Certification
All candidates accepted into the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows will earn a Pennsylvania Teacher Intern Certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The Intern Certificate has been created to allow outstanding individuals from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to teach while taking graduate-level education credits to achieve a fully-recognized Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate.
The Intern Certificate allows Fellows to learn as they work and to apply the lessons of their day-to-day classroom experiences to their studies. The Philadelphia Teaching Fellows program has established partnerships with several certification institutions that align with the requirements and structures of the Teaching Fellows program and the needs of full-time SDP teachers. Those partners include*:
Philadelphia Teaching Fellows University Partners
| University Partner | Eligibile Subject Areas | Cost to Fellows |
|---|---|---|
Arcadia University |
|
$415/credit ($1,245 for 3 credit graduate course) for all professional education certification courses who do not qualify for the CIMS grant. Additional graduate courses to complete a master's degree will be offered at a 20% tuition discount. |
Chestnut Hill College |
|
$1,010 flat fee per 3-credit course (this discounted rate is exclusively offered to Fellows) Chestnut Hill College is a participating university partner in the TEACH Grant Program: provides grants of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families. In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students, and must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years. |
Drexel University |
|
Full tuition for qualified Teaching Fellows through the Transition to Teaching grant |
Eastern University |
|
$415/credit ($1,245 for 3 credit graduate course) for all professional education certification courses. Secondary and Special Education teachers in Mathematics, Biology, or Chemistry certifications may be eligible for the MAST grant which offers free tuition for the 2011 calendar year. Grant has limited availability; please complete online application as soon as possible to increase chances for eligibility. |
Holy Family University |
|
$1000 per 3 credit course (A 15% tuition reduction exclusively offered to Fellows) |
All Fellows will have a unique opportunity to take required graduate-level coursework at one of our partner colleges/universities. According our university partner choice model, Fellows will have the opportunity to choose the certification program that best fits their personal needs. In order to be enrolled in the Fellows program and to be granted the Intern Certificate, candidates will need to fulfill all university application requirements - including successful completion of the Praxis exams.
If you are receiving a tuition discount or grant funding, be sure to verify with the university you attend the stipulations of the funding prior to enrollment. For example, if your coursework is paid for by a grant and you withdraw from the program prior to completing your certification, you may need to pay back the amount you received from the grant.
Fellows are responsible for prompt payment of all tuition and fees. The universities with which we partner have agreed to offer discounted tuition rates for Fellows as listed above***. The number of required credits varies based on subject area and previous coursework.
Continuous enrollment in the University program is a requirement for the Intern Certificate and participation in the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows program.
Fellows may also have the opportunity to earn a masters degree in addition to the Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate.
Candidates will receive more information about the University program and the requirements once they are accepted into the Fellows program.
* University partner relationships are subject to change based on the needs of our program and the universities that we work with.
** These funding opportunities are subject to change based on the renewal or continuation of the grants received by our university partners at the federal and state levels.
*** Tuition rates may increase slightly for the 2011 school year.
Any changes to university partners, funding of certification coursework through grants, and tuition rates will be promptly updated on our website.