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This program is for individuals who hold a baccalaureate degree and are interested in a career in teaching. Through course work designed to satisfy department and state requirements, certification in elementary education (K-8), secondary education (7-12 in either life science, physical science, English, history, political science mathematics), or art education can be obtained.  With the exception of Intern Teaching all coursework must be completed at the graduate level (EDU 500 - 600).  After completion of this certification program, a student is eligible to enroll in the Master of Science in Education degree program with a concentration in Teaching Methodology.  This program builds on the TCP program and, with the addition of 5 online core courses (15 credits), one may earn a Master of Science in Education degree. 

Continuing education (CE) students may enroll in one semester with a limit of two courses (6 credit hours).  One of those courses must be EDU 502 Curriculum Theory and Design.  To enroll in any more courses for subsequent semesters, CE students must be matriculated into the TCP.

The Education Certification Programs are approved by the Maine Department of Education and meet documented state standards.  Please note that state requirements can change over time, which can affect curriculum and test requirements for students. Please check with your education advisor to obtain any updates. 

This program is for individuals who hold a baccalaureate degree and are interested in a career in teaching. Certification may be obtained in elementary education (K-8), secondary education (7-12) or art education (K-12). Secondary certification areas are: life science, physical science, social studies or mathematics.

After completion of this certification program, a student is eligible to enroll in the Master of Science in Education degree program with a concentration in Teaching Methodology (MSM). The MSM is available only to ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ’s graduate Teacher Certification Students. This program is a 30 credit master’s degree encompassing 15 graduate credits from the Teacher Certification Program (TCP) and an additional 15 credits online that have been designated to satisfy Department and state requirements for certification in areas of elementary education (K-8), secondary education (7-12), or art education (K-12). The remaining 15 credits will be completed following initial teaching certification. These credits are from a totally online graduate program with in depth study in the areas of professional learning communities, differentiation, motivation and action research.

Requirements for Admission

Academic prerequisites:   

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited undergraduate institution
• Undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better.
  • For applicants seeking secondary certification, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in the secondary level teaching content area is required.
  • Applicants who do not have the required 3.0 GPA for secondary level teaching, you can be admitted to the program by passing the PRAXIS II in your subject area (e.g., science, social studies, etc.)
• Provide official report of passing scores on all sections of the PRAXIS I.
• Provide official copy of Education Tech III certification from the State of Maine. (As part of the certification process you must satisfy the Maine Department of Education student security clearance.    The procedure for meeting security clearance requirements is available from the Maine Department of Education)

NOTE:  ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ does not accept students for student teaching only, regardless of whether a state transcript analysis shows that all other academic and professional education requirements have been satisfied

Procedures and Policies

• Applications for admissions are submitted through the .  Submission of the online application will include a personal statement, names and email addresses of three reference letter writers
• Applications for new students will be accepted for the summer, fall, and spring terms.  Deadline for submission of an application is April 1st for summer, July 1st for fall, and November 1st for spring.
• Students may enroll in no more than two TCP courses (a maximum of 6 credits) through the Office of Continuing Education before applying to the program.  EDU 502 must be one of the two initial TCP courses.
• Applicants must submit the following to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME, 04103
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • PRAXIS I scores; and Praxis II scores if applicable
  • Education Tech III certification
• Request transcript analysis from the State of Maine Department of Education
• Completed applications submitted by the deadline, will be considered by the Admissions Committee.  Applications submitted after the deadline for one term will be reviewed on a space available basis; or for admissions into the next available term.
• International students and students with international degrees must have transcripts evaluated for degree and grade equivalency to that of a regionally accredited US institution.  See International Admissions for a list of educational credential evaluators. 
• All applicants to ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ must be able to understand and communicate in English to be admitted to the university.  ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ accepts several methods of English Proficiency, see International Admissions.  English Proficiency requirement must be completed at the time of application.

Note:   At the time of application, all TCP Candidates need to request a transcript analysis from the State of Maine Department of Education and submit it to the ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ Education Department.  The transcript analysis is necessary for academic advising upon matriculation into the program.

The Admission Committee reserves the right to make changes or exceptions to the admission policies and procedures without notice when it deems such a decision is appropriate.

For additional information on the admissions process and requirements, please access the TCP Website.

500-level classes should be taken if the student wishes to continue on to the Master’s of Science in Education degree with a concentration in Teaching Methodology. Note: Internship is only offered at the undergraduate level.

Field Experience

The faculty in the Department of Education are committed to ongoing and frequent observation and involvement in schools. The teacher education programs at ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ have a specific competency-based focus to meet the Maine standards for teacher certification. All students engaged in teacher preparation will spend time in a field setting in each of the semesters for which they are registered for professional education courses. Involvement in the schools will be connected to specific, course-related tasks (e.g., observation, the teaching of lessons, conducting of experiments, administration of assessments, etc.)  Transportation to and from schools is the responsibility of the student.
A minimum of 30 hours field experience is required per semester.

Internship

Courses may not be taken during the internship semester, so all required coursework must be completed the semester prior to the internship. Note: There is one exception for secondary and art certification students-EDU 546 1-credit