Master's Degree in Education: Admissions

Admissions Policy for the Master of Education at Cedar Crest College

The following policy has been established for applicants seeking admission to the Master of Education Program.  Applicants who meet the following requirements will be considered for admission into the Master of Education Program.  Review of completed applications will take place on a monthly basis.

I. General Admission Requirements

  1. An applicant must submit a completed application form.
  2. An applicant must have official transcripts sent to the Center for Lifelong Learning at Cedar Crest College.
  3. An applicant must submit the required number of letters of recommendation from appropriate members of the most recently attended academic institution(s) attesting to her or his preparedness for graduate studies.  (If an applicant has a teaching certificate, please see Section III:  Admission Standards and Process for the Art of Teaching).
  4. An applicant who has graduated from an academic institution more than 7 years prior to applying to Cedar Crest College should contact the Director of the Graduate Program to determine appropriate sources for the letters of recommendation.
  5. An applicant must have an interview with the Director of the Graduate Program of the Education Department to discuss the applicant’s academic background and future plans at Cedar Crest College.  Oral English language proficiency will be assessed during the interview.  The interview will be scheduled with the applicant once all paperwork has been compiled.
  6. A foreign educated applicant for any certification program should review the teacher certification requirements for “Foreign Educated Graduates” as published by the Pennsylvania Department of Education at http://www.pde.state.pa.us.

II. Admission Standards and Process for Elementary and Secondary Certification

  1. An applicant must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.  Current Cedar Crest College undergraduate students may apply for entrance into the Five Year B.A./M.Ed. or B.S./M.Ed. Program.
  2. Two letters of recommendation from faculty of the most recently attended academic institution are required.
  3. A maximum of nine credits may be transferred into Cedar Crest College or completed at Cedar Crest College or a combination thereof, prior to formal acceptance.
  4. No credits may be transferred to Cedar Crest College after formal acceptance to the program.
  5. Acceptance into the Graduate Program is based on the student’s academic record (including GPA), the letters of recommendation, the interview, and related work experience.  A candidate’s acceptance status will be indicated as formal, provisional, or not accepted in accordance with the Education Department recommendation and the decision of the Graduate Program Committee.
  6. A student with provisional acceptance must provide evidence of academic preparedness for graduate studies by earning a 3.6 or better during her or his first nine credit hours of work taken at Cedar Crest.  Visiting students must adhere to this same guideline when deciding to apply for entrance into the program.
  7. Program Prerequisites for Elementary Education: Candidates must submit documentation indicating that the following coursework has been completed, or be prepared to complete the following coursework with a grade of C or better:
  8. Program Prerequisites for Secondary Education: Candidates must submit documentation indicating that the following coursework has been completed, or be prepared to complete the following coursework with a grade of C or better:

III. Admission Standards and Process for The Art of Teaching

  1. An applicant must have a valid Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in a content area issued within the last 10 years.
  2. An applicant must submit three letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s academic preparedness:  one letter of support must be from the applicant’s principal and two letters of support can be from additional administrators and/or faculty.
  3. An applicant with a teaching certificate issued more than 10 years prior to the time of application must meet with members of the Department of Education to discuss the design of an appropriate portfolio for admission to the M.Ed. program.

IV.Five-Year M.Ed. Program

  1. Full-time Cedar Crest students may apply to the Five-Year Program in the fall or spring of their junior year. 
  2. An applicant must have at least a 3.00 overall GPA.
  3. An applicant must have a grade of B or higher in all education courses.
  4. An applicant in the secondary program must have a grade of B or higher in each content area course.
  5. An applicant must have two letters of recommendation from Cedar Crest faculty.

V. Acceptance Timeline

  1. To ensure acceptance for the fall semester, all application materials must be submitted to the Center for Lifelong Learning by August 10th for the fall semester and December 10th for the spring semester.
  2. Candidates will receive written notification of their accepted status.

VI. Other Procedures

  1. All students are subject to a review by the Education Department.  Areas of review include:  academic progress, professionalism, and suitability in the teaching field.
  2. Students must begin classes within one year of acceptance to the program or reapply to the College.

VII. Admission Decisions for all M.ED Programs

The Education Department will make final admissions decision on the basis of the following criteria: GPA, Interview with the Program Director, Letters of Recommendation, Work Experience and Background.  Candidates will be considered from a holistic perspective.  The Education Department reserves the right to ask the prospective candidate for additional information.  Candidates will be advised of their application status via mail within three weeks of their department interview.


 

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