Welcome to the University of Utah
and the College of Education!
Congratulations on your admission to the University of Utah! We're excited to welcome you to the College of Education!
Whether you are an incoming freshman or a transfer student, this site is designed to help guide and answer questions as you navigate your way through the University of Utah and College of Education New Student Orientation process.
Meet our aDVISORS
Our academic advisors are here to help guide you through the College of Education Licensure Programs. They are an incredible resource for you to meet, ask questions, and get in touch with resources that are meant to help you through your time at the University of Utah.

Kaitlin Lindsey
Department of Special Education
Academic Advisor

Sara Hatch Southwick
Urban Institute for Teacher Education
Academic Advisor

Chloe Mitchell
Educational Psychology
Program Assistant

Julia Hood
Educational Psychology
Director
Welcome
These modules will help you learn about the University of Utah, the College of Education and resources that are available to you.
There are three steps to completing your New Student Orientation at the University of Utah.
- Complete your Freshman or Transfer Student Orientation Modules on Canvas.
- Complete your College of Education Modules on Canvas.
- Schedule your Academic Advising appointment with your College of Education Advisor.
The tabs on the left will help guide you in the process. Please click on each one to ensure that you complete these in the correct order.
University of Utah
Freshman and Transfer Student
Orientation Modules
All new freshman and transfer students at the University of Utah must complete the New Student Orientation modules on your Canvas page. A link to these modules was emailed to you when you registered for New Student Orientation. It is important to complete these modules first, prior to meeting with your academic advisor, as there is vital information that you need to know to move to the second step of Orientation.
Having trouble accessing the New Freshman or Transfer Orientation Modules? Check to make sure you've done the following:
Make sure you check your Umail for the course invitation.
Access Canvas in CIS using your unid and password.
There is no time limit but you can expect to complete the course in about 2 hours.
Remember that you must complete this step to move forward in your Orientation.
University of Utah New and Transfer Student Orientation
College of Education
Canvas Modules
Once you have completed the University of Utah New Freshman or Transfer Orientation Modules, please complete the College of Education Canvas Modules linked below. These are specific to the College of Education and necessary for you to complete as they are designed to help you transition to the College of Education and will help answer questions like:
What is the Department of Special Education?
What is the UITE?
What is Educational Psychology?
How do I complete a USBE Background Check?
What is FERPA?
How do I schedule an advising appointment?
….and so much more!
We strongly recommend that you complete these modules prior to scheduling your advising appointment as many questions that you might have will be answered within these modules.
To begin your College of Education Orientation Modules, please click here.
College of education
Schedule an Advising Appointment
Now that you have completed both your University of Utah New Student Orientation and the College of Education Orientation Modules, it's time to schedule an appointment with your advisor. Please click on the advisor that you are interested in meeting with to reach your academic goals.
Kaitlin Lindsey
Special Education Advisor
-Mild/Moderate Disabilities
-Severe Disabilities,
-Preschool/Early Intervention Special Education
-Visual Impairments
-Deaf and Hard of Hearing
-Special Education Minor
Schedule an Appointment with Kaitlin
Sara Hatch Southwick
UITE Advisor
-Elementary (K-3, K-6)
-Secondary Education (6-12)
Art, Biology, Chemistry, Dance, Earth Science, English, Film, French, History, Math, Physics, Spanish and Theatre
Schedule an Appointment with Sara
Julia Hood
Educational Psychology Undergraduate Program Interim Director
Educational Psychology B.S. or B.A.
- Training in behavioral mental health
- Coursework leads to employment as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), and other student support assistants. Questions? julia.hood@utah.edu
Timeline
The timeline below should help guide you in completing your New Student Orientation steps. Please use this resource to help you remain on track and complete your Orientation modules on time.

Resources
We recommend students use these resources to help them complete their New Student Orientation.
Math Placement Writing Placement Bachelor's Degree Worksheet Graduation Worksheet
UCARD Schedule Builder PDF Permission Codes Special Education Permission Codes UITE
Orientation FAQ's
College of Education general questions.
- Go to www.utah.gov/teachers
- Select “Background Check” application and follow the prompts.
- Select “Initial Licensure” and “Live Scan” method for the fingerprinting process.
- Your forms will be emailed to you. Print this form and take it with you to BCI – Bureau of Criminal Identification 3888 West 5400 South, Taylorsville, Utah 84118, 801-965-4445. Hours: Monday – Friday 8am to 5pm. Your results will not be sent to USBE if you do not take this form with you to BCI.
- A fee $15 must be paid at BCI to complete your fingerprinting.
- Your Background check is good for five years.
- Background check status will be recorded by the UITE at the University of Utah and instructors in future field-based classes will be made aware of your clearance status so that you do not have to complete the check more than once within a three-year period.
- IMPORTANT: You only have 60 days from the time you log into the USBE system to take your form to the BCI site and get your prints taken. If you do not complete the process within the 60-day time limit, you will be taken out of the USBE system and will have to repay both fees.
- If a student does not pass the background check, they cannot complete the field requirements of field practicum courses.
More Information can be found here.
Permission codes can be found at the bottom of the page at the following link:
A teacher education license program could take anywhere from 4 to 5 years depending upon credit hours and specific program requirements. For more information, please schedule an appointment with one of our advisors.
To apply for scholarships please apply below by MARCH 1, 2022:
Visit our admissions page for more information and to apply now.
Urban Institute for Teacher Education Admissions
The PRAXIS test series is a set of validated assessments that provides information for use by state education agencies in making licensing decisions. PRAXIS exams are required in Utah, and in most other states, for teacher licensure. Each state selects its own tests within the PRAXIS series and sets its own minimum score requirements for specific licensure endorsements. An updated list of the tests for which Utah has set a minimum score is provided on the ETS Website.
We recommend that you complete the ETS practice Praxis exam at the ETS Website.
Yes. We recommend you complete your licensure program through the University of Utah and get recommended for your Utah License application through the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). Once you've received your Utah license, you will then need to contact the state in which you would like to work and complete your license transfer process with that state.
Transferred credits depend on your prior institution, for more information about transfer credits see Transferology. You are always welcome to meet with our advisors to discuss your specific situation.
Your Orientation advising will be completed as a group as many of you will have similar questions or you may find answers to questions that you didn't know you had. This way you are involving yourself in the College of Education community.
Dates for advising are listed in the College of Education Canvas Course.
If you need to schedule an additional appointment after you have completed your Orientation advising, please use the links below to schedule that appointment.
Your virtual advising appointment will depend on the type of appointment that you select.
Students completing Orientation should go to the department website for the program that they intend to complete and select either the College of Education Orientation-Freshman or College of Education-Transfer depending upon what type of Orientation session you are attending.
This advising appointment will go over any additional questions you have about the program and help you decide classes to register for in your first semester at the University of Utah. Viewing the program packets and completing all of your Orientation Modules to learn more about the programs is strongly recommended prior to your advising appointment.
Conexed is the online advising appointment scheduler and video appointment platform that the University of Utah uses. Students request an appointment on the websites below and request the appropriate appointment to meet their needs. Please select all of the appropriate reasons for the advising appointment. Advising at this time is available online. All appointments will either be phone or video appointments.
Once a student schedules an appointment, they are sent an email to the email that they used to schedule an appointment confirming the scheduled date and time. They receive a reminder email 15 minutes prior to the appointment. If students need to cancel the appointment, they are encouraged to use the link in the email confirmation to cancel appointment 24 hours in advance if possible.
For additional assistance with Orientation please contact either:
Department of Special Education