Transfer into Loyola's Education Program
Transferring between institutions can be a confusing process. We are here to help.
The information on this website is designed to provide you with basic guidelines to help you understand the options, timelines, and paths to completing a degree with teacher licensure. Keep in mind that transferring to our teacher education program involves first transferring into the university. The resources here will explain how undergraduate transfer students complete our program after entering at various points in time during your college experience.
How the Transfer Process Works
The process of transferring into Loyola is managed by Undergraduate Admissions rather than the School of Education. To learn more about the overall transfer process, please visit the Transfer page of the University website. Once you are admitted into the University, your transcript is reviewed and transfer credit is granted in cases where prior coursework meets requirements of our program. If you are a student from Arrupe College, City Colleges of Chicago’s Child Development Program, or Oakton Community College, specialized transfer pathways have been developed with those institutions. See below for more information. Once you enroll in Education modules and courses, you will gradually transition from your university first-year advisor to the School of Education Undergraduate Advisor. You will meet with her regularly throughout your undergraduate program in order to explore options, plan each term, revisit and revise your plans, and ensure you meet all degree requirements.
Typical Transfer Pathways
Loyola’s undergraduate teacher education program involves a four-year major. In other words, while at other institutions you might select your major and enroll in education courses as late as junior year, Loyola Education majors take four years of courses and field-based modules in a prescribed sequence. Our program consists of eight semesters (called Sequences, as they must be completed in a sequential order). Students who enter Loyola as freshmen enroll of one Sequence per semester, completing Sequences 1-8 in four years.
Because the order of these sequences (and the smaller modules within them) is important to your learning and effectiveness as an educator, the sooner you transfer into our program the easier it is to complete your degree and obtain educator licensure within four years. Typically, students who transfer into our program from other institutions follow one of the pathways described below. The pathway that applies to you is typically determined by the time at which you enter our program.
OPTION A • Complete your degree in 4 years by joining us in the spring of Year 1
The preferred way to complete your undergraduate degree as a transfer student and earn educator licensure within four years involves transferring into Loyola’s teacher education program after your first semester of college coursework elsewhere. In this case, you will “double up” and enroll in both of the first-year semesters (Sequences 1 and 2) in the spring. You then take the remaining sequences in order, remaining on track to graduate within four years. This pathway enables you to earn all of our program’s built-in credentials, and even allows for a summer abroad (as an example, you could take Sequence 2 in Rome during the summer rather than doubling up in your first spring semester).
| Year | Four-Year Loyola Students | Four-Year Transfer Students (Option A) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Fall | Spring | |
| 1 | Sequence 1 | Sequence 2 | courses at previous institution(s) |
Sequence 1 and 2 |
| 2 | Sequence 3 | Sequence 4 | Sequence 3 | Sequence 4 |
| 3 | Sequence 5 | Sequence 6 | Sequence 5 | Sequence 6 |
| 4 | Sequence 7 | Sequence 8 | Sequence 7 | Sequence 8 |
OPTION B • Complete your degree in 4 years by joining us in the fall of Year 2
You can still complete your undergraduate degree and earn educator licensure within four years if you transfer into Loyola’s teacher education program after one year of college coursework elsewhere. In this case, you will “double up” your Education sequences for your first year at Loyola, after which you can take the remaining semesters in their intended order. This will keep you on track to graduate within four years. You can also take your sequences in their intended order and add a fifth year, which would provide you with more time for minors, additional endorsements, and a summer abroad. Finishing within four years can sometimes require adjustments to those plans, and your advisor can help you to weight the options and make the best decision for you based upon the credits your bring with you to Loyola.
| Year | Four-Year Loyola Students | Four-Year Transfer Students (Option B) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Fall | Spring | |
| 1 | Sequence 1 | Sequence 2 | courses at previous institution(s) |
|
| 2 | Sequence 3 | Sequence 4 | Sequences 1 and 3 | Sequence 2 and 4 |
| 3 | Sequence 5 | Sequence 6 | Sequence 5 | Sequence 6 |
| 4 | Sequence 7 | Sequence 8 | Sequence 7 | Sequence 8 |
OPTION C • Join us in your 3rd year and complete your degree within five years
You can still complete your undergraduate degree and earn educator licensure in our program if you enter after taking two years of college coursework elsewhere However, this option will typically require you to add a fifth year. You will still need to “double up” sequences during your first year. Depending on what types of courses you take at your prior institution, you may have enough flexibility to add a minor or an additional endorsement. Sequences in Years 4 and 5 cannot be doubled up, as Sequences 1-6 must all be completed before you can enroll in your one-year internship (Sequences 7-8).
| Year | Four-Year Loyola Students | Option C: Transfer Students Requiring a 5th Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Fall | Spring | |
| 1 | Sequence 1 | Sequence 2 | courses at previous institution(s) |
|
| 2 | Sequence 3 | Sequence 4 | ||
| 3 | Sequence 5 | Sequence 6 | Sequence 1 and 3 |
Sequence 2 and 4 |
| 4 | Sequence 7 | Sequence 8 | Sequence 5 | Sequence 6 |
| 5 | Sequence 7 | Sequence 8 | ||
Specialized transfer agreements
Loyola University Chicago’s School of Education has collaborated with specific institutions to create four year pathways for transfer students. These specialized pathways often require you to plan in advance in order to closely follow their sequence and complete requirements within four years. See below to learn more about special transfer pathways for students from some of our partner schools.
Arrupe College
Pathways for Arrupe College Students – All Majors
Students at Arrupe College can enroll in any undergraduate Education major leading to licensure. You would typically follow one of the transfer pathways listed above under the guidance of your Arrupe advisor.
Arrupe Pathway for Students Interested in Bilingual/Bicultural Education
One specialized four-year pathway has been specifically designed for bilingual Arrupe students who are interested in pursuing . This pathway specifically responds to the needs of the education field and the present shortage of bilingual teachers, which is an equity issue for the large and growing number of students labeled as English Learners in Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, and beyond.
These students follow a unique pathway designed collaboratively between Arrupe and Loyola School of Education faculty, enabling Arrupe students to begin Sequence 1 immediately upon entering Arrupe. After four years of continuous enrollment and academic progress, participants will receive an Associates of Arts in Liberal Arts from Arrupe College, and a BSEd in Bilingual Education from the School of Education program.
2+2 Pathway - Bilingual Bicultural Education Degree w/ Licensure
Oakton Community College Pathway – for Elementary Education majors only
This pathway enables Oakton students to follow the Associate in Arts degree program based on the Elementary Education Pathway from Oakton Community College. Upon completion of the Associates in Arts (Elementary Education Pathway) degree, these students may transfer to Loyola and complete their degree in Elementary Education with a Special Education minor in an additional two years of fulltime study. The document below outlines this pathway which leads to a BSEd in Elementary Education with licensure to teach grades 1-6. It also includes a highly valued Special Education endorsement. This pathway does not include an ESL endorsement or the IB certification that four-year Loyola students earn.
City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) Pathway - for Early Childhood Special Education majors only
This pathway enables CCC students interested in becoming a licensed early childhood educator to complete a Loyola degree with licensure. Licensure is not possible to obtain from community colleges, so this pathway provides a doorway to higher income and an income ladder, the benefits of professional educators, the ability to teach in public school settings on a regular school-year calendar, and greater professional recognition and respect. The CCC/LUC pathway was collaboratively designed by CCC and LUC faculty and includes four years of a precise sequence of courses, including specific CCC courses prior to transfer. CCC students can, of course, take as long as needed to complete the requirements of Years 1 and 2 before entering Loyola or add a fifth year (recommended) to obtain additional credentials and reduce the doubling up of Education Sequences. The document below outlines this pathway, which leads to a BSEd in Early Childhood Special Education, including licensure from birth to grade 2, including both general and special education and an ESL endorsement).
How the Transfer Process Works
The process of transferring into Loyola is managed by Undergraduate Admissions rather than the School of Education. To learn more about the overall transfer process, please visit the Transfer page of the University website. Once you are admitted into the University, your transcript is reviewed and transfer credit is granted in cases where prior coursework meets requirements of our program. If you are a student from Arrupe College, City Colleges of Chicago’s Child Development Program, or Oakton Community College, specialized transfer pathways have been developed with those institutions. See below for more information. Once you enroll in Education modules and courses, you will gradually transition from your university first-year advisor to the School of Education Undergraduate Advisor. You will meet with her regularly throughout your undergraduate program in order to explore options, plan each term, revisit and revise your plans, and ensure you meet all degree requirements.
Typical Transfer Pathways
Loyola’s undergraduate teacher education program involves a four-year major. In other words, while at other institutions you might select your major and enroll in education courses as late as junior year, Loyola Education majors take four years of courses and field-based modules in a prescribed sequence. Our program consists of eight semesters (called Sequences, as they must be completed in a sequential order). Students who enter Loyola as freshmen enroll of one Sequence per semester, completing Sequences 1-8 in four years.
Because the order of these sequences (and the smaller modules within them) is important to your learning and effectiveness as an educator, the sooner you transfer into our program the easier it is to complete your degree and obtain educator licensure within four years. Typically, students who transfer into our program from other institutions follow one of the pathways described below. The pathway that applies to you is typically determined by the time at which you enter our program.
Specialized transfer agreements
Loyola University Chicago’s School of Education has collaborated with specific institutions to create four year pathways for transfer students. These specialized pathways often require you to plan in advance in order to closely follow their sequence and complete requirements within four years. See below to learn more about special transfer pathways for students from some of our partner schools.