Master of Arts in Education (MAED) Elementary Program

The Department of Education offers a Master of Arts in Education degree for liberal arts graduates who are interested in pursuing an elementary school teaching career. The Elementary Program prepares students to teach grades 1-6.

Admission

This is a fall entrance only program . The deadline for application is January 15 of the year in which the applicant wishes to enroll. Additional applications will be considered after January 15th, but financial aid opportunities are not as great after the January deadline. Prospective students must submit a completed application form, three letters of reference, two sets of official transcripts from all colleges attended, and Graduate Record Examination general test scores (submission of the scores from the relevant subject area is optional). The committee will also consider behavior and performance in any prior educational course work. Completed applications should be sent to the Graduate School, Arts and Sciences, Campus Box 1187. All other admission material should be sent to the Department of Education, Campus Box 1183, One Brookings Dr., St. Louis MO 63130-4899 . Scores from previously taken tests are usually acceptable. Inquiries can be made to: GRE (800-473-2255).

This program is designed for individuals who do not have a background in a teacher education program leading to elementary certification.

Program of Study

The individual's MAEd program is planned by the student in consultation with the Elementary Education advisor. 49 credit hours of Professional Education course work is required in the program. Students are responsible for making sure all requirements are met and should monitor their programs carefully. While student input is welcome, it should be understood that student teaching assignments are made by the faculty.

Academic Progress

Once admitted to the program, the student's progress is monitored by the advisor and the Pre-Service Admission Committee. In particular, academic progress is reviewed before permission is given to take the professional semester (and student teach). Ordinarily students will not be permitted to student teach if they have incomplete course work.

Professional Education

Schools and teachers function in relationship to cultural values, social structures, psychological perspectives, and historical traditions. Thus the MAEd Program is grounded in the social foundations of Education and in Educational Psychology. Foundations courses are taken during the first semester of the sequence outlined below. The remaining courses fall into the category of curriculum and instruction.

Teachers must continually make curricular and instructional decisions. Therefore, prospective teachers need to learn about innovative practices, professional responsibilities, curriculum development, materials and methods for the various content areas, and methods for evaluating pupil progress, as well as to develop classroom-management and teacher-pupil relationship skills. Students learn and practice these concepts in all curriculum and instruction course work, but the capstone experience is the professional semester.

The Professional Semester

Courses in the Professional Semester serve to integrate instruction with practical classroom teaching experience. Master's candidates receive 17 hours of credit for this intensive semester. Students should not enroll in any other courses during the professional semester and should keep all other outside activities to an absolute minimum. Students in the Professional Semester spend four full days a week, 7:30 - 4:00, in the schools. The fifth day is spent at the university in formal course work during which students receive instruction in teaching methodologies and are involved in other kinds of activities related to their own classroom teaching. The Professional Semester is offered only in the fall. The Orientation Week for the Professional Semester usually starts before the regular semester at Washington University.

Education Course Work Sequence

The following sequence of professional education course work has been carefully articulated to provide experiences that build on one another. M.A.Ed. students will ordinarily complete these courses in three semesters as shown below.

Fall
Foundations Semester

Spring
Methods Block- Spring before student teaching; Junior year for undergraduates

Fall
Professional Semester

Certification

Please see the certification options page.

Financial Aid

Students whose applications are completed by January 15 who indicate a desire to be considered for tuition scholarships are considered on the basis of academic promise. Applicants after January 15th generally do not receive financial aid. Awards are made for the academic year beginning the following fall. Assistance is not available during the summer as all course work is scheduled during the spring and fall semesters.

For further information, please contact:
Office of Admissions
Department of Education, Box 1183
Washington University in St Louis
St. Louis, MO 63130
(314) 935-6791