Elementary education
Student Services
Contact student services for M.Ed./Certificate related questions
cehdinfo@umn.edu
Tel: 612-625-3339
Fax: 612-625-9214
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Master of education/professional studies
ALERT: Admission to this program is suspended at this time. Please contact Student Services if you have questions.
Program
The master of education (M.Ed.)/professional studies program in elementary education is designed for elementary teachers who want to improve their instructional, decision-making, evaluation, and leadership skills.
This graduate-level, practitioner-based program is offered by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).
The program is flexible and can be tailored to accommodate individual needs. With guidance from faculty advisers, students complete at least 30 semester credits of work in the following areas: a core academic program in elementary education, and additional selected education courses.
Courses at the University of Minnesota are offered at a variety of times, including late afternoons. Students can also enroll in classes offered during the summer and at off-campus school sites.
Admission
The college reviews applications on an ongoing basis. Application reviews for specific academic terms begin by the following dates. Students are encouraged to submit application materials to Student Services by these dates:
- November 1—spring semester admission
- March 1—summer session admission
- July 1—fall semester admission
Admission requirements to this program include the following criteria:
- Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree with a 2.80 minimum grade point average (GPA) from an accredited institution. Applicants must be licensed to teach elementary students and have had teaching experience.
All applicants must submit the following items:
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended or are currently attending, except the University of Minnesota. Transcripts must be received from the issuing school in a sealed and stamped envelope, and mailed to CEHD Student Services, 360 Education Sciences Bldg, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455.
- Any student with a U.S. bachelor's degree or a comparable foreign degree from an accredited college or university may apply to CEHD. Official transcripts of all previous post-secondary academic study must be submitted. If you completed coursework at a university outside of the United States, your transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation center. Request a “course-by-course” evaluation. This process can take four-six weeks, so please plan in advance. A suggested provider of this service is Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). You can, however, use any provider that is an accredited member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
All applicants must upload or submit the following items with their online applications:
- Résumé
- Personal Statement describing your career goals and rationale for interest in the M.Ed. program (limit two pages)
- Application fee of $55.00 charged when your online application is submitted. Fees must be paid with a credit card.
Nonnative English speakers and/or international students
Please Note: This program is not offered full-time and therefore is not intended for international students needing a visa to study in the US.
All nonnative English speakers must submit an official score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). (Exceptions may be granted for applicants who will have completed 16 semester or 24 quarter credits within the past 24 months in residence as a full-time student at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States before entering the University of Minnesota.)
Minimum TOEFL score requirements:
| Internet-based test | 79-80 |
| Computer-based test | 213 |
| Paper-based test | 550 |
Applicants may also be required to demonstrate spoken English proficiency in an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and/or oral interview with faculty or staff. Contact Student Services for more information.
International applicants who will require an I-20 for a student visa must submit a Financial Certification Statement, which will be mailed to you upon admission to the program.
Apply Online
- Apply Online
- Save your PIN number and password so that you can work on the application over time.
- Follow application instructions carefully, because once your application is submitted, you will no longer have access to add/change application information or upload required supplemental material. As your application is being reviewed, you can log back into your account to view your current application status.
- Your admission decision will also be displayed in your application account.
Applicants are typically notified of admission decisions four to six weeks after application deadlines.
Transfer credits
A maximum of 12 graduate semester transfer credits may be applied to the M.Ed. program. Credits may include any combination of the following coursework:
- Up to six graduate semester credits from fully accredited institutions other than the University of Minnesota for students enrolled at the University’s Twin Cities campus; up to nine graduate semester credits for students enrolled at the University’s Rochester campus
- Credits completed at the University of Minnesota before admission to the M.Ed. program
Transfer courses must be completed at the graduate level and approved by a faculty adviser and the college. Workshop credits are usually not accepted for transfer to C&I programs. Contact the program’s faculty adviser for more information.
Curriculum
Elementary education (18 credits)
- CI 5155—Contemporary Approaches to Curriculum: Instruction and Assessment (3 cr)
- CI 5187—Practicum: Improvement of Teaching in Elementary
or PreKindergarten Schools (3 cr)
To be taken at end of M.Ed. program; consult with faculty adviser - CI 5415—Literacy Development in the Primary Grades (3
cr)
- or CI 5411—Reading in the Elementary Grades (3 cr)
- or CI 5416—Literacy Development in the Intermediate Grades (3 cr)
- CI 5504—Elementary School Science: Materials and Resources (3 cr)
- CI 5731—Social Studies for the In-Service Elementary/Middle School Teacher (3 cr)
- MTHE 5101—Teaching Elementary School Mathematics (3 cr)
- or MTHE 5355—Mathematics for Diverse Learners (3 cr)
Electives (12 credits)
- Electives are selected in consultation with an adviser. Strongly recommended are courses in literacy, classroom management, teaching children with diverse ethnic backgrounds, educational technologies, music, art, English as a Second Language (ESL), and teaching children with learning difficulties.
Note: For course descriptions and schedules, refer to the University of Minnesota’s Class Schedule.
Registration
Currently admitted degree-seeking students may register online for coursework.
Students who want to begin graduate coursework (M.Ed./M.A./Ph.D.) before admission must use the One Stop non-degree registration option. The authorized signer for the Registration Request for Graduate Credit Form (for non-degree seeking students) in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is Jessie Eastman (eastm004@umn.edu; 612-625-2545; completed forms may be faxed to Jessie at 612-624-8277 for processing).
For questions, see FAQ for non-degree graduate registration.
Core faculty
Kathleen Cramer
Ph.D., University of Minnesota Mathematics education
612-624-7312; email:
crame013@umn.edu
Fred Finley
Ph.D., Michigan State University Science education
612-625-2074; email:
finle001@umn.edu
Lee Galda
Ph.D., New York University Children's literature
612-625-3310; email:
galda001@umn.edu
Lori Helman
Ph.D., University of Nevada, Reno Elementary reading education
612-624-2034; lhelman@umn.edu
Roger Johnson
Ed.D., University of California, Berkeley Science education
612-624-7031; email:
johns009@umn.edu
Bhaskar Upadhyay
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin Science education
612-625-3286; email:
upadh006@umn.edu
Updated February 2012
