Teacher Certification Program (TCP)

The Teacher Certification Program (TCP) offers an alternative path to certification for individuals seeking a career in secondary school teaching. The program leads to certification in one of the following areas: Biology, Chemistry, English, French, Italian, Mathematics, Physics, Social Studies/History, and Spanish.

Students must have completed a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent (30 credit hours) in their content area. Students without a bachelor’s degree may earn their certification while completing their Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies at Providence College.

TCP requirements include the successful completion of 18 credit hours of professional education courses, including field experiences; a 12-week (9 credit hours) student teaching practicum; passing scores on the Praxis II Subject Assessment of Content-Area Knowledge and the Principles of Learning and Teaching Test; construction of a student growth plan reflective of the Rhode Island Professional Teacher Standards; and a final recommendation for certification.

By the end of the program, students will be knowledgeable about the Rhode Island Professional Teachers Standards and will be competent in integrating these standards within their teaching practice.
 

Admission Requirements:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. (Qualified students may apply for special permission to enter TCP as they simultaneously complete their undergraduate programs.)
• A major or a minimum of 30 undergraduate credits in one of the content areas listed above.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75.
• Two letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s potential for a career in teaching.
• Scores on the PRAXIS I  Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) that meet or exceed the following levels:
       Reading 179
       Writing 177
       Mathematics 179
• Personal interview with the TCP coordinator.

(Students may be able to waive the Praxis I PPST requirement based on their SAT, ACT, GRE scores or a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher. ACT test required scores are:  Reading 24 and Math 20.)

Students who have not earned their bachelor’s degree may enroll in SCE’s Liberal Studies​ program and earn secondary teaching certification while completing their undergraduate degree.

To apply to the Liberal Studies degree program and the TCP at the same time, students must:

• Have completed 30 undergraduate credits at a regionally accredited college or university;
• Submit official results for the ACT (minimum scores = 24 Reading, 2 Math).  Check here for other acceptable test scores;
• Follow all other TCP applicaiton instructions above..

Students who concurrently enroll in the Liberal Studies program must complete all content courses required for certification before enrolling in TCP classes, with the exception of EDU 201, Educational Psychology, and EDU 207, Principles of Secondary Education.

For more information, please contact the program coordinator, Robert Vachon, at 401.865.2487 or view the TCP website.