Certification-Only Secondary Program (COS)

*An admissions moratorium is being placed on this program effective Winter 2025 so the last opportunity to be admitted will be Fall 2024.

Those who already hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution are able to earn a Michigan Secondary Provisional Teaching Certificate in the Certification-Only Secondary (COS) Program.

Applicants interested in pursuing secondary teacher certification must complete requirements for a secondary teaching major, along with the required sequence of teaching courses. Please note that while a major is required, a minor is optional, but highly recommended. Previous coursework is evaluated relative to State of Michigan standards for teacher certification and, to the extent possible, used to satisfy requirements; additional coursework in the content areas may be required. Remaining content coursework is combined with a series of Education Professional Sequence courses, at least two of which involve classroom field placements.

UM-Dearborn’s teacher certification program is not available online, although some courses may have online/hybrid sections. The post-bachelor's route requires a commitment of at least one year, depending on prior coursework.

Please note that certification in Special Education leads to K-12 endorsement in Learning Disabilities and requires a content major (English, Biology, Mathematics, etc.) and two semesters of student teaching. .

With successful completion of the program, participants in the program earn faculty recommendation leading to the Michigan Secondary Standard Certificate. The possible combinations for a teaching major(s) and minor(s) are listed below.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has revised Michigan’s teacher certification structure into 6 grade bands. CEHHS is currently working on program proposals for our Grades 5 through 9 and Grades 7 through 12 grade band programs. In addition, these programs will be working through the internal university curriculum approval process soon. Once approved, students will be able to apply for admission to these grade band programs starting in the Fall of 2023 (Mathematics and English). Current students, and those admitted prior to Fall 2023, will have the opportunity to meet with an academic advisor to determine if they should remain in the current certification program or switch to a new grade band program.

Grade Point Average

Completion of this program requires that a student successfully complete all requirements as stated on their plan of study and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75, as well as a minimum 2.75 in the chosen major(s) and minor(s) and in the professional sequence.

Time to Completion

Program completion time will vary depending on transfer credit and whether a student is enrolling on a full-time or part-time basis.

Candidates with Bachelor’s Degrees in Non-Content Area Subjects

Individuals with undergraduate degrees in non-content subjects can also pursue initial teacher certification as post-bachelor’s students, but considerably more disciplinary coursework will be required. In this case, the timeframe needed to complete all teacher certification requirements, including student teaching, will likely be two years or longer. These applicants may consider earning a second bachelor’s degree in the process of meeting certification requirements.

Progression towards Student Teaching

After completing all required coursework and passing the appropriate Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) subject test, candidates complete a full-time directed teaching experience that lasts one semester (two for LD).  To be eligible for student teaching, students must meet the criteria as outlined on the Student Teaching Eligibility page.

(by teaching majors and minors)

For a personalized plan, please fill the Transcript Evaluation Request Form and an unofficial plan of work will be sent to your email address as an attachment or by mail. Allow at least 2-3 weeks for evaluation.

CEHHS Office for Student Success
262 (2nd Floor) Fairlane Center South (FCS)
19000 Hubbard Drive Dearborn, MI 48126
[email protected]
313-593-5090