Arts in education MEd and teaching license
Earn your MN K-12 teaching license to teach visual arts, dance, or theatre arts in just over a year. Our accelerated program will prepare you to step into your classroom with confidence and solid classroom experience. You will complete all of the required teaching hours through school-based field experiences and required coursework in 12 months. Our license is highly transferable to other states.
This is a graduate-level, full-time program integrating educational theory with classroom practice. Beginning teachers will be ready to implement a contemporary, comprehensive arts education program based on current theory and practice in the field.
Quote from Talia Edelheit, MEd 2021
This is one of the only programs in the US that gives students a master's degree and teaching license within a single year. The University of Minnesota is also one of the only educational institutions that puts a strong emphasis on anti-racist curriculum. As a white educator wanting to create a safe and diverse environment for my students, I knew that I needed this program.
About the program and coursework
To look at the core curriculum and electives for the program, visit the University course catalog teaching MEd page.
Master's of education
This program includes two components: initial teaching licensure and MEd degree. The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers our teacher preparation programs at the graduate level because it affords you the opportunity to master your content knowledge through your undergraduate degree before being placed in a real classroom for an optimal learning experience.
This model offers the following advantages:
- Teachers who have a master's degree will see a roughly $7,000 annual salary increase [teacher.org]
- Though the salary increase with a master's degree will vary by district and state, Minnesota teachers are on the higher end of the pay scale.
- Teachers with advanced degrees can be promoted to school administration positions and become mentors to other teachers based upon their graduate training.
Timeline
Our program is sequential and each required course is offered once per academic year, beginning in the summer semester, and can be completed by the end of the next summer (12 months). Summer semester courses are offered in shorter two to three week overlapping intervals meeting in both the morning and afternoon. Each of our three fall courses meets once a week from 4:40-7:20 p.m. for 14 weeks. Eight weeks of student teaching at the elementary level and eight weeks in middle or high school is usually completed in the Spring semester.
Related programs
- If you already have earned your initial teaching license, we offer an additional teaching license in visual arts, theatre and dance education.
- DirecTrack to Teaching is an exploratory education program that lets you experience schools and school culture in a K-12 education setting
- The Racial Justice in Urban Schooling undergraduate minor lets you explore school systems and offer support to advance educational equity.
Teacher scholars of color program
Do you identify, or are you identified, as a non-majority racial group? Consider participating in the Teacher Scholars of Color program. Students admitted to the MEd and initial teaching license programs have the opportunity to join a community of prospective teachers of color and get paired with a faculty mentor. International students are also welcome to this program. Find out more about the TSoC program.
How to apply
Application deadline and instructions
- October 1: MEd/ILP application opens
- October 4: Scholarship application opens
- November 30: Priority deadline for a transcript review/prerequisite evaluation
- December 15: Priority application and scholarship application deadline, elementary education program accepting applications through January 15
- January 15:
- Deadline for Arts in Education and Elementary education program
- Final scholarship application deadline
- March 15 - April 30: Admissions notifications will be sent on a rolling basis between March 15 and April 30. Students waitlisted may receive a notification after April 30.
Request information
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