The Teacher Education Program offers two distinct paths for the preparation of teachers:

1. A secondary-level apprenticeship program not leading to State certification that generally qualifies students to teach in private schools only.
2. Elementary and secondary programs that result in provisional certification by the State of Michigan, thereby qualifiying students to teach in the public schools.

Students planning to teach in schools not requiring State certification may apply to the Hillsdale College Liberal Arts Teacher Apprenticeship. The decision date on applications for the upcoming year is June 1.

For students interested in public school employment, or those who wish in any case to be certified, the Teacher Education Program offers qualified applicants two programs leading to State certification:

1. Preparation for the State of Michigan’s Elementary Provisional Teaching Certificate (Grades K-8). Under this program, it is also possible to be prepared for the State of Michigan’s Early Childhood Education endorsement on the Elementary Provisional Teaching Certificate.
2. Preparation for the State of Michigan’s Secondary Provisional Teaching Certificate (Grades 7-12).

All students accepted into the certification program are required to complete the professional education coursework sequence, of which no courses may be audited. Students should possess a scheduling familiarity with the professional education coursework sequence by the beginning of the sophomore year. This will ensure coursework enrollment in conjunction with that sequence and its system of prerequisites. Students who delay enrollment in the professional education coursework sequence until the junior year should anticipate the necessity of one or more semesters of study beyond the senior year.

Students admitted to the Teacher Education Program are bound by the applicable guidelines and regulations in place at the time they are admitted to the program.