May 11, 2024  
2023-2024 General/Graduate Catalog - Expires August 2029 
    
2023-2024 General/Graduate Catalog - Expires August 2029 [Archived Catalog]

Pre-Education


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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. 

Missouri DESE Certification Requirements - Undergraduate Courses:


Students should be aware of their particular state requirements for teaching certification. Many requirements can be met by carefully planning of the Dialogues or through electives. Undergraduate courses needed for Missouri certification are as follows:

BIOLOGY:


  • At least one DESE approved course in each of the following categories:
    • History/Philosophy of Science & Technology
    • Biology Coursework
      • Cell Biology
      • Plant Form and Function
      • Animal Form and Function
      • Genetics
      • Evolution
      • Biology Elective(s)
    • Additional Science Coursework
      • Chemistry
      • Physics
      • Earth Science
      • Environmental Science

CHEMISTRY:


  • At least one DESE approved course in each of the following categories:
    • History/Philosophy of Science & Technology
    • Chemistry Coursework
      • Inorganic Chemistry
      • Analytical Chemistry
      • Organic Chemistry
      • Physical Chemistry
      • Biochemistry
      • Chemistry Elective(s)
    • Additional Science Coursework
      • Biology
      • Physics
      • Earth Science
      • Environmental Science

ENGLISH:


  • ENG/CRWT - Advanced Creative Writing Workshop Credit(s): 3-4
  • At least one DESE approved course in each of the following literatures:
    • American Minority Literature Credit(s): 3-4
    • American Literature Credit(s): 3-4
    • World Literature Credit(s): 3-4
    • British Literature Credit(s): 3-4

FOREIGN LANGUAGE - FRENCH:


FOREIGN LANGUAGE - LATIN:


MATHEMATICS:


MUSIC - INSTRUMENTAL:


MUSIC - VOCAL:


  • Music Theory, History, and Choral Arranging (15 credits)
  • Piano (or proficiency) and Applied Voice
    • Keyboard Skills I-IV
    • Major Voice Lower Division (8 credits)
    • Major Voice Upper Division (5 credits)
  • Choral Conducting, Techniques, and Literature: 
  • Choral Ensemble
    • Major Voice Ensemble, Lower Division (4 credits)
    • Major Voice Ensemble, Upper Division (3 credits)

PHYSICS:


  • At least one DESE approved course in each of the following categories:
    • History/Philosophy of Science & Technology
    • Physics Coursework
      • Mechanics
      • Electricity and Magnetism
      • Heat, Sound, and Light
      • Atomic or Modern Physics
      • Physics Elective(s)
    • Additional Science Coursework
      • Chemistry
      • Biology
      • Earth Science
      • Environmental Science

ADD-ON CERTIFICATIONS:


Early Childhood Education:


To become certified as an early childhood teacher, students must earn a satisfactory score on the appropriate state-mandated national standardized examination. ED 520G - Principles of Early Childhood Education  and ED 521G - Teaching Experience: Early Childhood Field Experience  are highly recommended.

ESOL Certification:


The ESOL K-12 is an add-on certification program with required courses for certified teachers and Master of Arts in Education (MAE) teacher candidates who desire to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) and/or to incorporate ESL pedagogies into their content area instruction.

Health:


To become certified as a health teacher, students must earn a satisfactory score on the appropriate state-mandated national standardized examination OR complete the following courses:

Middle School Education:


Truman recommends MAE students take the following course if they are interested in teaching at the middle school level.

Note: To become certified as a middle school teacher, students must earn a satisfactory score on the appropriate state-mandated national standardized examination. Contact edcertification@truman.edu for specific information.

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