Undergraduate Secondary Application Checklist & Materials
Candidates for the Secondary Teacher Licensure program are admitted on a rolling admissions basis. Complete files are reviewed monthly. Students may apply up to three years prior to the Licensure Year of the program. Complete applications must be received no later than February 1st prior to the anticipated licensure year (i.e., if you plan to start the licensure year in Fall 2026, your application must be submitted no later than February 1st, 2026). Students are encouraged to apply early.
Please review the scheduling options for your licensing/student teaching year - Schedule
Details of the admissions requirement are described in the program summary.
Due to the competitive nature of our programs, meeting minimum admission standards does not guarantee acceptance. Preference will be given to students who will teach in areas of greatest need, and those with a teaching minor in addition to their teaching major.
REQUEST YOUR RECOMMENDATION FORMS AT LEAST THREE MONTHS BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION
Ask for three references, one letter from each of the three areas.
Please see the tabs below for the types of recommendations we need.
If you already know who you plan to use for your reference prior to submitting your application, please use the reference identification form to request form submissions before you begin the application. Once you have completed the form an email will be sent to your references with instructions on how to complete the form. Please be sure you have talked to them before filling out the form so that they are expecting the email.
The email will come from NoReply@hyland.com. Students should have all References add NoReply@hyland.com to their accepted list of contacts in their email to reduce emails bouncing or not being received and should be added prior to submitting your Reference Identification form or your Application form. If your recommenders have not received that email after you submitted the form, please email kristen.lindsay@utah.edu for assistance. Recommenders should check their junk or spam folder in case the email is sent there. Only complete this form once, either before you begin your online application or when you complete the application.
Remember, it's important to verify with your letter writers that they are willing to complete a recommendation for you before you put their information in the recommendation form. Do not just put their name down. Not everyone feels comfortable completing a recommendation.
Reference Identification Form Students should only complete this form once. Please contact UITE if you need to verify if you have completed this already. You have your choice of doing it now by using that link and then answering that you've already completed it on your application, or waiting and entering your Recommender names on the application itself. Note, Letters of recommendation are no longer required for the UITE Licensure program application. Students who want to have their recommenders add a letter to their application can do so by having the recommender email Kristen Lindsay directly with the letter.
Letters should come directly from individuals who have insights into educational experiences, intellectual abilities, and professional temperament rather than family and friends. Letters should be on letterhead when appropriate and have been written within the past year.
Have a question about who to ask or if someone that you want to write a letter for you is appropriate? Come in or email UITE and we can answer that question for you.
This letter should be written by a professional educator who has supervised and/or observed you while you interacted with junior high and/or high school age children in an academic setting. (Recommended sources include volunteer work or practicum experiences in public schools affiliated with university coursework.)
This letter must be written by a professor in your major subject area, who can write knowledgeably about your intellectual performance and your abilities as a scholar (University of Utah instructors are preferred when students have completed at least one semester at the U of U).
For example: If you are a History Teaching Major, this letter should be written by a professor you have had in the History Department.
This letter should be written by an employer or an additional course instructor, who can address your professional competencies (i.e., reliability, initiative, organization, communication skills, and contributions to a group working situation). This letter could be written by a past or current employer or any additional university or college instructor.
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COMPLETE THE REST OF YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS ONE MONTH BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION
These workshops are designed to assist students, answer questions, and help navigate the information needed to successfully submit your application for both the Teacher Education Licensure Programs and the College of Education Scholarships.
The workshops are available as a year-round resource. A live workshop will be available for students to participate in person and through Zoom. The 2023-2024 LIve Workshop dates will be available in the fall! Please click on the link to learn more about the workshops.
University of Utah Transcripts:
You will be required to upload your own official transcripts to your application. Please have official electronic transcripts sent directly to your personal email, so you can upload the U of U transcripts to your UITE application. Do not send your transcripts to the UITE. Order online transcript. The U of U Office of the Registrar is located in the Student Services Bldg. (SSB) 250 and can be reached at (801) 581-8964. If you are matriculated at the U of U but have not yet completed coursework to have a transcript, then please submit a current U of U semester course schedule. These transcripts must be uploaded directly to your application. Please have official electronic transcripts sent directly to your personal email, and paper transcripts mailed directly to you, so you can upload the transcripts to your UITE application.
Transfer and/or Concurrent Enrollment Transcripts:
No matter how long ago or how little credit was earned, including all correspondence and/or foreign credit. Paper or electronic transcript accepted, electronic preferred. These transcripts should be scanned and uploaded directly to your application. Note that these transcripts should be from the institution of higher education. High school transcripts will not be accepted. Students should contact the institution of higher education for these transcripts. For example if a student completed concurrent enrollment at SLCC while in high school they should contact SLCC for an official transcript. This does include any concurrent enrollment that you might have completed. You must have all transcripts sent to yourself and then upload to the system. UITE does not have access to University of Utah Office of Admissions Transcripts.
Students should have a 3.0 cumulative gpa (University of Utah and, if applicable, Transfer and concurrent enrollment gpas).
Submit a statement informing the Admissions Committee of your strengths as a candidate in the teacher education program at the University of Utah. Your essay should include:
- a demonstration of your ability to think deeply about and analyze contemporary educational issues;
- an illustration of your commitment to the teaching profession;
- multicultural education and diversity in the classroom;
- should address the mission of the Urban Institute for Teacher Education;
- and a discussion of how you will contribute to urban schools as a future educator.
Essays should be approximately two pages in length and may be double-spaced.
Students are recommended to use the Teacher Education Workshop Series: Statement of Professional Purpose to help them write their statement.
The UITE Admissions Committee uses this rubric to assist in assessing the Statement.
Students should fill in the Completion Plan beginning with the current semester and continuing each semester until graduation including the UITE Licensure Year.
Students are recommended to use linked Completion Plan and use their academic planning sheets that they have created with their academic advisors to fill it out.
A requirement for secondary students. Please meet with your academic advisor to have them complete and sign off on the form for you to upload with your application.
If your background check has expired, it must be renewed in order for you to apply to the program. Students should submit their USIMS Screenshot for USBE Background Check verification. Assistance can be found on the 4th header down: Need a Screenshot for a Permission Code or your UITE Admissions Application?
If it's been around five years since you completed your USBE Background Check and you want to check if it's still valid, please email Kristen Lindsay, kristen.lindsay@utah.edu with your CACTUS id number, found on your USIMS account.
Degree Audit. Students are required to add a pdf version of their current degree audit. Use the "printer friendly version" when printing your degree audit. Students should verify that their degree audit has both the major and minor program requirements for thier program on it and secondary licensure program requirements. If secondary licensure program requirements do not appear, please run a degree audit for the Secondary Education program. This can be found by requesting a What-If Audit, searching for the College of Education, Secondary Licensure Program, no degree and the catalog year. Both audits should be included in your application.
This is the last thing you will do. Once you have completed all of the other materials, you will submit your application. Apply Now
If you have already completed the letter of recommendation form, do not submit it as part of your application. On that question, answer yes you have already completed it. If you're not sure, if you have or not, please send Kristen Lindsay an email, kristen.lindsay@utah.edu and ask her to see if you've already completed it.
If you are interested in the program, please contact:
UITE Advisor
Sara Hatch
SAEC 2264
801-581-6818