Affiliation: School of Health Sciences & Education
The Master of Arts in Education (MAE) provides students with the opportunity to earn a professional teaching degree built upon a solid liberal arts and sciences undergraduate degree.
Students interested in teaching pursue a baccalaureate degree in a discipline before entering into the Master of Arts in Education program. Students interested in teaching secondary (English, social science, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, speech and theatre) or K-12 (exercise science, music, French, Latin, and Spanish) are generally required to have an undergraduate degree in that area. Students are advised to consult with their academic advisor and the Department of Education early in their undergraduate program for information and advice on meeting program and certification requirements.
Undergraduate students may declare their interest in teaching by choosing the appropriate pre-education code (PELM, PSEC, SPED) offered in the undergraduate major code listing. The pre-professional tags can be added in TruView, Tools-Student Tools, and then Change, Add, Drop Majors/Minors or catalog. The pre-education code provides additional information that alerts education faculty of students’ interest in education and ensures communication between students and the education program. With individualized advising, students can prepare themselves for entrance into the professional program at the graduate level, which leads to a Master of Arts in Education degree and professional certification.
Application deadlines for admission to the MAE are September 1, October 1, November 1, February 1, March 1, and April 1. Admission requirements for entry into the graduate program as well as other general and specific information are given in the Education (MAE) program under Academic Programs, Master’s Degree Programs.
Students are encouraged to include six prerequisites for the professional studies sequence of the MAE in their baccalaureate program.
Core Undergraduate Coursework:
FIELD EXPERIENCES
The field experience component of the MAE program is designed to provide prospective teachers with an incremental set of field experiences. This set of sequential experiences allows the students to see themselves as potential teachers and to observe and participate in the teaching/learning process within school settings. Initial experiences are exploratory and descriptive in nature and become increasingly more grade and content specific as the student increases his or her knowledge of theory, pedagogy, and experience.
NOTE: Schools require some or all of the following screenings prior to placement in clinical experiences and/or internships: state and/or federal criminal conviction records, fingerprint record check, and Family Care Safety Registry background clearance. Failure to clear any of these screenings may result in not being able to complete education coursework and the MAE. It could prevent the applicant from obtaining initial teaching or substitute certification. For further information, contact the Director of Field Experiences.
