Program Information
Gateway Assessment
Gateway 1: Entrance
Teacher candidates must submit passing scores for Praxis CORE (or other equivalent such as SAT, GRE, GMAT) and for secondary candidates Praxis II Content Knowledge, as required by the state of Maryland (within the first 9 credit hours), have achieved an undergraduate final GPA of at least 2.75, admission portfolio, and participate in an admission interview. Applicants may seek exemption for the GPA requirement by submitting evidence of prior learning and professional experience in a relevant field.
Gateway 2: Pre-Internship
Prior to Internship I teacher candidates must complete a minimum of four foundational courses, maintain a GPA of 3.0, complete all undergraduate content courses as identified in the admissions process, and meet the two-semester residency requirement.
Gateway 3: Transition
Teacher candidates must complete a successful Internship I as measured by GPA, MSM Benchmarks (based on InTASC principles) and Disposition Assessment.
Gateway 4: Program Completion
Teacher candidates must complete a successful Internship II including program completion portfolio, reflective inquiry project and Maryland passing scores on Praxis II (subject assessments). Graduate students must also maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA and complete at least 36 hours of graduate-level coursework.
Program Completion Thesis/Portfolio
MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO AND REFLECTIVE INQUIRY PROJECT
As part of the teacher internship semester, MAT students will develop an electronic professional portfolio based on benchmarks. The portfolio is a collection of work that demonstrates a candidate’s preparedness to teach. Also, during the internship semester MAT students engage in a reflective inquiry project that is presented in a public forum.
Academic Policies
Admission and Advancement to Candidacy
Advancement to candidacy may be awarded to those who have fulfilled all admission requirements. Upon advancement to candidacy, M.Ed. and MAT students have five years to complete their program. If necessary, students may petition the Graduate Committee for an extension. All graduate students must maintain a 3.00 GPA
Admission and Advancement Decision Appeals
Applicants who wish to appeal a decision regarding special student enrollment or advancement to candidacy decisions must submit a written request to the Chair of the Education Department (for MAT students) or to the M.Ed. director (for M.Ed. students).
Course Waivers
If a student has a strong undergraduate background or significant professional experiences in a field, he or she may request to have a core course waived by the chair (MAT)/MEd director. A waiver is not an award of credit, but it permits the student to substitute an approved higher-level course in place of the course requirement. Waivers are awarded to strengthen a student’s academic program.
Students interested in pursuing a course waiver may request an application for waiver from the Education Department.
Academic Sessions
Sessions are offered on a year-round basis.
Fall Semester: Fall I Session and Fall II Session Spring Semester: Spring I Session and Spring II Session Summer Semester: Summer I Session and Summer II Session Fall and spring sessions are each 8 weeks. Summer sessions are 5 weeks each.
Clinical Experiences
Professional Development School (PDS)
A Professional Development School (PDS) is a collaboratively planned and implemented partnership for the academic and clinical preparation of teacher candidates and the continuous professional development of both school system and institution of higher education faculty. The focus of a PDS partnership is improved student performance through research-based teaching and learning.
The university enjoys a long-standing PDS partnership with elementary, middle, and high schools in Frederick County, Md. The standards for Maryland PDSs hold that all teacher candidates be provided equitable access to an extensive internship (at least 100 consecutive days) in a PDS. Our field placement coordinator, working in concert with our PDS liaison and building principals, arranges internship placements in PDS. A mentor teacher and professor in residence or university supervisor support candidates’ professional development toward meeting our benchmarks. Upon graduation, candidates are expected to demonstrate standards-based teaching that is measured through evaluation of teaching performance and portfolio assessment. The Education department uses the standards of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) in its benchmarks. Teacher candidates are also expected to demonstrate the personal dispositions that relate to successful teaching.
Field Experience
Some graduate courses require several field experiences. The field experience course requirements will usually be met at one of the established Professional Development Schools (PDS) in Frederick County, Maryland.
Internships
Teacher Internship - MAT Elementary Education
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) requires a 100-day internship in a Professional Development School. This is an unpaid internship.
Prior to Internship I teacher candidates must complete the following core courses: MEDUC 501 , MEDUC 502 , MEDUC 504 , MEDUC 528 , MEDUC 532 , MSPED 508 ; maintain a GPA of 3.0; have completed all undergraduate content courses as identified in the admission process; have successfully fulfilled all Praxis CORE requirements and met the two-semester residency requirement.
Internship I is a year-long placement to be taken in the fall and spring semester and requires 10 full days or 20 half days per semester in a PDS placement. Internship I concurrent courses: MEDUC 506 and MEDUC 507 in the fall semester and MEDUC 512 and MEDUC 513 in the spring. Internships are integrated into classroom contact hours.
Internship II is to be taken in the following fall semester. This is a weeklong, all-day placement in a PDS site beginning mid-August and ending mid-December. The concurrent courses are: MEDUC 518 - Teacher Internship: Elementary and MEDUC 523 - Teacher Research Seminar .
Teacher Internship - MAT Elementary/Special Education
MSDE requires a 100-day internship in a PDS. The elementary/ special education certification internship requires a summer internship, typically in the month of May, in addition to regular semester hours.
Prior to Internship I teacher candidates must complete the following core courses: MEDUC 501 , MEDUC 502 , MEDUC 504 , MEDUC 528 , MEDUC 532 , MSPED 508 ; maintain a GPA of 3.0; have completed all undergraduate content courses as identified in the admission process; have successfully fulfilled all Praxis CORE requirements and met the two-semester residency requirement.
Internship I is a year-long placement to be taken in the fall and spring semester and requires 10 full days or 20 half days per semester in a PDS placement. Internship I concurrent courses: MEDUC 506 and MEDUC 507 in the fall semester and MEDUC 512 and MEDUC 513 in the spring. Internships are integrated into classroom contact hours.
Internship II is to be taken in the following fall semester. This is a weeklong, all-day placement in a PDS site beginning mid-August and ending mid-December. The concurrent courses are: MSPED 519 Elementary/Special Education Internship and MEDUC 523 - Teacher Research Seminar .
Teacher Internship - MAT Secondary, Art, Music, and World Languages
Prior to Internship I teacher candidates must complete the following core courses: MEDUC 501 , MEDUC 502 , MEDUC 504 , MEDUC 505 , MEDUC 526 , MSPED 508 ; maintain a GPA of 3.0; have completed all undergraduate content courses as identified in the admission process; have successfully fulfilled all Praxis CORE requirements and Praxis II Content Knowledge and met the two-semester residency requirement. Internship I is a semester-long placement to be taken in the spring semester and requires 2 full days or 4 half days each week in a PDS placement. Concurrent courses are MEDUC 527 MEDUC 536 (alternate Art: 530, Music: 540, Foreign Languages: 550, Social Studies: 560).
Internship II is to be taken in the following fall semester. This is a week-long, all day placement in a PDS site beginning mid-August and ending mid-December. The concurrent courses are: MEDUC 521 Teacher Internship: Secondary or MEDUC 520 Teacher Internship: Art, Music, or World Languages and MEDUC 523 - Teacher Research Seminar .
Incomplete Grades in Internship Courses
Note: Students who have taken an Incomplete in MEDUC 518 , MEDUC 520 , MEDUC 521 , or MSPED 519 may retake the internship only after petitioning and obtaining the permission of the Graduate Committee to do so. Be advised that given the nature of the teacher internship, incompletes are rarely awarded. The receipt of an Application for the Teacher Internship from a student reflects a serious commitment to the internship experience.
Practicum
Master of Education students culminate their program of study with a practicum. A practicum provides prospective reading specialists/technology facilitators/instructional leaders with scaffolded opportunities to experience the multiple roles of the reading/technology/instructional specialist. With an experienced reading/ technology specialist or school administrator as a mentor and a university supervisor, participants will develop a Professional Development Plan so as to further develop and demonstrate their proficiency with the International Literacy Association (ILA) for Reading Specialists, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) for Technology Facilitation or Educational Leadership Constituencies Council (ELCC) for Instructional Leadership. Each practicum requires 90 hours of on-the-job work and approximately 270 hours of preparatory time. Lab fee applies.
Technology
Mount St. Mary’s University emphasizes the integration of technology into teaching as outlined by the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) and their National Education Technology standards for students (NETS-S) and educators (NETS-E). Coursework models best practice in uses of technology as tools to enhance student learning.
The Mount uses Canvas as its course management platform and offers coursework both online and in hybrid formats. MAT candidates use Chalk and Wire, an e-portfolio system, to develop their program completer portfolio.
Program Completer Status and Certification
In order to apply for certification through the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), a teacher candidate must be a program completer. To be a program completer, the teacher candidate must have completed all program requirements, including the submission of official qualifying Praxis II scores for the state of Maryland. It is imperative that students designate Mount St. Mary’s University and the MSDE as score recipients. For specific details about seeking Maryland Certification, consult the Maryland State Department of Education Certification Branch (www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/Certification).
Teaching Certification (Initial Licensure)
Obtaining MSDE certification requires that candidates:
- Complete an approved program.
- Meet Maryland’s qualifying scores on the basic skills test and Praxis II.
- Send a cover letter with name, Social Security number, complete mailing address, phone number, area of certification seeking, and requisite fee. The student must also submit official transcripts for all coursework taken and send test scores for the required teacher certification tests.
For specific details and possible additional requirements, log on to http://certification.msde.state.md.us
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