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WKKF-WW Michigan Teaching Fellowship

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Eligibility Requirements: Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for the WKKF-WW Michigan Teaching Fellowship?

The Fellowship is open to college seniors, graduates, and career changers who:

• demonstrate a commitment to the program and its goals;
• have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency;
• have attained, or expect to attain by May 30, 2012, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university;
• have majored in and/or have a strong professional background in a STEM field;
• have achieved a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale overall on the last 60 credits of undergraduate work and in the 30 plus credits in the major  (negotiable for applicants from institutions that do not employ a 4.0 GPA scale); and
• obtain a passing score on the Basic Skills exam of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification covering reading, writing and mathematics basic skills areas.

More information is available on the Woodrow Wilson Foundation website.

Do I have to have a major listed on my transcripts to have a major for state endorsement?

No, however your transcript must show sufficient credit hours and distribution of courses in the subject area to meet the 30-36 hour minimal requirements. Teachers must have a major in mathematics or science (biology, chemistry, or  physics) or its equivalent to be considered as highly qualified to teach that subject. The State of Michigan defines a major equivalent in the following way:

What is a major equivalent?

A major for the purposes of No Child Left Behind Act and Highly Qualified has been determined to be equal to 30 semester credit hours. When determining if a teacher has a major in a specific subject area, credit from undergraduate and graduate course work may be counted. Credit does not need to be on one transcript. At GVSU, once Fellows are accepted, transcripts will be reviewed by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences student advising center to determine how your background fits the expectations for secondary teachers.  You will need to have a minimum of 30 credits in the subject with a distribution of courses consistent with requirements for subjects you wish to teach. It is recommended that you review the endorsement course listings fourn here then contact the Programt Office immediately upon receipt of your fellowship to discuss your subject matter planned program.

How will you determine if I have the equivalent of a teachable major?

Determination of teachable majors and minors for Fellows in the W. K. Kellogg Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship Program will be completed only after a Fellowship has been offered and accepted.  The listing of courses that will be used to determine your background in your major is found under the endorsement section here. It is recommended that you review thsi lsitng then contact the Programt Office to discuss the requirements in your major. Fellows enrolling at GVSU will be seeking majors to gain endorsements in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics or earth/space science. 

If a major is not determined until I have been selected as a Fellow, what is that process?

Applicants apply on-line on the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation website between June 2012 and January  2013. The Foundation will be looking at the academic background and teaching commitment of all applicants for the W. K. Kellogg Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship Program. All applicants should have background in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) discipline and a GPA of 3.0 or better, overall and in your science or mathematics subject area, as well as a commitment to teaching in high need secondary schools.  For more information please see the Woodrow Wilson website.

After you complete the on-line application on the Woodrow Wilson website and send them the required information, including transcripts from all higher education institutions, your application will be carefully considered by the Woodrfow Wilson National Fellow Foundation. The last date for receipt of application information, including transcripts and recommendations is early January 2013 for the 2013 group of Fellows. Outstanding candidates will be selected to participate in the Woodrow Wilson Foundation’s interview process.  After another review at the Foundation, selected applicant materials will be sent to one of the six Michigan partner universities (Grand Valley State University, Wayne State University, Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University or Western Michigan University) for acceptance into a program specifically designed for the W. K. Kellogg Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship Program. Only after selection by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and acceptance by a partner university will applicants be offered a Fellowship. Applicants will be notified in April of receipt of the fellowship. For general information about the application process and important dates go to the Woodrow Wilson website. 

Once applicants have been selected for the Fellowship and admitted to a partner university, such as Grand Valley State University, the Fellow will meet with a program advisor to review your coursework and match it to the standards in your field. We recommend that you set up this appointment as soon as you receive notification of receipt of the Fellowship.

If you are seeking Michigan endorsement in biology, chemistry, or physics your advisor will be using the Michigan Standards for Certificate Endorsements and the Standards for Science Teacher Preparation developed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) as the primary guidelines.   It should be noted that the NSTA standards have undergone some revisions which are posted on their website.

If you are seeking an endorsement in mathematics, your advisor will use the Michigan Standards for Certificate Endorsements and the Standards for Secondary Mathematics Teachers developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and adopted by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). You also may want to check the NCTM website from time to time as they are cahnging their standards.

The GVSU College of Education website provides information on what is required for certification at the secondary level through our regular undergraduate and Graduate Teacher Certification (GTC) programs. The GVSU approved teachable majors and minors are listed here. Advisors will use this information when reviewing transcripts for majors and minors. Major coursework and its equivalent does not have to exactly match the GVSU courses but you must have a minimum of 30 credits in your teachable major with a distribution of courses that meet state and national standards and a GPA on these courses of 3.0 or better.  Sample mathematics and science major planned program forms are found under the Endorsement section of this website.

If you do not have a major in math or science or do not want to teach in these areas, you may want to consider applying for the Graduate Teacher Certification (GTC) program at GVSU.

Page last modified June 28, 2012