M.Ed. in Middle School Education (5-8) 34 or 37 credits
Middle School programs are approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for Initial Teacher License in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the following subject areas: General Science (5-8), Humanities (5-8), Mathematics (5-8), and Mathematics/Science (5-8).
For content areas spanning grades 5-12, English, Social Studies, and History, see the Middle/High School programs page.
Humanities and Mathematics/Science are 37 credits; General Science and Mathematics are 34 credits. Please note that students taking the optional residency-based ESL-preparation add-on specialization (available for General Science and Mathematics content areas only) will complete 40 program credits.
Program prerequisites:
- General Science, Mathematics: Completion of a college or university's requirements for a major in the discipline or have passed the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) in the content area of the license sought.
- Humanities: Completion of a college or university's requirements for a major in either English or History and a minor in the other subject, or have passed the corresponding MTEL subject area exam in place of the minor, or have passed a combination of appropriate MTEL subject area exams: English (5-12) and History (5-12) or the MTEL Middle School Humanities exam.
- Mathematics/Science: Completion of a college or university's requirements for a major in either Math or Science and a minor in the other subject or have passed the corresponding MTEL subject area exam in place of the minor or have passed the MTEL subject exam in both Mathematics (5-8) and General Science (5-8) or the combination MTEL Middle School Math/Science exam.
Practicum prerequisites: Completion of a 100 hour pre-practicum experience and all practicum documentation (including applicable MTEL score reports); practicum application submitted by April 1 for Fall or November 1 for Spring; cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; completion of all pre-practicum courses with no outstanding incomplete or failing grades. This full time, semester-long experience requires an accompanying seminar course and includes a field experience fee and 6 credits of tuition. Field Placement Office must approve all practicum placements.
For the university's transfer credit policy for this and other programs, see the Transfer of Credits page.
Program of Study
Required Courses for All Subject Areas (19 credits):
All of the following required courses must be completed prior to the practicum, and many courses include field-based assignments.
Students who are taking the optional residency-based ESL-preparation add-on specialization (available for General Science and Mathematics content areas only) must take EECLD 6001.
| EEDUC 6100 | Adolescent Development | 3 |
| EEDUC 6203 | Principles of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in the Inclusive Secondary Classroom | 3 |
| EEDUC 6166 | Classroom Assessment for Middle School and High School Teachers | 3 |
| EEDUC 6210 | Adjusting Teaching Practices to Student Needs | 3 |
| EEDUC 6215 | Effective Management of Secondary Inclusive Classrooms | 3 |
| OR | |
| EECLD 6001 | Culturally Responsive Teaching | 3 |
| EECLD 6116 | Sheltered English Instruction (5-12) | 4 |
EECLD 6116 may be waived with state approved Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) endorsement, which would reduce total program credits by four (4).
Mathematics 5-8 (15 credits):
Six elective credits chosen in consultation with faculty/academic advisor.
General Science 5-8 (15 credits):
Six elective credits chosen in consultation with faculty/academic advisor.
| EEDUC 5013 | Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in General Science | 3 |
| EEDUC 7732 | Practicum and Seminar in General Science (5-8) | 6 |
Humanities 5-8 (18 credits):
| EEDUC 5060 | Teaching English Language Arts in Grades 5-12 | 3 |
| EEDUC 5160 | Civics and Democracy | 3 |
| EEDUC 5061 | Teaching History and Social Sciences Grades 5-12 | 3 |
| EEDUC 6170 | Middle and High School Content Literacy | 3 |
| EEDUC 7728 | Practicum and Seminar in Humanities (5-8) | 6 |
Mathematics/Science 5-8 (18 credits):
Six elective credits chosen in consultation with faculty/academic advisor.
| EEDUC 5110 | Teaching Mathematics in Grades 5-8 | 3 |
| EEDUC 5013 | Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in General Science | 3 |
| EEDUC 7738 | Practicum and Seminar in Mathematics/Science (5-8) | 6 |