Teaching
The Master of Arts in Teaching program is designed for those who have completed a bachelor’s degree in non-educational fields and wish to earn the Michigan Secondary Standard Teaching Certificate. The curriculum prepares students for teaching in specific content area in a middle or high school classroom. The degree provides special focus on the strategies for the unique learning needs of adolescents in these grade ranges. Students in the M.A. in Teaching are required to choose one concentration which are completed at the undergraduate level. Previous undergraduate coursework can be utilized if relevant to the concentration requirements. Concentration options include:
- 5th-9th Grade Math
- 7th-12th Grade Math
- 5th-9th Grade English Language Arts
- 7th-12th Grade English Language Arts
- 5th-9th Grade Science
- 7th-12th Grade Science
- Learning Disabilities (requires a second concentration in a grade band and content area)
* 5th-9th Grade and 7th-12th Grade Social Studies coming in Fall 2024
Students interested in this degree program should submit a Transcript Evaluation Request Form in order to receive a draft plan of study prior to admission. The MAT coursework will be offered weekdays in the late afternoon, evening hours, and online to enable students to earn the degree through part-time study. Students who are employed will be able to complete the degree through after-work study except for the Apprenticeship and Internship requirements.
The university’s academic policies for graduate students apply.
Certification
The College of Education, Health and Human Services recommends students for the Michigan Secondary Standard Teaching Certificate upon successful completion of the program and testing requirements. The Michigan Department of Education ultimately awards the certification.
Standard Teaching Certificate
The initial teaching certificate awarded to the beginning elementary school teacher is the Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate. This certificate is valid for teaching within the grade group and content area selected. Students are able to obtain endorsements by completing the course work and successfully passing the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in their grade band and content area. Students who complete the Learning Disabilities concentration and pass the corresponding MTTC are eligible to teach in a resource room K-12th grade. The Standard Teaching Certificate is valid for five years and can be renewed an unlimited number of times provided that renewal conditions are met. Legislative or other state action may change these specifications. Therefore, students are advised to contact the College of Education, Health, and Human Services’ Office of Student Success to learn of the most recent policies.
Apprenticeship Semester
Each student enrolled in a teacher certification program at UM-Dearborn is expected to spend two full academic terms in apprenticeship work. The period of time is called the “apprenticeship semester.” This entails two full day's teaching load and all school-related activities at University-negotiated sites for two seven-week experiences in two different grade levels, ideally within the same school context.
Internship (Student Teaching)
Each student enrolled in a teacher certification program at UM-Dearborn is expected to spend one full academic term exclusively in professional work. This period of time is called the Internship. The Internship, also known as student teaching, and its related seminar serve as the core for this particular term. This entails a full day's teaching load and all school-related activities at a University-negotiated site.
Opportunities for directed teaching are available only in the University's fall and winter terms. Students intending on entering their internship in the fall semester should complete this step in the preceding September whereas those entering in the winter term should do so during the preceding January. Information related to the screencast and application materials will be available on the Field Placement Office website.
Incompletes, Unsatisfactory Grades, and Withdrawals
No student will be assigned to, or registered for, the internship with incomplete work in the Professional Sequence of courses.
Any student, who has withdrawn from or received an unsatisfactory grade in the internship (student teaching), whether through the action of a school district, the University, or by personal choice, will have a request for future placement carefully reviewed by the College. Reassignment for the internship is not guaranteed, nor is it an automatic process.
Students must complete a remediation plan with the Field Placement Director which is subject to approval by the College’s Administrative Council.
General Field Placement Policy
Students in the teacher preparation program are assigned field placements, either as apprentices or as interns (student teachers) , in public or private schools. Field placement shall be made in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth by the College of Education, Health, and Human Services and in compliance with accreditation standards.
The student is expected to maintain professional dispositions in order to conform to the expectations of the placement school and the University. Appropriate academic preparation is required as outlined in the elementary and secondary programs of the College. Professional responsibilities during the Internship (Student Teaching) term are detailed in the "Department of Education Clinical Experience Handbook" which is located on the CEHHS Student Teaching Eligibility website.
The public and private schools exercise the right to screen the University's students. Acceptance or rejection of students is not controlled by the University. A placement school may reject a University student for several reasons, including a lack of placement positions in the school or a determination that the University student's presence in the school or classroom may disrupt or interfere in some way with the educational process.
Currently there is no way in which the University can require the placement school to state specific reasons for rejection.
If a University student is repeatedly denied placement by the field schools, the College of Education, Health, and Human Services will recommend career counseling and terminate matriculation in the teacher certification program.
The Master of Arts in Teaching requires that students select a content concentration taken at the undergraduate level in order to complete the full requirements of Secondary Teacher Certification.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDA 500 | Theoretical Foundations of Ed | 3 |
| EDC 502 | Adol Devl & Classroom Mgmt | 3 |
| EDC 517 | Mgmt of Classroom Behavior | 3 |
| EDC 561 | Educating the Exceptional Chld | 3 |
| EDD 549 | Tchng English as Second Lang | 3 |
| EDD 569 | Reading in the Content Areas | 3 |
| EDM 550 | Intercultural Education | 3 |
| EDT 502 | Survey of Educ Tech Tools | 3 |
| Secondary Methods Course in the Concentration Area | 3 | |
| MAT Secondary English Methods | ||
or EDD 555 | MAT Secondary Math Methods | |
or EDD 588 | MAT Secondary Science Methods | |
or EDD 591 | MAT Secondary Social Studies Methods | |
| Secondary Apprenticeship Course in the Concentration Area | 3 | |
| MAT Apprenticeship: English | ||
or EDFP 555 | MAT Apprenticeship:Math | |
or EDFP 588 | MAT Apprenticeship: Science | |
or EDFP 591 | MAT Apprenticeship: Social Studies | |
| MAT Internship | ||
| EDFP 518 | MAT Internship Secondary School | 5 |
| EDD 517 | Seminar: Teaching Secondary Master's in Teaching (MAT) | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours | 37 | |