Pennsylvania Department of Education Certification

In order to progress through Admission Review, students must submit an Admission Review Application to pde@mercyhurst.edu. This is typically done in February of sophomore year. Students must meet the following requirements to successfully complete Admission Review:

• Hold a 3.0 GPA with a minimum of 48 credits
• Completed six math credits
• Completed six English credits (three credits in writing and three credits in literature)
• Evidence of passing the Basic Skills Assessment test (PAPA or PRAXIS) or evidence of SAT/ACT minimum score report (waived until July 2025 under ACT 136). Students must complete a Testing Requirements Acknowledgement Form

Students meeting the above criteria and who have submitted an Admission Review application must arrange a review meeting with their advisor. Before the meeting, students are required to upload the following documents to their SharePoint under a folder designated Admission Review File:

• Professional Development Plan Form
• An unofficial transcript
• A preliminary resume

The student and advisor will both complete the Admission Review Determination Form. One copy will be kept in their advisor's file. The student will be responsible for uploading an additional copy to their SharePoint within their Professional File folder.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requires undergraduate Education students in certification programs to meet specific requirements to progress toward certification and be fully admitted into our teacher preparation programs. At Mercyhurst, we refer to this process as "Admission Review." The requirements and processes for Admission Review are indicated below; all forms can be obtained from your academic advisor. Please note: Eligible education students cannot register for additional classes until they have successfully completed Admission Review.

• Completed at least 48 credits
• Have a 3.0 GPA
• Passed PAPA, CORE (reading, writing, mathematics), or be exempt through SAT/ACT scores (waived until July 2025 under ACT 136)
• Completed two English courses
• Completed two math courses
• Add to SharePoint Folder #1-6 of Professional Portfolio
• Admission Review Determination Form

Requirements for graduate students are as follows:

• 3.0 GPA
• Successful completion of applicable PRAXIS II exam
• Three letters of recommendation
• Resume

The Content Area and GPA Qualifying Scores are subject to change by PDE. It is the responsibility of the test-taker to refer to the required scores published by PDE at the time of sitting for the exam. The most current testing requirements, including test codes, passing scores, qualifying scores, and composite scores, can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.

To graduate from Mercyhurst's Department of Education and receive a teaching certification from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), you must:

• Complete and obtain all clearances required
• Meet the requirements of and obtain “Teacher Candidacy” through Mercyhurst University
• Pass all required state-level testing and upload to SharePoint
• Meet all Field and Student Teaching requirements
• Earn a 3.0 GPA by your intended graduation date
• Upload all necessary documents listed in the Student Folder Checklist to SharePoint
• Complete and submit all required forms to PDE through the TIMS portal

Note: If you are seeking teacher certification from a state other than Pennsylvania, please follow the procedures required by that specific state. It is the student’s responsibility to investigate certification requirements from states other than Pennsylvania. Only international students who hold immigration status and have submitted a form of intent to become a citizen are eligible to apply for PDE teacher certification.

• Letter of Eligibility: While waiting for certification approval, students can use this form to request an Approved Program Completion Letter
• State Reciprocity: The Mercyhurst Department of Education holds interstate reciprocity with 45 U.S. states. Students may be required to complete additional testing and fees to receive reciprocity in their desired state. To learn more, visit Mercyhurst’s Professional Licensure Information webpage
• Request for Act 48 Credits/PERMS: The following information is required to submit your request for Act 48 Credits
  • Email pde@mercyhurst.edu to request the Act 48/PERMS Excel document for each course that you have taken and make sure that all of the information is correct and complete. You may list all courses on one Excel document. Save the completed document and send to pde@mercyhurst.edu
  • Mercyhurst's Department of Education will electronically forward your information to the state via PERMS

Know Before You Begin

An email to pde@mercyhurst.edu requesting a PA certification recommendation is required for Mercyhurst to Affirm and Recommend your TIMS application to PDE. Apply to TIMS, then immediately email pde@mercyhurst.edu a request for recommendation so that your application can move forward in a timely manner.

• If possible, sign up with a non-Mercyhurst permanent address and email. Your Mercyhurst contact information will soon be out of date
• You must complete your certification program before applying to TIMS. Bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates can apply after receiving their final program cumulative GPA (in May, August, or December)
• TIMS does not routinely require transcripts. However, if they are needed to confirm your credentials, TIMS will contact you directly
• You can submit your TIMS application after you have completed your program. You are advised to meet all tests required for your certification area at the time of application to avoid delays in processing. Any tests taken in PA will automatically be sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (You will be able to see which tests are on file with PDE via your TIMS application dashboard)
• It is highly recommended that you apply for certification as soon as you meet all requirements. Test and program requirements change over time and are applied at the time of application. To avoid disappointment later on, apply as soon as you can. Even if you do not plan to use the credential away, you have earned it, so do not lose it

Timeline

• Complete your Educator Preparation program at Mercyhurst
• Apply on TIMS and email a request for recommendation to pde@mercyhurst.edu
• Your TIMS Application Status will say “Waiting for Educ. or Work Exp. Verification"
• Mercyhurst University is your Institute of Higher Education—IHE. The Certification Office will verify your credentials and make a recommendation to PDE via the TIMS system
• Your Application Status will change to “Awaiting Evaluation"
• Wait in the PDE line for PDE to reach your application
• PDE review
• Certificate approved. Your Application Status will change to “Approved"
• PDE processing times vary, so allow 4-12 weeks for your certificate to be approved. Be sure to check your TIMS dashboard for application status

It is recommended that you have these notes available for reference as you work through the TIMS application.

Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) directions for creating a new application for instructional I certification for traditional undergraduates

BEFORE YOU CAN APPLY ONLINE THROUGH TIMS, ALL OF THE FOLLOWING MUST BE MET:

1.) You must have passed all of the required tests for certification
2.) It must be the month of your graduation or later
3.) Final grades must be posted on a final transcript

Instructional I TIMS Instructions

Log out of TIMS and log back in. You should be able to see your application. Your Application Status should say “Waiting for Educ.” or “Work Exp. Verification.”

• If you cannot see it, we cannot see it. We will not be able to recommend you. Please call TIMS for help
• After you have completed and submitted your TIMS application, you must let the Mercyhurst Certification Officer know that you have applied on TIMS and are now waiting for our verification and recommendation. Request a recommendation from the Mercyhurst Certification Office (pde@mercyhurst.edu)

Please allow adequate time for us to review your records and application in TIMS. Provided you have met all the requirements for certification AND submitted your Request for Recommendation form to pde@mercyhurst.edu, Mercyhurst will proceed as quickly as possible with your recommendation. Mercyhurst’s Certification Officer cannot make a recommendation to TIMS until your degree has been officially conferred. Degrees are officially conferred by the Office of the Registrar several weeks after the semester finishes; this is not the same date as Mercyhurst’s graduation ceremony. TIMS takes approximately 4-12 weeks to process an application from the time they receive our recommendation. You can check your status at any time by logging on to your TIMS dashboard.