Education: Initial Teacher Licensure - Elementary (MA, Education)

Degree:  Master of Arts in Education
Program of Study: Initial Teacher Licensure – Elementary
Program Code: 8213

About This Major . . .

The Master of Arts in Education is designed as a dynamic program to meet the needs of education professionals as they gain additional expertise in one or more state endorsement areas or seek initial licensure. The degree is awarded after successful completion of 48 semester hours. The program is designed to provide the student with eleven hours of core knowledge in theory of curriculum design and assessment, educational technology, culture and pedagogy, and research. The additional coursework concentrates on Initial Teacher Licensure – Elementary concentration.

The program is designed using the cohort model with a group of participants completing all requirements in a two-year cycle. New cohorts may begin each summer. Admission to the program follows the stated guidelines for graduate admission procedures outlined in the university catalog. Additionally, students must provide three letters of reference, proof of working with youth, and a statement of purpose.

Important information about this degree:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college is required, prior to beginning the program.
• A fully completed application including official transcripts is required prior to beginning the program.
• Pre-requisite leveling classes may be required prior to admittance to the program.
• It is recommended that students work closely with a faculty advisor when selecting courses and scheduling classes prior to registration.

All CMU masters-level graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, quantitative fluency, communication fluency, critical thinking, information literacy, and ethical reasoning. In addition to these campus-wide student learning outcomes, a graduate of this program will be able to:

1. Create and deliver oral and written communication based on sound educational theory and research for public education instruction. (Communication Fluency)
2. Evaluate and formulate education plans based on research, current issues, and public education stakeholders. (Critical Thinking and Specialized Knowledge)
3. Synthesize, evaluate, and refine information from an information base of scholarly resources. (Information Literacy)
4. Evaluate and articulate responses to moral, ethical, legal, and professional challenges from the perspective of a K-12 educator. (Ethical Reasoning)
5. Employ statistically valid processes to analyze assessment data to evaluate student learning with respect to district, state, and federal goals.  (Quantitative Fluency)
6. Work individually and collaboratively on research-based change and innovation in Education. (Specialized Knowledge and Applied Learning)

Institutional Graduate Degree Requirements

The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU graduate-level degrees. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.

• Graduate certificates consist of a minimum of 5 credit hours.  Master’s degrees consist of a minimum of 30 credit hours. Doctoral degrees consist of a minimum of 60 credit hours
• All credits in a graduate program must be minimally at the 500-level.
• At least fifty percent of the credit hours must be taken at CMU.
• Students must achieve a 3.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU coursework.
• Students may not apply coursework with a grade lower than a “B” toward graduation requirements.  
• A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
• Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Requirements.
• The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and certificate requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
• See “Graduate Degree Requirements” in this catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
• All policies for graduate degrees are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures Manual, Capstone Guidelines Manual, and Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines Manual, all of which are provided on the Graduate Studies website. 

Program Specific Requirements

(48 semester hours, must earn a grade of "B" or better in each course.)

• It is recommended that students work closely with a faculty advisor when selecting courses and scheduling classes prior to registration.

Advising Process and DegreeWorks

Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a degree. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and discussing the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for her/his intended degree.

DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a certificate and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.

Graduation Process

Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their certificate requirements (for one semester certificates complete in the first week of class):

• Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
• Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
• Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
• Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.

Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found at http://www.coloradomesa.edu/registrar/graduation.html.

If your petition for graduation is denied, it will be your responsibility to apply for graduation in a subsequent semester. Your “Intent to Graduate” does not automatically move to a later graduation date.