- The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Sciences
- BS in Elementary Education
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Elementary Education
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Special Education (K- Age 21) (Semester)
- Education Specialist (EdS) in Educational Leadership and Administration (Principal Preparation) Program (Semester)
- BS in Early Childhood Studies
- MS in Developmental Psychology
- MS in Early Childhood Studies (Semester)
- MS in Education (Semester)
- MS in Health Education and Promotion
- MS in Higher Education (Semester)
- MS in Instructional Design and Technology (Semester)
- MS in Applied Behavior Analysis
- MS in Psychology
- Education Specialist (EdS) in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
- Education Specialist (EdS) in Early Childhood Education
- Education Specialist (EdS) in Educational Administration and Leadership
- Education Specialist (EdS) in Educational Technology
- Education Specialist (EdS) in Learning, Instruction, and Innovation
- Education Specialist (EdS) in Reading, Literacy, and Assessment
- Education Specialist (EdS) in Special Education
- Doctor of Education (EdD)
- PhD in Developmental Psychology
- PhD in Education
- PhD in Health Education and Promotion
- BS in Child Development
- MS in Instructional Design and Technology (Quarter)
- MS in Education (Quarter)
- Education Specialist (EdS) in Educational Leadership and Administration (Principal Preparation) Program (Quarter)
- MS in Early Childhood Studies
- MS in Higher Education (Quarter)
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Special Education (K- Age 21) (Quarter)
The Master of Arts in Teaching program in Elementary Education is designed for aspiring educators with a bachelor’s degree who wish to become an elementary school teacher. In this program, students focus on creating deep knowledge of children’s development, motivation, and learning. Students also concentrate on skills in the areas of instruction, assessment, cultural responsiveness, technology, relationship-building, and collaboration. Throughout the curriculum, students also focus on designing integrated curriculum, the arts as an essential part of children’s education, literacy learning, and utilizing a wide array of evidence-based approaches and strategies to support the growth and learning of every child.
Licensure
Walden is approved by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) to offer a program leading to a Minnesota Tier 3 license in Elementary Education. Candidates seeking licensure in Minnesota are responsible for completing all Minnesota requirements beyond Walden’s state-approved program. The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) is solely responsible for reviewing applications and issuing licenses.
Individuals interested in licensure in states other than Minnesota may qualify by virtue of completing a state-approved educator preparation program; however, individuals must review their state’s regulations to ensure the program meets all requirements, paying particular attention to any requirements specific to out-of-state program completers. Individuals who reside in certain states may be ineligible to enroll in this program. Walden Enrollment Specialists can provide guidance on licensure questions; however, it remains the individual’s responsibility to understand and comply with all state licensure requirements. Walden makes no representation or guarantee that completion of Walden coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state licensure.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the MAT in Elementary Education program, graduates will be prepared to:
- Demonstrate the skills necessary to create learning environments that facilitate meaningful learning experiences for elementary students.
- Demonstrate the professional dispositions of an elementary educator.
- Demonstrate the ability to implement differentiated learning experiences that support development in elementary students.
- Evaluate assessment data to make informed instructional decisions that promote student development.
- Demonstrate the ability to be culturally responsive to foster positive trusting relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
- Appropriately integrate a variety of learning technologies in the classroom.
- Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with others to improve educational outcomes for elementary children.
- Apply the results of research in the field of education to create positive social change.
- Demonstrate the skills necessary to be a reflective practitioner who actively seeks opportunities to grow professionally.
Degree Requirements
- 70 total quarter credits
- Professional core courses (60 credits)
- Field Experience Preparation Courses (0 credit)
- Demonstration Teaching Preparation Course (0 credit)
- Demonstration Teaching (10 credits)
- Field experience**: a minimum of 100 hours of classroom-based field experiences in conjunction with coursework; 12 weeks of full-time demonstration teaching
**Note: In addition to Walden’s general technical requirements, candidates must have access to technology (i.e., scanner or camera) that allows them to scan documents and record themselves teaching.
Curriculum
Professional Core (60 credits)
* Course requires a 25-hour field experience at a school approved by Walden University.
Demonstration Teaching (10 credits)
Guidebook
Walden University requires that all candidates in its teacher preparation program with a MAT Elementary Education review the Candidate Guidebook and Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching Handbook to help them understand the guidelines and requirements of the program, including transition points and field experiences.
Candidates can access the Candidate Guidebook and Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching Handbook in the field experience SharePoint. Candidates enrolled in the teacher preparation program with a MAT Elementary Education should refer to the Candidate Guidebook for complete information on the programs and related policies and procedures related to them. Candidates should refer to the Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching Handbook for detailed information regarding the field experience requirements in the program.
Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching Preparation Courses
Walden is committed to providing candidates with resources and support in preparation of field experiences. To help ease anxiety in the field experience process, Walden offers a 0-credit Field Experience Preparation course and Demonstration Teaching Preparation course. Both courses are structured experiences that guide candidates through the application process and currently available readiness resources. The courses are designed to complement other pre-requisite courses needed in preparation for field experiences. There may be reasons why a field experience course needs to be postponed, or the readiness course may not be needed if a field experience opportunity has already been secured. In this instance, students may opt-out of the applicable preparation course.
Course Sequence
Candidates undertake courses in the following sequence.
Note: The course sequence is subject to change depending on your start date.
Quarter | Course | Credits |
---|---|---|
Quarter 1 |
EDUC 6405 - The Professional Educator |
5 credits |
FEEH 6070 – Field Experience Preparation |
0 credits |
|
EDUC 6061 - Culturally Responsive, Engaging Learning Environments |
5 credits | |
Quarter 2 |
EDUC 6060 - Meaningful Teaching and Learning Through Planning, Instruction, and Assessment |
5 credits |
EDUC 6063 - Child Development and Meaningful Learning |
5 credits | |
Quarter 3 |
EDUC 6070 - Foundations of Elementary Math Instruction: Theory and Practice |
5 credits |
EDUC 6071 – Investigating Science in Elementary Classrooms |
5 credits |
|
Quarter 4 |
EDUC 6064 - Integrating Content and Technology to Entrance Learning |
5 credits |
FEEH 6072 - Demonstration Teaching Preparation |
0 credits | |
EDUC 6407 - Foundations of Teaching Literacy |
5 credits | |
Quarter 5 |
EDUC 6062 - Literacy Instruction and Assessment |
5 credits |
EDUC 6066 - Social Studies: Expanding Students’ Worlds |
5 credits | |
Quarter 6 |
EDUC 6406 - Respecting Diversity: Promoting Equity and Inclusion |
5 credits |
EDUC 6065 - Collaboration and Professional Development in Elementary Education |
5 credits | |
Quarter 7 |
EDUC 6072 - Demonstration Teaching in Elementary Education 1 |
5 credits |
EDUC 6073 - Demonstration Teaching in Elementary Education 2 |
5 credits |
Note: The Teacher Preparation Program with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) does not offer any courses during the summer that have field experience or demonstration teaching requirements.