Suggested GRCC Program:
Associate in Arts
Contact: Counseling Department
(616) 234-3900 or Child Development & Education Department
(616) 234-3380
A career in education demands a highly motivated individual dedicated to meeting the challenges presented in the real world of students, classrooms and schools. Students pursuing degrees in elementary, secondary or special education will be selecting majors and/or minors for their degrees. Specific program requirements vary from college to college and will determine the courses taken in major and/or minor areas of study. It is critical for students to seek out this information as soon as possible to begin to work through the process of determining the best transfer school. All students pursuing teacher certification should plan to take the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification: Basic Skills (reading, writing, mathematics) during the first semester of their sophomore year. All colleges require successful completion of this test before acceptance into their respective schools of education. For information on test dates, registration and cost, contact the Education Department in Room 266 of the Main Building.
GRCC has developed several articulation agreements/partnerships in Teacher Education with local colleges and universities. These agreements are designed to facilitate the transfer of credits from GRCC to their Schools of Education. Our main transfer institutions for teacher education are Aquinas College, Central Michigan University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, and Western Michigan University.
Teacher education candidates are advised to do the following while completing the GRCC admission and orientation process:
- Go to the GRCC Counseling and Career Center and meet with a counselor who can help design an individualized academic plan.
- Make sure that an education curriculum code is designated. This will ensure that pertinent information about the teaching profession provided through GRCC’s Education Department is received.
- Each four-year institution has unique requirements for entrance into its School/College of Education. Students should contact their transfer institution early in their freshman year to determine specific transfer requirements. Note that some transfer schools require a dual application process: one application for admission into the 4-year institution and a second application for admission into the school of education.
Contact Counseling & Career Center to meet with an advisor and discuss the program further.
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