Teacher Apprenticeship Application

General Information for Teacher Apprenticeship Applicants

  • All application materials are due prior to February 1st, the earlier the better!
  • To ensure the most accurate processing, the completed application and associated application materials must be submitted before scheduling your review meeting.
  • Upon receipt of your completed Teacher Apprenticeship application packet, an invitation to schedule your application review meeting will be sent via your student email. Meetings will be scheduled through Navigate after you submit your application.
  • Application review appointments will be available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and will be scheduled after you submit your application.

Admission Criteria

All requirements must be met prior to Teacher Apprenticeship

  1. Academic Achievement.
    • A minimum 2.70 GPA (GVSU) in your overall, majors, and minor is required. Language Arts, Art, English, & History majors require a 3.00 GPA. GPA requirements must be met prior to being approved to register for Teacher Apprenticeship courses and arrangement of field placement. You may access your current GPAs on myBanner by going to your myPath. The GPAs are broken down at the top of each section for your majors and minors.
  2. Prerequisite Courses (All prerequisite courses must be completed or in progress during the semester of application.)
    1. Required of all candidates for admission:
      • EDF 315 Diverse Perspectives on Education
      • PSY 301 Child Development
      • EDI 338 Teachers as Decision Makers (elementary) OR EDI 339 Teachers as Decision Makers (secondary) Note: Not required for the Special Education program
    2. Required of elementary general education candidates for admission:
      • ENG 308 Teaching Reading: Necessary Skills
      • EDI 338 Teachers as Decision Makers
      • MTH 221 and MTH 222 or MTH 223 (only one math course must be completed before or in progress during the semester of application).
    3. The GVSU GPA in all required courses must calculate to a 2.70. No individual grade can be below a “C”. Transfer equivalents will not be calculated in the GPA; however, the transfer grades must meet requirements or be C or higher.
  3. Academic Progress.
    • Completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours and of most of your major/minor and general education requirements. Must be completed during the semester of application.
  4. University Requirements.
    • Completion of course requirements or test equivalents in Writing 150. Must be completed prior to the application deadline or prior to the Teacher Apprenticeship.

Application Requirements

MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE APPLICATION DEADLINE

  1. Education Advising Recommendation form
    • A form will be provided by your Education advisor, listed as your Major Advisor 2 in Navigate
    • To schedule an advising appointment, please see the instructions to schedule an appointment using Navigate. If you cannot make an appointment with your advisor via Navigate, contact your Education faculty advisor directly via email or phone.
  2. Major Advisor Recommendation form
    • Contact your advisor (listed as your Major Advisor 1 in Navigate) to request an appointment. It is recommended to do this well in advance of the application due date.
    • Elementary & Secondary Recommendation Form, 
      • This form is also used for students pursuing Elementary ESL, Spanish, and Early Childhood minors within the Elementary CSAT program.
    • Special Education (CSAT) Recommendation Form
  3. Positive Recommendation
    • One from an unrelated individual who can address the candidate's ability as a prospective teacher.
  4. Documentation of 25 hours of experience
    • With children or youth (paid or unpaid). The experience must be with the age group for which the applicant intends to seek certification. You may use the Verification of Experience Form to document your hours. For additional options, refer to the Education Programs Student Handbook. Note that students in the PCKET program automatically receive 25 experience hours in their courses, and do not need to submit documentation.
  5. Current Résumé
  6.  Application review meeting with your placement specialist. 
    • After you have submitted all the application documents listed above, you will meet with your Placement Specialist to review your application materials and they can begin the process of finding your placement. This is the final step in applying for field placement and is a Zoom meeting setup through Navigate. You will receive an email to your GVSU e-mail account one business day after you apply. The email will invite you to set up this meeting through Navigate.

Requirements for Field Placement

Upon admission to the Teacher Apprenticeship, the Education programs will arrange an appropriate field placement for the Teacher Apprenticeship. The field placement will be contingent upon an interview and acceptance by the prospective mentor teacher and/or school administrator.

Field placements are generally made within a 50-mile radius of campus. Placements will be made outside this area only if deemed necessary for suitable supervision and effective use of GVSU resources.

Students who postpone the Teacher Apprenticeship after admission must re-apply as new applicants if they seek readmission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many students have asked the following questions regarding what happens once the application has been received. We hope that you find this information helpful as you wait to hear about your field placement decisions from the Education programs.



Page last modified March 21, 2023