Masters in Teaching Degree Requirements
Because master’s in teaching programs are designed for students with varying backgrounds the degree requirements differ based on prior educational experience. There are also changes in curriculum requirements based on the teaching interests of the student enrolled in the program. Students coming into a program for teaching high school math, for example, may find that there are some undergraduate classes which need to be completed either prior to enrollment or during the master’s degree itself.
For New Teachers
Duke University is an example of a narrow program with concise and compressed academic requirements. The program offers only master’s degrees in teaching for subjects in secondary school. It is not open to working teachers; applicants must have no prior educational experience and must have completed an undergraduate degree in the teaching field of their choice. Those who wish to be math teachers must have been math majors; those who want to teach biology must have completed a degree in biology or a closely related field, and so on. It’s a one year program with very little focus on classroom technique and some of the other traditional areas of study for teaching students.
Other programs for new teacher candidates have broader requirements. Cornell University offers the masters in teaching for agricultural science, mathematics and science. Cornell graduates majoring in math or science may apply to the program in their sophomore year and by so doing, make sure that all undergraduate requirements are met for the graduate degree. Students complete additional coursework in their field and put in a semester of student teaching. Two years of teaching under a provisional license is required prior to issuance of a permanent New York teaching license.
Most of these programs are thirty to thirty eight credit programs that require two years to complete. The University of Minnesota/Mankato offers the masters in teaching for many teacher certification options including all of the sciences, social studies, health sciences, several languages, and visual arts. The curriculum includes human development & learning, media usage, reading in the middle & secondary school, and field work in both the first and second year. Coursework in the area of specialization is additional.
For Working Teachers
Ohio State University offers the master’s in teaching only to licensed teachers who have completed a bachelor’s degree. The program is strictly for focus on advanced level teaching, with only four core course requirements. Thereafter the student concentrates on the chosen field of study: the Masters in Social Studies and Global Education requires an additional 32 credit hours of work on the academic field. New York University, on the other hand, has developed a Master of Arts in Social Studies Education that requires one year to complete and is designed for teachers already working in the field; the purpose of the program is to revitalize the teaching of social studies in New York and to expand on the teachers’ knowledge of history.
University of Texas in Dallas has a master’s in teaching program available both online and on campus for working teachers. The program is designed for working secondary school teachers, offering three tracks within the degree that loosely group history & philosophy; visual and performing arts, writing, and art history; and literature, language & rhetoric. It’s a thirty six credit hour program that will require at least two years to complete for working teachers.
