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2024-2025 Graduate Catalog
Secondary Education, Master of Arts in Teaching
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Program overview
The Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education degree, is a part of the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP) which prepares students to teach in a middle or high school setting. The master’s only program is designed for career changers or individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree and are now seeking a career in teaching. Students who complete the master of arts in teaching program are eligible for recommendation for a Michigan standard teaching certificate for the 5-9 & 7-12 grade bands.
The program combines teacher education coursework, three field placements in local schools, and a semester long (15-week) student teaching internship.
Courses are taken as a cohort with coursework beginning in the winter semester. All classes are held on OU’s main campus weekday evenings, and there is some online coursework. The five-semester program includes multiple clinical placements throughout and culminates into a year-long clinical internship in a local school. The first internship (fall), called pre-student teaching, is a halftime clinical placement in a school district with a skilled mentor teacher. The final internship semester (winter), called the student teaching internship, entails a full-time semester-long assignment in the same classroom with the same mentor.
Admission terms and application deadlines
Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Oakland University Graduate School by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.
- Applications for winter admission are due on October 1st. Late applications will be considered if there are openings in the program.
- International applicants
Application requirements
To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines. A teachable major is required for admission, so prior to applying, all applicants must have a transcript evaluation done to determine program eligibility. If you have questions, contact the contact the SEHS advising office at matinfo@oakland.edu.
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- Additional department application requirements
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- Goal Statement - in two pages or less, please include a short biography, your professional goals, and respond to the following:
- What experiences have led you to believe you would enjoy teaching middle/high school students?
- What abilities do you have that lead you to believe you can facilitate a productive classroom?
- What knowledge, experience or personal attributes do you have that will benefit your students?
- Resume (Curriculum Vitae)
- The two online recommendations must be from individuals in a supervisory relationship to the applicant.
- Completion of prerequisite coursework in one of the content areas of: English language arts, mathematics, integrated science, or social studies. The teachable program requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA, with no single course below a C. Prior to applying, all applicants must have a transcript evaluation conducted to determine eligibility- email matinfo@oakland.edu. Additional prerequisite coursework may be required depending on content requirements determined by OU’s agreement with the Michigan Department of Education.
- Official transcripts will be required demonstrating: a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better (improved grades in recent coursework will be considered)
- Read the Michigan Code of Educational Ethics
- Admission to STEP is granted by the School of Education and Human Services and required before pursuing professional education graduate coursework. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Qualitative criteria may be required as well.
- Master of Arts in Teaching Graduate School Application Acknowledgement form
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Admission review and assessment
Admission to graduate school at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Oakland University Graduate School, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses, and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.
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Degree requirements
The program requires a bachelor’s degree, an approved program plan for prerequisite content coursework, and 33 credits of graduate education coursework. A grade of B or better is required in all graduate level courses.
Course requirements
The course sequence is subject to minor changes depending on instructor availability. The Internship in Secondary Education (student teaching semester) must be done during the school year.
Prerequisite Content Coursework
Education classes taken in the master of teaching sequence.
Winter: - SED 5110 - INSTRUCTION 1: Introduction to Secondary Methods (3 credits)
Summer:
- SED 5000 - Foundations 1: Introduction to Secondary Education (3 credits)
- SED 5100 - Teaching for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Secondary Schools (3 credits)
- SED 5150 - How People Learn: A Focus on Adolescence (3 credits)
Fall:
- SED 5210 - Instruction 2: Methods in the Discipline (3 credits)
- SED 5600 - Foundations 2: Supporting Learning through Skillful Teaching (3 credits)
- RDG 5558 - Disciplinary Literacies (3 or 4 credits)
Winter:
- SED 5955 - Student Teaching Internship (6 credits)
- SED 5650 - Foundations 3: Developing as a Professional (3 credits)
Summer 2:
- SED 6000 - Instruction 3: Advanced Instruction (3 credits)
Clinical Experiences
All students will be expected to complete field placement hours that meet or exceed the minimum requirement of 600 hours set by the state of Michigan. Additional field hours (beyond those required in seminar) will be met through methods courses, in-class attention to authentic practice, and frequent field-based assignments that occur throughout the program.
- Note: State requirements are such that candidates must meet clinical hour minimums within each grade band, with one band being primary. For this reason, Oakland’s STEP program has been designed with the 7-12 grade band as primary. This means candidates will complete their student teaching at the high school level (defined as grades 9-12), with additional hours in two different strands of the middle grades (defined as grades 5-6 and 7-8) leading up to student teaching. Upon successful completion of SED 5955, all degree requirements other than SED 6000, and the corresponding Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) students will be recommended for a MI teaching certificate with endorsements in grades 5-9 and 7-12. Successful completion of SED 6000 is required in order to earn the master’s degree.
- All students must have experience at both the 5-9 and 7-12 grade bands, including time specifically in grades 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12.
Program Notes
Retention in the program is based on student demonstration of the characteristics, dispositions, skills, and conduct of members of the teaching profession.
In order to be recommended for a Michigan Teaching Certificate, in addition to the degree requirements, candidates must successfully complete their assigned Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification and be in compliance with all legal requirements for Michigan certification.
Satisfactory academic progress
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.
Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details. Good academic standing
All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.
Good academic standing is a requirement for:
- Holding a Graduate Assistantship
- Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
- Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
- Going on a leave of absence
- Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.
Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.
Department requirements: In order to remain in good standing, graduate students must earn a grade-point average of 3.0. No grade below 3.0 can be applied toward a graduate degree. Two course grades below 3.0 or one below 2.0 automatically lead to an evaluation of progress and possible dismissal.
Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.
Related program information
Plan of study
All accepted applicants will be provided with a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. This program runs as a cohort and has a predetermined course schedule. The plan of study must be approved by the student and program adviser, then submitted by the student to Oakland University Graduate School.
Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)
Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.
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