Master of Education (MEd) in Elementary Education

The K-8 Elementary Education program begins in summer quarter only and is five quarters of full-time, mostly daytime, study and  clinical practice for the certificate only. Your day may begin as early as 7 a.m. and there may be occasional evening components. Students wishing to also obtain a master’s degree can usually complete this in an additional year of part-time evening study which is conducive to a working teacher’s schedule.

The Master of Education Program with a focus on Teacher Education features an introduction to teaching in all areas of the elementary and middle school curriculum, preparation for non-curricular aspects of the teacher's role, reflection on contemporary issues in education and frequent supervision. Mentor teachers and university faculty work together to provide students with a program that ensures integration of course content with hands-on experience. Student candidates will begin their Autumn Quarter Clinical Practice the first day of public schools, or earlier to attend building orientations or professional development days. Please note you may need to start your clinical practice as early as mid to late August.

This program is based on the most current educational research and theory. Our goal is to ensure that our graduates have a positive impact on student learning.

Students will earn certification in K-8 Elementary Education and either English Language Learners (ELL) or Special Education (SPED).

Students will also have an option to receive Middle Level Endorsements in one or more of the following subject areas during the first year of the program (you will not declare this option within the application process):

• Middle Level Humanities (English Language Arts and Social Studies)

• Middle Level Science

• Middle Level Mathematics

These endorsements cover grades 4-9 and would be ideal for those who wish to teach in middle school. Adding these endorsements does require passing the state content knowledge test (WEST-E or NES) in the subject area(s).

CURRENT UWT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: Learn about the advantages of declaring a Teaching, Learning and Justice Minor!

The program of study must be completed in sequence, therefore students are admitted for Summer Quarter only. The application process is completed entirely online within the UW Graduate School Application. All materials will be either uploaded or completed online. Your application will not be reviewed for admission until all materials have been received. Complete applications received by the priority deadline will be assured of a review; complete applications received after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

Background Check

The University of Washington, Tacoma School of Education does not consider an applicant's criminal conviction history when making an initial admission decision. The MEd applications for admission do not ask the applicant to disclose prior convictions. By law, the University of Washington will not automatically or unreasonably deny an applicant's admission or restrict access to campus residency based on an applicant's conviction history. Therefore, we strongly encourage all interested prospects to apply to our programs.

The program does review conviction history information for all admitted students through a Pre-Residency and Fingerprint Clearance for students attending Field Experience. Applicants who are offered admission will be required to complete a background check prior to beginning their field experience.

Bachelor's degree

All applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited university or college. Applicants who are in the final quarter or semester of their undergraduate work may apply for provisional admission, but must hold a bachelor's degree before beginning the Teacher Certification Program.

3.0 grade-point average

Will be calculated from the accumulative gpa of the Bachelor or Master degree or from the applicant's final 90 graded quarter credits or 60 graded semester credits. Applicants who do not meet this requirement may be eligible for provisional admission depending on the quality of their complete application file.

UW Graduate School Application

When applying online, be sure to choose "Graduate" from the pull-down menu of application types, then "Education - Tacoma (MEd - Elementary Education)" from the pull-down menu of graduate programs. The School of Education does not accept Graduate Non-Matriculated applications for admission to the Elementary Education programs.

Unofficial transcripts

From every college or university you have attended must be uploaded into the online application. If admitted to the program, one official transcript from your bachelor's degree college (except if UW) will be required by the UW Seattle Graduate Admissions Office.

Courses in the following subject areas

All prerequisite courses, unless otherwise stipulated, must be 100-level or above, and the applicant must receive at least a 2.7 ("B-") grade. All prerequisite courses must be completed by the time the program begins in summer quarter.

Program Selection Document

Requires that you indicate the certification option that you will pursue.

Personal goal statement

The School of Education is committed to preparing the next generation of caring, anti-racist, decolonizing, and inclusive educators. In this context, please include the following in your 2-page double spaced goal statement:

1.  What experiences and strengths do you bring to this commitment?
2. How can the UWT Graduate program support your journey to be a caring, anti-racist, decolonizing and inclusive educator?

A discussion of Holistic criteria will be used for goal statement evaluation and will include attention to clarity and quality of discussion, example specificity, and mechanics.

You may wish to review UWT School of Education mission/values for guidance.

Resume

A resume should include professional experience, educational background, and other relevant information and skills including volunteer experience.

One Letter of recommendation

The Letter of recommendation should be secured from non-relative persons (no family or friends) who can describe your professional potential for working with children and/or for managing the academic requirements of a rigorous graduate school program of study. The letter of recommendation is incorporated into the online application and you will identify your recommender within the application. 

WEST-B, SAT, ACT (or other state approved test) scores

In April 2019, Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 1621 which changes the WEST-B (Basic Skills) testing requirement for Washington state teaching certification. Before HB 1621, all teacher candidates were required to pass all three WEST-B subtests with a score of 240 or higher (or corresponding state approved test scores) for admission to a teacher preparation program. This new law still requires that teacher candidates take the WEST-B or an equivalent basic skills exam like the SAT or ACT, but no longer requires a passing score for admission or to become a certified teacher. Therefore, we only require a test to be taken once. NOTE: All three sections (Reading, Writing and Math) must be taken no later than May 1^st of the year you apply. Here is a link to the WEST website.

See more information on state approved WEST-B alternatives.

Washington Educator Skills Test-Endorsement (WEST-E) / National Evaluation Series (NES)

WEST-E and NES tests are not required for admission, but are required to be taken within our Teacher Certification Program. Review the WEST/NES Schedule for required/suggested test dates.

Important Immunization Information

All enrolled students are required to provide proof of immunity. Students will not be allowed to register for any classes until the UW Tacoma Registrar's Office confirms that they have satisfied this requirement. Students born before 01/01/57 are considered to be immune and therefore do NOT need to submit proof of immunity.

How long are the programs?
Both the K-8 with English Language Learners (ELL) and Special Education (SPED) Teacher Certification and program begins in summer quarter only and is five quarters of full-time day study and clinical practice for the certificate only. Students wishing to also obtain a master’s degree can usually complete this in an additional year of part-time evening study which is conducive to a working teacher’s schedule.

What type of certificate and endorsements will I receive?
Upon successful completion of the teacher certification program and a passing score on the WEST-E / NES exams for Elementary Education and English Language Learners (ELL) / Special Education (SPED), students will be recommended to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for a Residency Teacher Certificate with endorsements in Elementary Education and English Language Learners (ELL) / Special Education (SPED).

Students will also have an option to receive Middle Level Endorsements in one or more of the following subject areas during the first year of the program (you will not declare this option within the application process):

• Middle Level Humanities (English Language Arts and Social Studies)
• Middle Level Science
• Middle Level Mathematics

These endorsements cover grades 4-9 and would be ideal for those who wish to teach in middle school. Adding these endorsements does require passing the state content knowledge test (WEST-E or NES) in the subject area(s).

In what area of study does my bachelor’s degree have to be?
Your bachelor’s degree can be in any discipline.

How do I know if I have satisfied all of the prerequisite courses required for admission to the program?
Complete the K-8 Prerequisite Worksheet and contact Justin Gailey (jgailey@uw.edu; 253-692-5698)

What is a writing intensive course?

For students currently attending or have attended the one of the UW campuses, you will find a "W" in front of the course title. For other universities or colleges, courses in which their are multiple papers with multiple pages. 

Where will I be placed for the clinical practice in the program?
We have contracts with several districts in the South Sound area. Students are not allowed to arrange their own clinical practice placements.

When will placement begin?

For K-8 SPED & TELL programs field experience will begin in the Fall when the school district they are place in begins.

Are there online options?

The teacher certification programs were created as a face to face program. It was created to produce the best teachers. The program allows students to take what they are learning in the courses to translate into the classroom. It is a cohort model that provides students the ability to create a strong network and have a high level of support that you find in a in person program.

Research shows that students learn more when they are in-person at school. When together in the classroom,  teachers can better connect with each individual student and offer more personalized one-on-one attention and coaching. In addition, when teachers can provide more direct oversight of learning in person, and engagement. Scholars participating in in-person learning also benefit from more collaborative and hands-on work with their peers. This is why our program is a in person program. 

What does the transition to the Master degree look like after I complete the certification look like?

Students can pursue the M.Ed. courses or pause pursuit of the master’s degree. UW Graduate School allows 6 years for degree completion. Courses are in person courses and each course is a prerequisite for the following course and must be taken in order. 

K-8/TELL or K-8/SPED                               
AUT TEDUC 504                                         
WIN TEDUC 599                               
SPR TEDUC 599

How much is tuition?
Please visit the tuition webpage for current tuition rates.

How do I get information about scholarships and other financial aid opportunities?
Please visit the Student Financial Aid website for Graduate Students and the School of Education Scholarship webpage.

K-8 and ELL / SPED Certification program is a 68-credit (teaching certificate only) or a 77-credit (teaching certificate with master's degree) program. The teaching certificate only program is a cohort model which begins summer quarter and requires full-time, daytime attendance for five quarters. The master's degree completion courses are offered during the evening and may be completed on a part-time basis.

Courses are subject to change at the discretion of the School of Education

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting

For program and advising information please contact Ty Halton:

Email: thalton@uw.edu

Call: 253-692-4437