The University of Pittsburgh School of Education offers
two program options in Elementary Education at the post-baccalaureate level.
State Certification
The School of Education will continue to accept applications for Elementary Education Certification (K-6) for the 2012/2013 academic year. After 2013,
the K-6 certification will continue to be recognized in the State of Pennsylvania and in states across the country. Contact Meryl Lazar (
mklazar@pitt.edu) if you have questions.
Post-Baccalaureate Options
If a student chooses one of the post-baccalaureate options, he/she may choose any undergraduate major and complete prerequisite courses required for admission. The program options include the Professional Year (PY) certification-only option, or the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) certification plus master’s degree program. Students who successfully complete either the PY or MAT programs must pass relevant sections of a national exam (PRAXIS I and II) to be eligible to apply for a Pennsylvania Instructional I certification in Elementary Education.
All Elementary Education program options provide quality teaching placements in urban and suburban schools. These placements are made in consultation with the Field Placement Director after candidates have been accepted into any of the programs.
For those people who have successfully completed the Professional Year (PY) program, and those who have completed the undergraduate Elementary Certification program, there are Masters of Education (MEd) program options.