Teacher Apprenticeship FAQs

Many students have asked the following questions regarding what happens once GVSU receives your Teacher Apprenticeship application. We hope you find the following information helpful as you wait to hear about your acceptance to GVSU's Teacher Apprenticeship semester.

If you need additional information, email the Office of Certification and Accreditation at [email protected] or call (616) 331-6650.

If you accidentally send a recommendation request to the wrong person (or you'd like to resend the request), please email the Office of Certification and Accreditation at [email protected] and ask to reset your recommendation request.

For your Teacher Apprenticeship and Internship applications, your placement specialist will review your resume to ensure it meets the expectations of our K-12 partner school principals. Your resume must be professional, complete, and contain an education-related objective. We encourage all applicants to meet with GVSU's Career Center to help build their resumes for their applications, find their first jobs, and gain tips for interviews. 

Resume Template

Sample Resume for Teacher Apprenticeship

All Teacher Apprenticeship applications are carefully reviewed. When you submit all your application materials online, you will be contacted to schedule an interview with your placement specialist. In that interview, the placement specialist will review your application materials with you and provide information about your orientation. After your interview, you will learn of your admittance status via an email from your placement specialist.

Students who qualify for Secondary Review meet all other requirements at the time of application for Teacher Apprenticeship or Teacher Internship with GPA(s) in the following ranges:

  • Overall GVSU GPA:  2.699-2.500.
  • Education Majors:  2.699-2.500 (includes Education, Educational Studies, Secondary Education, and Special Education majors).
  • Content Area Major GPA:  2.699-2.500 (includes PCKET and CSAT majors).
    • NOTE: The following content area majors require a 2.999-2.700 GPA for secondary review: Art Education, Language Arts, Social Studies, English, and History.
  • Content Area Minor GPA:  2.699-2.500 (NOTE: English and History subject area minors require a 2.999-2.700 GPA for secondary review).

Students with GPA(s) within secondary review ranges are required to include with their application for Teacher Apprenticeship:

  1. Verification of registration for required MTTC test
    • Test date must be scheduled before the beginning of your Teacher Apprenticeship semester.
    • Secondary Education, Art, Music, Health and Physical Education candidates: Major content area test(s)
    • Elementary Education candidates with a major in CSAT, Integrated Science, Language Arts, Mathematics, or Social Studies: Elementary Education test #103
    • Educational Studies/PCKET and Special Education/PCKET candidates will take lower (PK-3) or upper (3-6) elementary MTTC tests that align with the declared grade band. Students enrolled in the dual grade band certification program (Pk-6) are only required to take lower or upper elementary MTTC tests for secondary review prior to teacher apprenticeship, completion of both lower and upper elementary MTTC tests is encouraged. 
  2. MTTC preparation/study plan, which includes:
    • Outline of study plan and timeline
    • Resources students will engage in to prepare for MTTC test(s)

Advisors will review students' MTTC preparation plans during their recommendation meetings.

Secondary review students who meet the above requirements at the time of application for teacher apprenticeship and continue to successfully meet program, academic, and GPA requirements will be approved for Teacher Apprenticeship, provided approval to register for Teacher Apprenticeship academic courses, included in Teacher Apprenticeship orientations, and clinical field placements arrangements.

Secondary review students who have not passed their MTTC test(s) prior to Teacher Apprenticeship/Internship will be provided the opportunity to either:

  • withdraw their application for Teacher Apprenticeship/Internship and re-apply for a future semester. This allows the student to focus on preparation and passing their required MTTC test(s), which are required by the State of Michigan to apply for initial teacher certification following completion of their teacher preparation program.
  • or sign a letter of understanding demonstrating that the student understands that they are choosing to continue with Teacher Apprenticeship/Internship, not yet having passed their MTTC test(s) and will not be eligible to apply for initial teacher certification until after passing their requirement MTTC test(s).
  • 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 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.

After your interview with your placement specialist, you will receive a follow-up email with the Live Scan Packet attached. This packet includes directions, possible locations for fingerprinting, and the two forms you’ll need to complete and upload to your Candidacy File. The Live Scan Background Request Form must be printed and brought to your fingerprinting appointment. The Michigan Waiver Agreement must be signed by yourself. If you have previously been fingerprinted by another organization (child care, EduStaff), you must complete another Live Scan. Entities are not legally allowed to share results with one another.

Students admitted to a Teacher Apprenticeship will be provided authorization to register for their Teacher Apprenticeship courses after attending the Teacher Apprenticeship Orientation. If you are applying for a Fall practicum, registration will open on the same day for all students within the program, regardless of number of credits. All applicants regardless of admission status will be invited to attend the Teacher Apprenticeship Orientation but not all will be permitted to register for those courses.

It takes several weeks for your Placement Specialist to facilitate placements for all Education applicants. You will learn of your tentative placement by email as the placements are secured.

You will receive a form from the Education program informing you of your tentative placement. Once you get your placement form, it is your responsibility to reach out to your possible mentor teacher to set up an interview in person or virtually. You must return your signed placement form to [email protected] as confirmation of your placement. If for some reason the first interview does not result in a placement, the Placement Coordinator will locate a second placement for you.

Dress professionally as though you were going for a job interview. Answer all questions honestly and clearly. It is also good idea to refer to their website prior to the interview to familiarize yourself with the district and to take copies of your résumé to the interview.

The MTTC Subject Area Tests should be taken when your majors, minors and/or endorsement coursework have been completed.



Page last modified June 25, 2024