Graduate Certificate in Teaching

This teacher certification program is designed for students with bachelor's degrees in the arts, sciences, or humanities and several years of responsible work experience.

Students complete the program and must pass certification (licensure) in the District of Columbia and through such certification are eligible for reciprocal certification in over 40 states. Some may require additional courses and examinations.

The certificate program may be taken in early childhood, elementary, secondary, or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teaching.

Students seeking secondary education certification must have completed sufficient course work in the subject in which they are seeking licensure, including English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, health and physical education, social studies, performing arts, music, studio art, or foreign language - French, German, Spanish.

Admission to the Program

Applications must include transcripts of all college work, AARTS transcript or equivalent, a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate work and in all graduate work, a statement of purpose, and two recommendations.

Applicants must also and earn a passing score on the Praxis I: Pre-Professional Skills Assessments (PPST®). Passing scores (as set by the District of Columbia teaching licensing agency) are Reading 172, Writing 171 and Math 174. Admission to the certificate program constitutes admission to the teacher education program.

Requirements

24 - 30 credit hours of approved graduate work including:

• 6 credit hours of student teaching
• for secondary certification specific course work in the subject area to be taught may be needed to meet requirements for certification.
• all students must complete an electronic teaching portfolio which meets passing evaluation criteria
• all students must complete the Praxis II Exam prior to graduation.

Course Requirements

Core (12 credit hours)

• EDU-521 Foundations of Education (3)
• EDU-620 Theories of Educational Psychology and Human Development (3)
• EDU-699 Student Teaching with required seminar (6)

Elementary (18 credit hours)

• EDU-601 Teaching Reading in the Elementary School (3)
• EDU-602 Teaching Language Arts in the Elementary School (3)
• EDU-603 Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School (3)
• EDU-604 Teaching Science in the Elementary School (3)
• EDU-608 Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary School (3)
• EDU-609 Effective Teaching for Diverse Learners (3)

Secondary Education (12 credit hours)

• EDU-520 Reading, Writing, and Literature across the Curriculum (3)
• EDU-522 Principles of Effective Methods and Instructions (3)
• EDU-540 Methods, Materials and Management in Secondary Education I (3) (or other approved courses)
• EDU-542 Methods, Materials, and Management in Secondary Education II (3)

English for Speakers of Other Languages (15 credit hours)

• TESL-500 Principles of Linguistics (3)
• TESL-501 English Language Teaching I (3)
• TESL-523 Second Language Acquisition (3)
  or TESL-527 Cultural Issues in the ESL/EFL Classroom (3)
• TESL-524 Reading and Writing in the ESL/EFL Classroom (3)
• TESL-531 Language Assessment (3)

Early Childhood Education (18 credit hours)

• EDU-609 Effective Teaching for Diverse Learners (3)
• EDU-623 Topics in Literacy Education (3) Literacy, Technology, Media, and the Arts in Early Childhood Education (3)
• EDU-623 Topics in Literacy Education (3) Theoretical Models and Methods for Early Childhood Education Across the Curriculum (3)
• EDU-625 Advocacy and Leadership in Early Childhood Education (3)
• EDU628 Special Topics in Early Childhood Education: Play and Learning (3)
• 3 credits from:
  • EDU-621 Social Science Research (1)

Ongoing Assessment of Academics and Professional Performance

To remain in the Teacher Education Program, certificate students must:

• Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00
• Receive satisfactory evaluations in the field and methods placements
• Obtain a satisfactory evaluation from the Teacher Education Committee based upon academic, professional, and performance criteria established by the committee;
• Meet specific course grade requirements.
• Earn a passing score (as set by the District of Columbia teacher licensing agency) on the PRAXIS I: Pre-Professional Skills Test.

Admission to the M.A.T

Students in the certificate program seeking admission to the M.A.T degree program will be considered after satisfactory completion of up to 18 credit hours of course work. A maximum of 21 credit hours earned in non-degree status in a completed certificate program may be applied to a graduate degree program.