Frequently Asked Questions - Middle School Teacher Endorsement Courses for Practicing Teachers

See the "Next Steps" tab above for information. If you have any questions, please contact the program coordinator(s) and/or enrollment contact to the right or contact the Office of Continuing and Distance Education at ContinuingEd@uni.edu.

First, prior to or upon completion of the Middle School Teacher Endorsement, you must hold a valid Iowa teacher license. To determine the courses you need to take to complete this endorsement, contact Cathy Humke (cathy.humke@uni.edu or 319-273-2245). She is the UNI Liaison for the Iowa Teacher Licensure. For an official analysis to be completed, we will need official transcripts from all of the higher education institutions you have attended. However, for a preliminary analysis, you can mail unofficial copies of your transcripts to: Office of the Registrar, Attention: Cathy Humke, Gilchrist Hall 115, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0006. Be sure to state that you are interested in obtaining the Iowa Middle School Teacher Endorsement.

Priority will be given to students who enroll in the entire set of courses for that summer. You must email Jean Schneider, Middle Level Education program coordinator, at jean.schneider@uni.edu with your request and your justification for not enrolling in the entire set.

After you participate in the first course in the cohort sequence, the Office of Continuing and Distance Education will notify you with enrollment details for the next courses as they become available. You are required to enroll in your courses each semester.

If you have not taken any graduate courses, you are eligible to take these courses at the undergraduate level. However, if you want to transfer any of this coursework into a master’s degree program at a later date, only the graduate level courses will be transferable. 1xxx through 4xxx courses are undergraduate level; 5xxx and 6xxx courses are graduate level. Students who are able to take on-campus courses may not enroll in the online courses without approval from the instructor.

If you are able to provide documentation of at least one academic year of successful teaching experience, with at least a half-time appointment in a state-approved school, then you do not have to take a classroom management course.

If you cannot provide this documentation, your program of study will need to include a management course: ELEMECML 3120: Classroom Management K-8 (required for those holding an Iowa elementary teaching license); or EDPSYCH 4151/5151: Current Approaches to Classroom Discipline (may be chosen only by those holding an Iowa secondary teacher license); or an equivalent course.

With the Middle School Teacher Endorsement, you will be authorized, in the state of Iowa, to teach in the concentration areas in which the specific requirements have been completed (a minimum of two, up to four), as well as in other subject areas in grades five through eight which are not the core content areas. You will not be authorized to teach reading, art, music, physical education, special education, and industrial arts, unless you complete the specific endorsement in that area.

As the Iowa Code states: To obtain this endorsement, the applicant must complete the coursework requirements in two of the following content areas:

1. Social studies concentration
   The social studies concentration requires 12 semester hours of coursework in social studies to include coursework in United States history, world history, government and geography. 
2. Mathematics concentration
   The mathematics concentration requires 12 semester hours in mathematics to include coursework in algebra. 
3. Science concentration
   The science concentration requires 12 semester hours in science to include coursework in life science, earth science, and physical science. 
4. Language arts concentration
   The language arts concentration requires 12 semester hours in language arts to include coursework in composition, language usage, speech, young adult literature, and literature across cultures.

Content area courses are not included in this online sequence of courses. Certainly, the courses you would need in the content areas can be taken on the UNI campus, but some may also be offered through UNI’s online course offerings. Once you have learned what courses you need in the content areas, you can make plans to take the content coursework. This coursework can also be completed at your local community college. Some of this information is on the UNI Middle School Teacher Endorsement chart. Please read the various sections carefully.

Yes, but you must take the necessary coursework in the specific area. If you wish, you may add all four content concentration areas.

After you have successfully completed the required endorsement courses, you may add the endorsement to your Iowa teaching license. Obtain the Application to Add an Endorsement from the Board of Educational Examiners.  Print off the application, complete Section I, attach the required fee (made payable to the Board of Educational Examiners) and mail the form and fee to:

Office of the Registrar
115 Gilchrist Hall
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0006

Upon receipt of your application, the Record Analyst will complete the institutional section and forward the form and fee to the Board of Educational Examiners in Des Moines for processing. The Board of Educational Examiners will send the updated license directly to you at the address listed on your application.

If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Humke, Record Analyst, at 319-273-2245 or Cathy.Humke@uni.edu.

Yes, you may enroll in the sequence of courses and be a part a member of the cohort. Unless you have a valid Iowa teaching license (elementary or secondary), you will not be able to apply for an Iowa Middle School Teacher Endorsement. Each student should verify the transferability of these courses with their school district or their state.