Licensure / Master of Arts in Teaching for the Elementary Teacher
Program Description
Today’s demanding education environment requires teachers who consistently demonstrate gentleness in relationships and excellence in both teaching content and applying techniques. The Regis College graduate programs in education draw inspiration from one of the College’s fundamental tenets: that an interdisciplinary approach to learning - one in which the relationships and connections between various content areas and diverse societal contexts are fully appreciated and explored – is essential in preparing our graduates for future success. In the tradition of eighty years of teacher education at Regis College within the liberal arts, our master’s programs help teachers gain the understanding of students' needs, curriculum planning, and instruction.
The classroom experience is a constantly shifting dynamic of variables that profoundly affect the interaction between teacher and learner. These variables include:
- A school's intrinsic character
- The demographics of the surrounding community
- The underlying societal issues students may face at home
- The knowledge base from which both teacher and children come
- The teacher's pedagogical technique
All of these factors demand the preparation of a certain kind of teacher—one who consistently demonstrates gentleness in relationships and excellence in both the teaching of content and the application of technique.
Elementary Education Courses
Initial Licensure Program* - Elementary, Grades 1-6 (18 credits)
Candidates with a bachelor's degree, but no formal teaching experience, may earn their initial licensure as elementary teachers 1–6 by completing the following courses (all courses listed are 3 credits):
- The Elementary School: Mathematics 1-6**
- Literacy Development Including Special Needs**
- Contemporary Issues in Special Education
- Educating Children with Special Needs in the Regular Classroom
- Curriculum Adaptations/Differentiated Instruction for Students with Special Needs
- Initial Practicum/Seminar
** Field-based experiences require candidates to spend a minimum of 80 hours in school settings. While in a school, candidates observe, tutor, and where possible teach in both small- and large-group settings.
MAT - Professional Licensure Program - Elementary Grades 1-6 (18 credits) - Model B
Candidates who have completed the above 18-credit Elementary Initial Licensure Program at the post-baccalaureate level at Regis College and wish to earn a master's degree and professional licensure must complete the following 3 three-credit courses:
- ID 512 and ID 513 Humanities in the Classroom
- ID 510 and ID 511 Natural Sciences in the Classroom
- ID 514 Social Sciences in the Classroom
- ED 610 Research Seminar
MAT Degree Program - Professional Licensure Program (30 credits) - Model A
Candidates who have already earned their initial licensure (generally in an undergraduate program) and wish to earn a master's degree and professional licensure must complete the following 3-credit courses:
- Teaching Today: Social Aspects
- Humanities in the Classroom I
- Humanities in the Classroom II
- Natural Sciences in the Classroom I
- Natural Sciences in the Classroom II
- Social Sciences in the Classroom
- Children's Language and Learning or Developmental Issues and Learning in Students with Special Needs
- Children's Literature or Teaching English Language Learners
- Research Seminar
- Clinical Practicum
Students employed as Catholic school teachers are eligible for a graduate education scholarship in addition to financial aid. Please contact Dr. Leona McCaughey-Oreszak or the Office of Financial Aid for additional information.
Upcoming Course Schedules
MTEL Information
- In order to be accepted into the initial licensure program, candidates must pass the Communication/Literacy Test portion of the MTEL while taking the first two courses in the initial licensure program
- In order to register for the practicum, candidates must pass the Foundations of Reading Test and the General Curriculum Multi-Subject Test and the Mathematics Sub-test portions of the MTEL.
