Alternative Pathways to Educator Certification
The Alternative Pathways to Educator Certification (APEC) Program at Coker University offers an alternative certification program for qualified candidates who already possess a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution or from an institution with teacher-preparation programs approved for certification purposes by the state of South Carolina and who are interested in pursuing teacher certification. The APEC Program at Coker is an alternative certification-only program that delivers certification area-specific content to APEC participants to support their development as effective teachers in their content area prior to their entering the classroom as the teacher of record with alternative certification. The APEC Center will work specifically with school district partners to identify eligible participants who hold at least a bachelor’s degree and who are interested in pursuing teacher certification in the following areas:
Art (PK- Grade 12)
Biology (Grades 9-12)
Dance (PK- Grade 12)
Early Childhood (PK- Grade 3)
Elementary (Grades 2-6)
Mathematics (Grades 9-12)
Music - Choral (PK- Grade 12)
Music - Instrumental (PK- Grade 12)
Physical Education (PK- Grade 12)
The APEC Program at Coker University is offered in a hybrid format which includes synchronous and asynchronous instruction as well as face-to-face, in-person sessions. The nine required classes are listed in the table below. The Wiggins School of Education, the Education Preparation Provider (EPP) of Coker University, is fully accredited by the South Carolina State Board of Education using Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation Standards.
Alternative Pathways to Educator Certification (APEC) Program Requirements
CURRICULUM CORE
| EDU 623 | Effective Assessment Tools | 3 |
| EDU 625 | Effective Teaching Strategies and,Instructional Planning | 3 |
| EDU 633 | Instructional Design for the Divergent,Learner | 3 |
| EDU 634 | Principles and Strategies for Teaching,Diverse Learners | 3 |
| EDU 636 | Field Experience | 3 |
| EDU 637 | Field Experience & Professional Learning,Semeinar II | 3 |
| EDU 646 | Foundations of Reading | 3 |
| EDU 647 | Instructional Practices in Literacy | 3 |
| EDU 648 | Reading & Writing Across the Content Are | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 27
*Of the nine graduate-level courses that APEC Fellows are required to complete, five courses count toward the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instructional Technology (M.Ed.CIT) degree offered at Coker University. APEC Fellows who are admitted into the APEC Program and successfully earn their Alternative Teaching Certificate (Year One) may work to finish the additional five graduate-level courses—to earn the M.Ed.CIT degree while still in the APEC Program at Coker.
Course counting towards M.Ed. CIT: EDU 623, EDU 625, EDU 633, EDU 634, EDU 646