Degrees for Education

Program Overview
Robert Morris University offers a Secondary Teacher Certification Preparation program for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree. This program provides students with the course work required for Pennsylvania state teacher certification in the following areas:
Applied Mathematics
Biology
Business, Computer and Information Technology
Communication
English
Social Studies

Students take a combination of graduate and undergraduate courses to fulfill academic requirements. Completion of the program requires a 16-week semester of supervised student teaching and the successful completion of all required Praxis examinations.

If you wish to pursue a Master of Science degree in either Instructional Leadership or Business Education at RMU concurrently with the Secondary Teacher Certification Preparation program, you must apply for admission to the master’s degree program of choice and follow all graduate admission requirements and procedures. You also should notify the Graduate Admissions Office of your intention to pursue the two programs concurrently.

Career Opportunities
Job opportunities for teachers over the next 10 years should be excellent, due mostly to the large number of teachers expected to retire. There are currently 6.3 million teaching positions in the United States, and employment opportunities are expected to increase. In addition, over one million teachers will retire in the next five years, leaving our nation with a potential shortage of over two million teachers.

Teaching is a highly respected profession which provides a regular daily and weekly work schedule, time off each year, excellent benefits, job security and opportunities to continue your education. The salary range for teachers in the U.S. is $30,000 to $80,000 per year with an average salary of $44,367 per year.

Application Procedures
Students should submit the following credentials to the Graduate Admissions Office:
A completed application and a non-refundable $35 application fee. Or apply online for free.
Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.

Admission Requirements
In order to qualify to begin studies at RMU, you must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA). If you do not meet this requirement, the program director may use other state-approved methods of calculating the GPA to determine if you qualify to begin studies. Students who then meet the GPA requirement will be permitted to enter the University on a conditional basis to begin taking courses.

Admission to Teacher Certification Candidacy
Once enrolled at the University, you will be required to submit the following items in order to be evaluated for teacher certification candidacy status:
Two letters of recommendation
Passing scores on the Praxis I (pre-professional skills test) in reading, writing and mathematics
All required Act 151 (33 and 34) clearances and FBI fingerprinting
All required immunization and health test records

In addition to these items, you will be evaluated to determine if you have fulfilled the state’s academic course requirements, which include successful completion of:
Six credits of college-level mathematics
Three credits of college-level English composition
Three credits of college-level English or American literature

You must meet the above outlined admission criteria prior to being officially admitted to the teacher certification candidacy and student teaching portions of the program.

The Business, Computer and Information Technology Teacher Education major prepares teachers to teach business and office education subjects for elementary, middle school, and high school. The program is designed to help students acquire competencies in liberal arts, business foundations, and professional studies. This comprehensive certificate (K-12) prepares students to teach office technology, programming, accounting, entrepreneurship, business law, general business, software applications, business communications, keyboarding, marketing and management.

Practical applications of teaching competencies are made during the professional semester - a full-time block of studies that includes micro-teaching, methods of developing and achieving performance objectives, and supervised student teaching in an approved school.

A student completing the studies and field experiences of the program will be able to demonstrate:
competency in business subjects,
effective communication skills,
skills for self-initiated learning,
effective interpersonal relationships,
appropriate strategies leading to effective action in new situations, and
competency in designing instructional systems for individualized learning.

For detailed information on the teacher certification program at Robert Morris University, refer to the Guidelines for Secondary Teacher Certification available in the RMU Bookstore.

Program Requirements

The Mathematics certifi cation program requires students to take mathematics and education courses. All courses required for certifi cation, including an intensive fi eld experience, must be completed with a grade of C or better prior to student teaching. The information below lists the program requirements and will assist students in planning a program of studies. Students should examine their undergraduate transcripts to determine which courses may have already been completed that would satisfy the listed requirements and list the course taken.
EDUCATION COURSE REQUIREMENTS (24 Credits Required)
EDUC 313 and EDUC 314 must be taken concurrently.
EDUC 313 FIELD OBSERVATION/PARTICIPATION (2). Prerequisite: admission into Secondary Teacher Certification Program. Prerequisite or concurrent: EDUC 314
EDUC 314 LEARNING THEORY AND INSTRUCTION PROCEDURES (3). Prerequisite: admission into Secondary Teacher Certification Program. Prerequisite or concurrent: EDUC 313
EDUC 315 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION (3). (Certifi cation students must enroll in section reserved for prospective secondary teachers.) Prerequisite: admission in Elementary Education Major or Secondary Teacher Certification Program
EDUC 417 TEACHING SECONDARY MATHEMATICS (3). (Offered fall term only). Prerequisite: EDUC 314, EDUC 315, admission into Secondary Mathematics Certification program
EDUC 435 NEEDS OF SPECIAL LEARNERS (1). Prerequisite: eighth-semester standing in Secondary Teacher Certification Program
EDUC 395 STUDENT TEACHING (12). Prerequisite: all other courses required for teacher certification (EDUC 395 and EDUC 435 must be taken concurrently.)
Mathematics Course Requirements (26 Credits Required)
MATH 140 CALCULUS WITH ANALYTIC GEOMETRY I (4). Prerequisite: MATH 022, MATH 026; or MATH 040 or MATH 041 or satisfactory performance on the mathematics proficiency exam
MATH 141 CALCULUS WITH ANALYTIC GEOMETRY II (4). Prerequisite: MATH 140, MATH 140A, MATH 140B, or MATH 140H
MATH 315 FOUNDATIONS OF MATHEMATICS (3). Prerequisite: MATH 141
MATH 446 INTRODUCTION TO APPLIED STATISTICS I (3). Prerequisite: MATH 022 or MATH 040
MATH 427 FOUNDATIONS OF GEOMETRY (3). Prerequisite: MATH 230 or MATH 231
MATH 430 LINEAR ALGEBRA AND DISCRETE MODELS I (3). Prerequisite: MATH 141
MATH 475 INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS (3). Prerequisite: MATH 141 and one of the following:
MATH 450 MATHEMATICAL MODELING (3). Prerequisite: MATH 315, MATH 430; or MATH 405 or MATH 412 OR
MATH 425 INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS RESEARCH (3). Prerequisite: MATH 141
Computer Science Requirements (6 Credits Required)
3-credit approved computer course (e.g., C++, Ada, COMP 351*, Computers for Teachers)
COMP 350 OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING FOR MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE I (3)
*COMP 351 OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING FOR MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE II (3). Prerequisite: COMP 350

Elementary (K-8) Teacher Certification
Earn your Washington State Residency Teacher License in our full-time graduate or undergraduate program.
(Part-time options also available.)
Bachelor of Arts in Education

Master in Teaching with Elementary Certification
Secondary Teacher Certification
Master in Teaching with Secondary Certification
Earn your Washington State Residency Teacher License with high school endorsement in one of the
following content areas:
Biology
English/Language Arts
History
Mathematics
Social Studies

The Five Year Bachelors + Masters Degree Program in Secondary Education

Be part of an innovative new program
Mercyhurst students who wish to prepare for a career in secondary education can now earn both a Bachelors degree in a “subject area” as well as a Masters of Science degree in Secondary Education in a total of five years!

Students complete their undergraduate degree in biology, chemistry, earth science, math, English or social studies, and then enroll directly in the graduate Secondary Education program. At the end of the graduate program, the student earns a Masters of Science degree and meets the requirements for secondary teacher certification in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Get the skills you need for success
The urban-based graduate program focuses on the theory, research and practice of teaching - as both an art and a science. Courses include critical teaching strategies classroom management, assessment and instructional planning, and subject area teaching methods. All students complete both student teaching and a directed urban field experience.

Save valuable time and money
The Five Year Bachelors & Masters Degree Program in Secondary Education saves the student both time and money. Since the master’s degree in only one year instead of the usual two years, students save an entire year’s worth a tuition costs and can enter the job market a year sooner! Plus, students are charged the special Mercyhurst Alumni tuition rate for their fifth year - 20% less than the regular graduate tuition at Mercyhurst.

How it works
You will meet with an advisor from the Education Department during your junior year, and will typically make a formal application to the graduate program early in the fall of your senior year. You will complete selected education classes as electives during your senior year and complete the PRAXIS teaching exams. You will then enroll in graduate courses starting in the summer following your senior year.

You may, of course, change your plans at any time during your undergraduate program. There is no obligation to pursue the graduate degree or teacher certification.

The Interdisciplinary Education Minor consists of six courses, at least two, but not more than three, in education. Courses in this minor must contribute to a theme grounded in education courses; courses outside education must be conceptually related to the education courses. At least four of the six courses must be at the 300 level or above. Only one independent study may be counted toward the minor. At least three courses must be unique to the minor.

For example, Kate Young ‘01 was a mathematics major in the secondary teacher certification program; she was interested in how adolescents learn. Her Interdisciplinary Education Minor includes the following configuration of courses:
Educ. 401 - Analysis of Teaching in Secondary School
Educ. 402/403 - Secondary School Student Teaching
Psych. 231- Cognition
Psych. 205 - Adolescent Psychology
Math 320 - Seminar for Mathematics Teachers

The Disciplinary Education Minor
The Disciplinary Education Minor consists of any five education courses with at least two courses at the 200 level, and at least two at the 300-400 level. Only one independent study may count toward the minor. SOC 261 Sociology of Education may substitute for one of the 200-level education courses; WRRH 322 Adolescent Literature, and AEP 335 Arts and Human Development may substitute for 300 or above education courses. At least three courses must be unique to the minor. Students majoring in arts and education may not minor in education.

Arisleidy Fuchu ‘02, was an English major interested young children at risk. She created a Disciplinary Education Minor with the following courses:
Educ. 200 Human Growth and Development
Educ. 203 Children With Disabilities
Educ. 320 Children’s Literature
Educ. 337 Education and Racial Diversity in the U.S.
Educ. 338 Inclusive Schooling: Children With Special Needs in Public Schools

Master of Education

For admissions advising contact Amelia Bowers, Education Program Adviser, 425-352-5274
Application Deadline for Autumn Quarter 2008: August 22, 2008
Application Deadline for Winter Quarter 2009: November 21, 2008
Secondary Teacher Certification M.Ed.

For admissions advising please attend a Secondary Teacher Certification M.Ed. Information Session or contact Dana Bigham, Program Coordinator, 425-352-3481.
Application Deadline for Autumn Quarter 2009: April 8, 2009

The UW Bothell Secondary Teacher Certification Master of Education Program integrates courses and structured field experiences. You will be challenged to apply and extend what you learn in class to your work with youth in several school settings.

Education curriculum overview
The Secondary Teaching Program combines course work in the liberal arts with professional education courses. Students earn a Bachelor of Science in Education and Social Policy (BSEd) from the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) as well as earning a recommendation for certification through entitlement for Secondary teaching grades 6-12 or K-12 teaching for art and foreign languages. Forty-five units of credit (or courses) are required for the degree. Illinois certification can be earned in a wide range of majors within the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS), including science certification with Biology, Chemistry, or Physics designation; social science with History, Sociology, Political Science, or Economics designation; Art, English, Mathematics, French, German, Latin or Spanish. The program has been granted Approved Program status by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Students benefit from excellent subject matter preparation (demonstrated by our students’ performance on the Illinois Test Results), a combination of clinical experience (practicum) and a full-time student teaching internship, which generally meet the certification requirements for other states. In the recent past, secondary education program completers have gone on to receive certification in Maryland, Minnesota, New York, California, Wisconsin and other states.

Undergraduate students in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS) and the School of Music may also earn secondary teacher certification by completing the same requirements (listed below) as well completing the requirements of the degree in which they are enrolled.

Elementary certification may be obtained through our Master’s of Science in Education (MSEd) Program. Special Education program is housed in the Communications Sciences and Disorders departments of the School of Communication and is a master’s level program.

The mission of the M.S.Ed. Teaching: Secondary program is to prepare teachers who can facilitate lifelong learning in a world of diversity and change and serve as effective mediators of knowledge, coordinators of learning, and promoters of dignity, responsibility and self-worth. They should be effective communicators, knowledgeable in the content of their academic discipline and in methods of teaching it, competent and professional in developing a learning climate and assessing learning, and effective as role models and mentors for their students and other teachers.

Graduate Internship In Secondary Teaching (GIST)

Graduate Internship in Secondary Teaching (GIST) is a Northwest graduate option designed for the person who wants to become a secondary teacher and who possesses a college degree (B.S. or B.A.) in a certifiable field but lacks certification to teach. The GIST option is restricted to students who are candidates for the M.S.Ed., Teaching: Secondary degree. GIST candidates must meet the same state and institutional requirements for secondary teacher certification as undergraduate students, but they substitute graduate-level courses for undergraduate courses wherever possible.

Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships are available to M.S.Ed. Teaching: Secondary students in the academic departments of Agriculture, Business, Education, English, History, Mathematics, Music, Speech, and Theater. Graduate assistants may work in an area of research, teaching, tutorial or administrative. Additional graduate assistantships are available in administrative offices on campus to graduate students regardless of major. The assistantships provide a competitive stipend and full tuition waiver.

Program Requirements
Core Requirements - 6 hours
Issues in Education or Philosophy of Education (3)
Methods of Educational Research (2)
Research Paper (1)
Specialty Field Requirements - 20 hours
Improvement of Teaching (3)
Seminar and Practicum in Teaching (3)
Prescribed Program (area of concentration)
(14, 15 in mathematics)
Unspecified Electives - 6 hours
Total Credit Hours - 32 hours
Competencies
Specific objectives of the M.S.Ed. Teaching: Secondary programs vary somewhat by academic specialty option. Objectives common to all options include the following:
Demonstrate depth of knowledge in the major curriculum areas.
Acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to implement teaching strategies that are multicultural and nonsexist in nature.
Demonstrate a broad repertoire of teaching skills, strategies and styles through simulated and direct classroom practice.
Develop basic knowledge and skills in conducting, interpreting, reporting, and applying the results of educational research.
Develop an awareness of the various provisions for locating, identifying, and serving youth with special needs.