Academic Catalog

Academic Regulations: College of Education

For complete information regarding academic rules and regulations of the University, students should consult the Academic Regulations section of this bulletin. The following additions and amendments pertain to the College of Education.

Normal Program Load 

The normal undergraduate student load is twelve to eighteen credits per semester. Only in exceptional cases is a student allowed to elect a heavier load. Approval of the advisor is needed in those cases where the student petitions to carry more than eighteen credits within a full semester.

If a significant portion of a student’s time is spent in outside work, corresponding adjustments must be made in his/her college schedule.

Admission to Programs

Students are admitted directly into the College of Education from high school or other universities or colleges by completing an undergraduate admission application to the University, selection of a College of Education program on the admission application, and acceptance to Wayne State University.  Undergraduate and Post-Bachelor applications are processed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions: 

University Office of Undergraduate Admission, Welcome Center
42 W. Warren Ave., P.O. Box 02759
Detroit, Michigan 48202
telephone 313-577-2100

Transfer of College within the University for Teacher Preparation Programs

Undergraduate students at Wayne State University seeking to transfer to a teacher preparation program complete an online Admission Application. Students must have at least a cumulative g.p.a. of 2.5 for regular admission. Students on university academic probation with a g.p.a. less than 2.5 may seek qualified admission by completing the online Alternative  Admission  Application.

Transfer of College within the University for Community Health, Exercise and Sport Science, and Sport Management Programs 

Undergraduate students at Wayne State University seeking to transfer to the majors listed above complete an online Admission Application. Students must have at least a cumulative g.p.a. of 2.0 for regular admission. Students on university academic probation with a g.p.a. less than 2.0 may seek qualified admission by completing the online Alternative  Admission  Application.

Accelerated Graduate Enrollment (AGRADE) Program

Some programs in the College of Education permit academically strong majors to apply for admission into the college's Accelerated Graduate Enrollment (AGRADE) program. AGRADE procedures enable qualified juniors in the College of Education to apply for an AGRADE master’s program and upon admission, begin the program in the senior year by enrolling simultaneously in the undergraduate and graduate programs of the college and apply up to a maximum of sixteen credits towards both a bachelor's and master's degree. Some programs permit less than the maximum number of credits to be applied.

Qualified students may apply for the AGRADE program no earlier than the semester in which ninety credits are being completed. Applicants must have a minimum overall grade point average of 3.30. After admission, continuation in the AGRADE program requires a continuing undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.30 and a grade of B or higher in AGRADE coursework, which is consistent for satisfactory academic progress for graduate coursework. Some programs may require a grade point average higher than a 3.30. For more details about the AGRADE program, contact the Division of Academic Services. Students can apply to the program using the AGRADE Application.

Alternative Admission and Reinstatement from Academic Exclusion

Alternative admission or reinstatement from academic exclusion is a process for students meeting either of the conditions below: 

  1. Students currently excluded may appeal for reinstatement to the College of Education after not attending classes at Wayne State University for more than one year.
  2. Students from another college of Wayne State University that currently have less than the minimum GPA required for regular admission and are seeking Alternative Admission into the College of Education.

The application for alternative admission or reinstatement is online

Not all applicants will be admitted or reinstated. Applications for alternative admission or reinstatement are considered on an individual basis and reviewed by a committee based on academic criteria and merit with the final decision resting with the Assistant Dean of Academic Services.  

Readmission Following an Interruption in Residence

Undergraduate students whose attendance at Wayne State has been interrupted for three or more years will be required to apply at the College of Education Division of Academic Services for readmission to the College. Deadline dates for such applications are the same as those for regular admission to the College. In instances of prolonged absences of five years or more, it may be necessary to revalidate credits, either through examinations or refresher courses, within the student’s major and the professional education sequences.

Attendance

Regularity in attendance and performance is necessary for success in college work. Although there are no officially excused absences as far as College policy is concerned, the conscientious student is expected to explain absences to the instructor. Such absences may be due to illness; to participation in inter-college activities certified by the sponsoring faculty member; or other similar types of absence for which the student can present to the instructor evidence that he/she was engaged in authorized University activities. Each instructor, at the beginning of the course, will announce his/her attendance requirements.

Education Honors Program

Students with a 3.3 minimum grade point average are eligible for admission to the Education Honors program. Satisfactory completion of the Education Honors Program will lead to a major with honors on the diploma. The requirements consist of 12 credits, including two Honors Option courses from the major (6cr), a HON 4200-level seminar (3cr), and ED 4998 Education Honors Thesis with a College of Education faculty mentor (3cr). Honors courses must be completed with grades of “B” or better. Students interested in the program should speak with their advisor.

Criminal History Check

Students in certification or licensure programs must supply a criminal history check before admission or transfer to the College of Education, clinical experiences or internships, and when applying for licensure or certification. Criminal history checks must be completed through the Wayne State University portal from CastleBranch for a fee. A criminal history check remains valid for six months. Additional criminal history checks may be required at the discretion of the College.  

Any person in a certification or licensure program who has been convicted of any offense must provide certified copies of all documents relative to his/her conviction, including the Judgement of Sentence or Register of Actions from the court(s) in which the matter was adjudicated and a narrative describing each incident from his/her perspective. Persons determined by the criminal history check process to have been convicted of any offense and do not provide the required documentation will have their admission or certification/licensure recommendation denied. In other cases, incomplete or non-submission of documentation may result in a program pause, removal from clinical experiences or internships, or exclusion from the College. After reviewing the documentation by College officials or the College's Criminal History Review Board, the applicant will be notified in writing of the decision.

Michigan Public Act 68 of 1993 Sec. 1230 requires public and nonpublic schools to conduct a criminal history check of new teachers, school administrators, school psychologists, and other personnel required to hold State Board of Education approvals. 

Note the State Board of Education Teacher Certificate Code: R 390.1201 Certificates; denial, suspension, or revocation.

  1. The superintendent of public instruction may refuse to grant or renew, or may suspend for a fixed term, or revoke, or may impose reasonable conditions on, a teaching certificate or state board approval granted pursuant to these rules for the following reasons:
    1. Fraud, or material misrepresentation, concealment or omission of fact in the application for, or the use of, a teaching certificate or state board approval.
    2. Conviction of an offense listed in MCL 380.1535a or MCL 380.1539b.
  2. The superintendent of public instruction may refuse to grant or renew a teaching certificate or a state board approval for failure or ineligibility of the applicant to meet the criteria for the applicable certification or state board approval.

Dean's List

The College of Education Dean's List is a means of recognizing undergraduate students who have excelled academically in a given semester. The Dean's List will be compiled for each semester in the academic year. Inclusion requires a 3.75 g.p.a. for students enrolled for twelve or more semester credits (full-time). Students registered for six to eleven-semester credits (half-time) must earn a 4.00 g.p.a. Students registered for fewer than six-semester credits are not eligible and students who receive marks of ‘I,’ ‘WN,’ ‘WP,’ ‘WF,’ ‘N,’ or ‘U’ are not eligible.

Students will be notified of inclusion in the Dean's List by electronic communication. The Dean's List will be displayed in the College of Education for each semester and posted on the college's website.

Graduating with Distinction

Wayne State University bestows upon students completing the baccalaureate degree three separate designations for scholastic excellence reflected in the cumulative grade point average: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude. Graduation with distinction will be indicated on the student's diploma and on the transcript.

Graduation with Distinction will recognize at each graduation the top twenty percent of students in each College who have earned the highest grade point average in their Colleges, with the following approximate distribution:

Summa Cum Laude: Top five percent
Magna Cum Laude: Next five percent
Cum Laude: Next ten percent

Specific minimum grade point averages will be determined each year in the following manner: based on the grade point average distributions of the previous year's senior class, the grade point average cutoffs for each College will be established to provide for recognition of the top eighteen to twenty percent of the graduating students. Graduation with distinction will not be awarded in cases of any g.p.a. less than 3.0.

The criteria for Graduation with Distinction include:

  1. A minimum of fifty-six credits in residence at Wayne State University.
  2. A qualifying minimum grade point average (calculated as explained above) on all course work at Wayne State University must be completed by the end of the semester of graduation. (For notation in the  commencement program,  the grade  point average on coursework completed prior to the semester of graduation will be used.)

Probation Policy and Academic Exclusion 

University Policy

Undergraduate students whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00 will be placed on "Academic Probation." Subject to the approval of the President or his/her designee, individual Colleges and Schools may establish higher minimum grade point averages for academic probation in their programs.

An "Academic Probation" hold shall be placed on the student's record when the cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) falls below 2.00. The student shall be permitted to register only after consultation with and approval by a designated university advisor.

An "academic recovery plan" refers to a written agreement between a student and designated university advisor that identifies factors contributing to subpar academic performance and specifies requirements for a student to be permitted additional terms of academic eligibility rather than being academically excluded.  Academic recovery plans must include specific efforts and activities the student will engage in to return to good academic standing.  Terms of an academic recovery plan are determined at the discretion of the Schools and Colleges.  Failure to comply with terms of the academic recovery plan may result in early termination of the academic recovery plan and academic exclusion.

The statement "Academic Probation" shall be printed on the unofficial transcript for the first term in which the cumulative average falls below 2.00. Thereafter, the statement "Academic Probation" shall appear on the unofficial transcript until the student attains "Regular Status" or is subject to "Academic Exclusion". "Regular Status" is restored when the student achieves a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.00.  In any subsequent term where the cumulative G.P.A. is below 2.00, probation will be reinstated.

Students shall be given two subsequent terms of enrollment after going on probation to achieve a cumulative 2.00 G.P.A. At the conclusion of the two subsequent terms, students who have not achieved a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 2.00 shall be excluded from their program and may not apply for readmission or reinstatement for one calendar year, unless they have entered into an academic recovery plan with a designated university advisor.

A student on academic probation may remain academically eligible after two subsequent terms of enrollment if they have consulted with a designated university advisor and entered into an academic recovery plan.  Academic recovery plans may not extend beyond an additional two terms of enrollment without approval from the academic Dean or his/her designee.

College of Education Policy for Undergraduate Students in Teacher Preparation Programs

If, at any time, an undergraduate’s overall g.p.a. falls below 2.50, the student is automatically placed on College academic probation. Before registering for the next semester, a student on probation must secure approval from their advisor. The College reserves the right to require a student to withdraw at any time from specific courses or from the College entirely if progress does not warrant a continuance.

Residency Requirement

Applicants for a degree from the College of Education must complete at least thirty credits as a registered student in the College. The student must be in residence (enrolled in courses at Wayne State University) during the semester in which he/she completes requirements for the degree.

Transferred Credits

College credits earned at accredited institutions other than Wayne State University may be transferred by an undergraduate student to meet requirements for the bachelor's degrees in the College, provided:

  1. the student has been accepted as a matriculated student in the College;
  2. the grades received in courses where transfer is desired have been satisfactory; and,
  3. credits so earned are applicable to the student's curriculum.

Students should contact their assigned advisor to discuss transfer of credit.

Students currently enrolled or returning students who have taken courses at another institution, should forward official transcripts to the address below or submitted electronically to admissions@wayne.edu. 

Wayne State University
Transfer Credit Evaluation
PO Box 02759
Detroit, MI 48202-0759

Students must consult their advisor prior to registering for any course outside of Wayne State University to discuss the limitations of transferring credits. During the senior year, no more than 10 transfer credits will be accepted.

When the student has a degree from an accredited institution and is meeting the requirements for a Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate, some credits may be applied toward the certificate by transfer but at least fifteen credits must be completed at Wayne State.

Bulletin-in-Effect Policy Restriction

Teacher preparation programs must abide by all current requirements set forth by the Michigan Department of Education and other state, federal, and national requirements. As such, in accordance with Wayne State University policy, the Teacher Education Division (TED) restricts the extent to which the Bulletin in Effect policy can be utilized. In cases when the Bulletin in Effect policy is restricted due to required program closures, certification changes, etc., students will be notified and will be provided a timeline by which they must complete their current program.

Time Limit for Candidate Certification Recommendation 

Any candidate requesting Wayne State University’s recommendation of his/her/their application for certification and/or endorsement more than 24 months after program completion must complete and submit to Wayne State University’s College of Education an “Educator Credential Recommendation: Post-Time Limit Request”; this is separate and distinct from the application to MDE for certification and/or endorsement.

  • A candidate may need to retake or complete additional coursework or current assessments in order to meet the current requirements of the educator credential he/she/they seeks. 
  • A candidate will not be considered for a recommendation unless the candidate documents that he/she/they meets the current MDE requirements of the credential for which he/she/they seek recommendation.
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