Admission - Graduate Teacher Education

Owned by Laura Lehman (Deactivated)
Last updated: Jan 29, 2024 by Yvonne Martin
4 min read

Completed applications for admission into the teacher education graduate program are reviewed regularly throughout the year.

Application To Master of Arts In Education

A completed application for degree or licensure/endorsement areas includes the following:

  1. Completed application to the graduate teacher education program with a nonrefundable application fee of $50.00 (waived for Lancaster, PA site). 

  2. Official transcripts from each college or university attended.

  3. Two academic recommendations from (a) a building level administrator/supervisor, and (b) someone qualified to speak to the applicant’s academic ability and potential. (These will be sent through the application portal.)

  4. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA (based on 4.0) OR a graduate GPA of 3.0 based on six or more credits.

  5. A valid teaching license, a copy of which must be submitted by the applicant for the graduate file. Applicants applying for the TESL concentration with PreK-12 initial licensure in VA, the Trauma and Resilience in Educational Environments (TREE) concentration, or the Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) concentration are exempt from the teaching license requirement.

  6. Evidence of one year of licensed teaching in a public or private school setting OR evidence of one year of successful work with youth in a public or private school setting pursuant to employment with a non-school entity (e.g., a non-profit organization).

    1. Applicants applying for the TESL emphasis with K-12 initial licensure in VA are exempt from the teaching experience requirement. 

    2. Applicants who seek admission without meeting this criteria must provide a written explanation of their relevant experience, rationale for seeking admission, and their relevant post-program goals for consideration. (This does not automatically satisfy requirement #6).

  7. Applicants seeking initial licensure in Virginia through EMU’s graduate teacher education program are required to pass the Virginia Communication and Literacy (VCLA) Assessment. (See required licensure/endorsement exam score information). Admission requirements for student teaching must be met before registration in EDS 621 Student Teaching Internship, including demonstrated proficiency in lesson plan assignment. (Follow program procedures for Student Teaching Application.)

  8. A personal interview with the director of the graduate teacher education program.

  9. Full time students (9 hours per semester) applying to EMU's main campus in Virginia must submit an EMU graduate student health evaluation. 

International Students:

Due to the part-time nature of our Graduate Teacher Education program, we are not currently able to sponsor international students for F-1 or J-1 visas. However, online programs are available to students in their home country. In addition, we welcome international students who possess other permission to live and study in the U.S. For these students, in addition to the requirements above, international applicants must submit the following information:

  1. Passport copy and proof of existing status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (visa that permits residence and study, or Green Card).

  2. For applicants whose native language is not English, one of three conditions may be used to satisfy English proficiency. 

    1. Test scores for either the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test. Minimum score requirements are: 550 on the paper-based or 80 on the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); a 6.5 - 7.0 on the IELTS, or a 104 on the Duolingo. (EMU’s institutional code is 5181.) 

    2. A written recommendation from qualified personnel from EMU’s Intensive English Program.

    3. Evidence that the applicant studied and received a degree from a college or university where degree instruction was in English.

Application to Graduate Certificate Programs

  1. A completed application to the graduate teacher education program with a nonrefundable application fee of $50.00 (waived for Lancaster, PA site). 

  2. Official transcripts from the college or university attended for highest degree earned with evidence of degree conferred.

  3. A personal interview with the director of the graduate teacher education program or, in the case of a school cohort participant, recommendation of district administrator.

  4. Evidence of one year of licensed teaching in a public or private school setting OR evidence of one year of successful work with youth in a public or private school setting pursuant to employment with a non-school entity (e.g., a non-profit organization). Applicants who seek admission without meeting this criteria must provide a written explanation of their relevant experience, rationale for seeking admission, and their relevant post-program goals for consideration. (This does not automatically satisfy requirement #4.)

For All Education Applicants

Only completed applications will be considered by the Director of Graduate Teacher Education in Harrisonburg and the Director of Graduate Teacher Education in Lancaster.

Persons who are denied admission may appeal in writing to the Teacher Education Admissions Committee for consideration of full admission, providing additional information pertinent to an admission decision. Prospective students may appeal a second denial of admission to the Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Professions, whose determination for admission is final.

Persons holding a bachelor’s degree who are pursuing personal or educational development may enroll in courses, special institutes, or site-based curricular offerings without being admitted to the Graduate Teacher Education program.

Persons taking more than nine semester hours are encouraged to apply to the program to ensure that subsequent hours can be counted toward the master’s degree.

Candidates who wish to enroll in more than ten hours per term must request, in writing, permission from the director.  Consideration of a request to enroll in more than ten hours per term is considered on a case-by-case basis and may include consideration of factors such as prior academic performance.

Changes to program/certificate concentrations are subject to approval from the Director of Graduate Teacher Education in Harrisonburg and the Director of Graduate Teacher Education in Lancaster. Candidates must submit a written request that provides the current concentration, the requested concentration, and the reason for the request to change concentrations. Candidates must also submit evidence that admission criteria for the requested concentration are met to the extent it was not provided in the underlying application, which may include (but is not limited to) evidence of a teaching license, teaching experience, and test results.