Admission Requirements

Undergraduate Programs

All new undergraduate students arrive at the Cato College of Education as pre-majors. In order to be admitted to Teacher Education and begin major coursework, the following requirements must be met:

  • C or better in EDUC 1511 and SPED 2100; or MDSK 2100 (SECD Minors only); EDUC 11511 is EDU 216 and EDU 221, respectively, at NCCCs; MDSK 2100 does not have an NCCC equivalent
  • 30 credit hours
  • UNC Charlotte GPA of 2.7 or higher; students must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher to remain in good standing in their major*
    *Admitted students who drop below a cumulative GPA of 2.5 have one probationary fall or spring semester to return to good standing in their major. Professional education coursework may be taken during the probationary semester. Students who do not raise their cumulative GPA to 2.5 following the probationary semester will return to pre-major status and be ineligible to continue professional education coursework until they meet the 2.7 GPA required for program admission.
  • Passing scores on the Praxis Core or exempting SAT/ACT scores
  • A completed application on file in TEAL and satisfactory results from a criminal background check (run at the time of application). View the full Cato COED CBC and Drug Screening Policy.

Please call the TEAL main line (704-687-8725) or contact your education advisor with questions.

Graduate Certificate in Teaching

Applicants for the Graduate Certificate in Teaching must meet the following requirements:

  • A four-year undergraduate degree from a regionally-accredited institution
  • An overall GPA of at least 2.75; an overall GPA of 2.7 or higher will be considered with very strong recommendations*
  • For Middle Grades, Secondary, Foreign Language, and CTE concentrations, one of the following:
    • A relevant undergraduate degree (see planning sheets)
    • 21 hours of background coursework (see planning sheets)**
    • Passing scores on exams required for NC licensure. Note: Secondary applicants only need passing scores on the relevant content Praxis Subject Exam prior to program admission.
  • For Foreign Language (except Chinese, French, German, or Spanish) concentrations:
    • Full-time employment as a teacher in the program content area
  • Completed application with the Graduate School, including:

*Applicants with an overall GPA below 2.7 can seek admission through GPA forgiveness.

**It is strongly recommended that you contact Ms. Cassandra Himes (chimes1@charlotte.edu, 704-687-8727) to have your background content credits reviewed prior to submitting an application to the Graduate School.

Questions regarding the Graduate Certificate in Teaching for Art Education should be directed to Ms. Ashley Gibson (agibso55@charlotte.edu, 704-687-5235).

Questions regarding the Graduate Certificate in Teaching for Elementary Education and Special Education should be directed to Ms. Ashley Langan (alangan1@charlotte.edu).

Questions regarding the Graduate Certificate in Teaching for all other licensure areas should be directed to Ms. Cassandra Himes (chimes1@charlotte.edu, 704-687-8727).

Please join our virtual drop-in sessions on Tuesdays from 10-11 am and Thursdays from 3-4 pm to inquire about the Graduate Certificate in Teaching.

Join Tuesday meetings and Thursday meetings.