Frequently Asked Questions
You can sign up for the pre-education list-serv here!
With the OSU Double Degree program, we require that you have a primary major in another subject area. This helps ensure future educators have a solid foundation in the content area they wish to teach. This will typically (may differ with some majors) mean that students will have their first, or primary, degree totaling 180 credits. To get a second degree at OSU, you need at least 32 credits. Therefore, the credit mark we look for when a student is preparing to graduate from the Double Degree program is 212.
You can complete the 60 hours requirement by taking ED 309. The three credit course, offered fall and winter term for Corvallis students, allows you to complete volunteer hours in a local classroom spread over ten weeks. ED 309 is graded as pass/fail. All students wishing to participate in ED 309 must complete a background check and intake form prior to enrolling in the course. Instructions on how to complete the form and deadlines are available here.
Students can also choose to meet the requirements through 60 hours of approved volunteer or work experience in a public school classroom with the age group they hope to teach. This must be verified with a letter of reference and/or a Supervisor Evaluation Form from the supervising teacher.
The Content Mastery sheet is a list of courses at OSU that provide content knowledge in the content area, or subject, you wish to teach. Content mastery sheets tend to align with the major most related to a particular endorsement (i.e. the content mastery sheet for someone looking to teach Language Arts will see that there is significant overlap with the English major). You must attain at least a C- in each class that is required for your content mastery. Content mastery courses should not be taken for an S/U grade.
The OSU Double Degree program does not have the ability to grant special education endorsements, as we do not have the course availability to do so. For students who want to do the OSU Double Degree and get a special education endorsement, we will often advise students to complete that endorsement as part of their graduate coursework.
Refer to the Licensure webpage for more information.
Because we need to be able to track the status of your background check clearance, you will need to complete our forms. Background checks are valid for one year and are through Oregon Department of Education. Fingerprints are valid for three years and are processed through TSPC, OSP, and the FBI. More information here.
The cover letter should be one page long. This document is an introduction to potential cooperating teachers. Each cover letter is as unique as its author, but below are a few items you could consider including:
- A quick story about why you chose to become a teacher
- Details about personal interests that make you unique
Remember to keep the message positive, and to proofread it before submitting (consider asking a friend to read it over for you to double-check for spelling/grammatical corrections and overall readability).