If you have a bachelor’s degree and a passion for helping young people learn and grow, check out the UMW M.Ed. with Initial Teacher Licensure Program. You’ll get a personal adviser, a learning plan tailored specifically for you, and valuable field experience in one of nine neighboring school districts.
Pathways Include:
- Elementary Education (Grades PreK-6)
- Middle Grades Education (Grades 6-8)
- PreK-12 Education (Grades PreK-12)
- Secondary Education (Grades 6-12)
- Special Education: Adapted Curriculum (Grades K-12)
- Special Education: General Curriculum (Grades K-12)
- Teaching English as a Second Language (Grades PreK-12)
Is UMW’s Master of Education with Initial Teacher Licensure program right for me?
The Master of Education with Initial Teacher Licensure program is designed for adults who have earned a bachelor’s degree and wish to obtain teaching credentials. The program is designed to meet adult learners’ needs, with courses in the evenings and weekends and blended and online formats.
Teachers with provisional or conditional licenses, those who need to renew their licenses, students who need one to two courses, and those with an in-progress application to the program may take courses as non-degree students.
For more information about non-degree options, contact the Director of Advising Center Services for the College of Education, April Brecht, at 540/286-8032 or abrecht@umw.edu.
What will I learn?
Through basic course work and field experiences prescribed by Virginia Licensure Regulations (VLR), teacher candidates learn to demonstrate and apply the teaching and subject knowledge competencies in the VLR and demonstrated by skillful teachers. You’ll acquire an initial teaching license and receive the support, supervision, evaluation, and advising you need to pinpoint the type of educator you want to become. You will learn to teach for understanding, focus on the learner’s nature, make critical decisions, master content expertise, and create a motivating classroom culture. Students gain experience and skill in monitoring professional growth through research, reflection, and problem-solving. Most courses require students to complete field experiences in public schools.
What careers will I be prepared for?
Courses focus on Virginia licensure regulations and prepare you to teach elementary, middle, secondary, PreK-12, or special education.
When are courses offered?
Courses are available evenings, weekends, and in blended and online formats.
When and how do I apply for acceptance to the program?
To enroll for the fall semester, the suggested filing date is April 15. (All students applying for a residential graduate assistant position with the Student Affairs department must apply for fall admission by March 1.) For spring, the suggested filing date is Sept. 15. For summer, it’s Feb. 15. UMW accepts post-filing date applications on a rolling, space-available basis.
Please take a look at our Master of Education with Initial Teacher Licensure Application Checklist for the materials you’ll need to get started.
How can I learn more about UMW’s M.Ed. with Initial Teacher Licensure program?
For detailed information and specific questions, please contact Graduate Admissions at (540) 286-8030 or Email us at graduate@umw.edu, or you can fill out our Request for More Information Form. Feel free to visit our social media as well.
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