completion of a modern language through a specific course level. Modern languages taught at Clemson University or accepted for transfer credit include American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. While many degree programs accept any of these modern languages for the requirement, certain programs may have specific modern language requirements. Students should consult their program’s curriculum map for details.

SC REACH ACT (SC. 38 as amended) Graduation Requirement

Please see the South Carolina REACH Act Requirement in the Academic Regulations  section.

Teacher Education Programs

The College of Education offers Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accredited teacher education undergraduate programs leading to teaching licensure in early childhood; elementary; middle level; secondary English, mathematics, science and social studies; agricultural education (in cooperation with the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences); modern languages education; and special education.

Our excellent preparation in both content and methodology includes many collaborative experiences in local schools. It prepares our graduates to shape the economic future of South Carolina, the United States, and the world by preparing leaders, workers, and citizens for their future roles in society.

The mission of the teacher preparation programs in the College of Education is to prepare critically reflective practitioners who:

• advocate for all learners,
• understand the importance of students’ developmental and sociocultural contexts to learning,
• implement research-based instructional practices,
• utilize current disciplinary knowledge to integrate educational theory, research and practice,
• understand the influence of educational policies on their instruction and educational system, and
• stand firm in their conviction that all students can learn.

Field and clinical practice are integral to teacher preparation. The College of Education is committed to providing candidates with purposeful, challenging, and diverse experiences. It is through a range of diverse, carefully constructed, and challenging field-based experiences, in conjunction with classroom instruction, that candidates recognize the inherent dignity and value of all individuals, value social justice, and advocate on behalf of children and families.

The Teacher Education Programs in early childhood, elementary, modern languages, special education, and middle level and secondary programs in agriculture, English, mathematics, science, and social studies are recognized by the South Carolina Department of Education and discipline specialized national professional associations.

Professional Practices

According to the South Carolina State Department of Education, South Carolina Code of Laws specifies that before beginning the full-time clinical teaching experience in South Carolina, a teacher education candidate shall undergo a state criminal records check by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), a national criminal records check supported by fingerprints by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a National Sex Offender check, and a Tuberculous (TB) test. More specific information about these requirements and the associated processes can
be found on the College of Education’s Field Experiences website: https://www.clemson.edu/education/resources/academic-resources/field-experiences/index.html.

Admission to the Professional Level

Application to the professional level of a teacher education program is reviewed in the second semester of the sophomore year, the second year of enrollment in the education program. Admission to the professional level requirements include 60 semester hours of education program work, passing scores on all areas of the Praxis CORE, and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.75. A candidate may exempt the CORE by meeting minimum ACT or SAT requirements as determined by the South Carolina Department of Education.

Enrollment in Professional Courses

Once admitted to the professional level of a teacher education program, candidates must maintain a 2.75 GPA in order to continue through the coursework sequence. Please visit program websites for specific academic requirements. On occasion appeals may be reviewed by department chairs.

Directed Teaching/Teaching Internship

A candidate in a teacher education program shall apply for student teaching with the Office of Field Experiences prior to the semester in which senior level teaching methods courses are to be scheduled. Admission and maintenance at the professional level and completion of at least 95 semester hours is required for registration to student teaching.

Student teachers dismissed from student teaching or those unable to successfully complete their student teaching semester, in some cases, may be able to get approval from program faculty and the appropriate department chair to enroll in student teaching a second time. Student teachers dismissed from student teaching a second time or unable to successfully complete a second attempt at student teaching are not permitted to enroll in subsequent student teaching semesters. Extenuating circumstances are considered on an individual case-by-case basis.

Change of Major

All students wishing to change to any teacher education major must have a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA and a minimum of 12 credit hours completed at Clemson. It is preferred that students have either satisfied or waived Praxis CORE requirements for admission to the professional level of the program. Competitive entry majors require an additional application and essay for admission. Interested students should meet with the appropriate College of Education advisor to discuss curriculum tracks prior to applying. Applications are reviewed in fall and spring semesters. For additional information regarding the change of major process, visit the College of Education’s website: https://www.clemson.edu/education/academics/advising/change-of-major/index.html.

Graduation and Licensure

To graduate, candidates in the teacher certification emphasis areas must have scores for all state-mandated licensure exams on file with the College of Education’s Office of Field Experience. Candidates must pass all required Praxis II tests, including the PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching) test, before receiving recommendation for South Carolina teaching licensure. Candidates must also earn a C or better on all Read to Succeed coursework. To see a list of required Read to Succeed courses, visit the College of Education’s website: https://www.clemson.edu/education/academics/certificates-endorsements/index.html. Finally, a C or better is required in certain education and/or content courses; see degree program requirements for specific information.

Athletic Leadership Minor

The College of Education offers one minor - Athletic Leadership. For more information on this minor and the requirements, please see the Athletic Leadership Minor .

Graduate Study

The College of Education offers a comprehensive set of programs at the masters, specialist and doctoral levels in preschool to grade 12 education, educational leadership, counselor education (clinical mental health counseling and school counseling), student affairs and higher education, and human resource development. Browse the Clemson University Graduate School website or the College of Education website for more information.

Combined Degree Program BA/BS in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Special Education, Modern Languages Education, Middle Level Education, Secondary Education, Science Teaching, or Mathematics Teaching, and MAT in Teacher Residency

Education majors at Clemson University may participate in a combined degree program option in any of the undergraduate majors offered in the College of Education. The Master of Arts in Teaching in Teacher Residency degrees are offered in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Special Education, Modern Languages Education (American Sign Language, French, or Spanish), Middle Level Education (Language Arts and Social Studies or Mathematics and Science), and Secondary Education (English, Social Studies, Mathematics, or Science). The MAT programs consist of a mix of face-to-face and hybrid courses along with a rich, immersive, year-long field experience component. The curriculum plan is based on the combined bachelors to masters combined program philosophy, in such, that qualified students take 12 credits of graduate coursework their senior year in place of a traditional student teaching experience (nine credits) and capstone seminar (three credits). Students are expected to graduate from their undergraduate program as planned in May or August of their senior year) During the fifth year, students complete the remaining credits toward their MAT degree. Students are recommended for initial teaching certification after successfully completing their graduate teacher residency field experience. For more information about this program, visit the website: https://www.clemson.edu/education/academics/combined-bachelors-masters-program/index.html.

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