Education, M.Ed.

The School of Urban Education offers a M.Ed. degree that prepares students to pursue standard Oklahoma teacher certification. Students who possess a bachelor’s degree in the following areas are eligible for the M.Ed. program:

Natural Sciences (grades 6-12)
Mathematics (grades 6-12)
English (grades 6-12)
History/Social Studies (grades 6-12)
Art (grades K-12)
Foreign Languages (grades K-12)
Music (Vocal and Instrumental) (grades K-12)
Speech/Drama/Debate (Theatre) (grades 6-12)
Social Sciences (grades 6 - 12)
Exercise and Sports Sciences (grades K-12)

Students completing a bachelor’s degree in other subject areas may apply for alternative certification in the state of Oklahoma through the State Department of Education’s Alternative Certification guidelines. The certification officer of the School of Urban Education submits a letter to the Oklahoma State Department of Education stating that the applicant has completed a nationally accredited teacher preparation program in the applicant’s chosen subject area.

Specialized undergraduate courses leading to teacher certification may be taken for graduate credit in some instances. Students may choose to complete the M.Ed. as either a thesis or non-thesis program.

For more information on requirements for each teacher preparation option, please see the School of Urban Education website (http://artsandsciences.utulsa.edu/academics/departments-schools/urban-education/student-teaching/) or the Graduate Advisor in the School of Urban Education (918-631-2719).

Learning Objectives

The M.Ed. program seeks to assist students with preparations for meeting the followings items required for standard Oklahoma teacher certification requirements:

Second Language Proficiency

Students completing the Teacher Education Program must demonstrate proficiency in a second language.

Professional Examinations

Prospective teachers in Oklahoma must pass the Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET), the appropriate Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT), and the Oklahoma Professional Teaching Examination (OPTE) to be eligible for licensure/certification. Complete information and registration bulletins are available from the Certification Examinations for Oklahoma Educators website (www.ceoe.nesinc.com) as well as the administrative assistant in the School of Urban Education (918-631-2236).

Oklahoma Professional Certification

During their last semester, students who have passed the appropriate state examinations should apply for a certificate to teach in Oklahoma.

The School of Urban Education is nationally accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council TEAC. The School is also state accredited by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation (OCTP).

Secondary Education Program

The School of Urban Education offers a M.Ed. degree that prepares students to pursue teacher certification. Students who possess a bachelor’s degree in the following areas are eligible for the M.Ed. program:

biology, chemistry, geosciences, or physics (grades 6-12)
mathematics (grades 6-12)
English (grades 6-12)
history or political science (grades 6-12)
art (grades K-12)
foreign language (grades K-12)
speech/drama/debate (theatre) (grades 6 - 12)

The M.Ed. degree program offering preparation for initial certification in secondary education requires a minimum of 36 credits of graduate-level course work, but additional course work may be required to qualify for the Oklahoma teaching certificate. Specialized undergraduate courses leading to teacher certification may be taken for graduate credit in some instances. These 6000-level courses are listed at the end of this section under the heading “Approved Undergraduate Courses.”

M.Ed. Core Courses (22 hours)

M.Ed. Secondary Student Teaching Courses (9 hours)

Core Subject Area and Elective Course (5-6 credit hours)

Elementary Program

The School offers teacher preparation for certification in elementary education. Students who complete a program in Elementary Education may apply for certification in the state of Oklahoma through the standard route, in which case the School of Urban Education recommends them for certification. The program requires a minimum of 49 credit hours but additional course work (as described below) may be required to qualify for the Oklahoma teaching certificate.

M.Ed. Core Courses (39 hours)

M.Ed. Elementary Student Teaching Courses (10 hours)

Note

In addition, all elementary certification candidates must complete (or have completed) 12 hours in each of 4 areas: language arts, social studies, sciences, and math at the undergraduate level. If these requirements have not been fulfilled prior to the M.Ed., then the candidate must take the necessary courses.

Common Questions

Colleges