Prior to receiving licensure, each candidate must satisfactorily participate in a series of carefully planned, supervised and evaluated clinical and field-based experiences for which specific learning objectives have been established. A variety of experiences in diverse settings must be completed prior to student teaching. A minimum of one hundred clock-hours of field experiences prior to student teaching is required. Additionally, students who do not yet hold teaching licenses must obtain and hold a Pre-Service Teacher Permit from the State Board of Education in order to participate in any practicum or student teaching.
Clinical Experience - A graduate student participating in a clinical experience registers for practicum courses in the designated area of study. Clinical experiences range from 1-3 semester credits; the actual credits taken vary by program. Clinical experiences taken in more than one semester have differing objectives and experiences and are not interchangeable. One semester hour of credit is equivalent to 50 hours of in-school clinical experience. A clinical experience is to be well-defined by the joint efforts of the faculty member coordinating the clinical experience and the graduate student. Objectives will be kept on file in the student’s official university file.