Career and Technical Education MEd

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Learn more about the Master of Education in Career and Technical Education.

About the Program

The mission of the Career and Technical Education master's program is to prepare its students to share their professional expertise in a classroom by gaining credentials to teach in Pennsylvania’s public K–12 schools. Students study child and adolescent development, teaching models and inclusive school practices. They also learn to adapt curriculum for students of varying backgrounds, levels of knowledge and language use. Two optional concentrations are offered.

The program with no concentration is designed to enable students to become effective teachers in Career and Technical Education areas in grades 7 to 12. This program provides competencies for diverse types of teaching environments and offers transitional skill attainment strategies for application of knowledge across an array of career and technical program areas. Individuals completing the program find success in secondary teaching, post-secondary teaching in community colleges, and developing industrial training programs for businesses.

The concentration in Business, Computer and Information Technology is designed to enable students to become effective teachers in all of the business domains, including business communications; computer and information technology; economics and personal finance; law, entrepreneurship, and international business; management and marketing concepts; and quantitative skills and accounting. Individuals are prepared for success in K-12 teaching, post-secondary teaching in community colleges, and business skills training.

The concentration in Marketing Education is designed to enable students to become effective marketing teachers. This program provides competencies for diverse types of work in marketing and offers transitional skill attainment strategies for application of knowledge across an array of business areas. Individuals are prepared for success in K-12 teaching, post-secondary teaching in community colleges, developing marketing education programs for businesses, and as trainers in marketing for a variety of business types and sizes.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 5 years

Campus Location: Main and Online, with coursework offered in a hybrid format of some in-person instruction but mostly online instruction

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Students complete the degree program through classes offered after 4:30 p.m. and/or online. The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

Accreditation: The program is approved as a teacher certification program by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC).

Areas of Specialization: The program offers two optional concentrations for study:

• Business, Computer and Information Technology
• Marketing Education

Job Prospects: Graduates typically continue in their established career paths as career and technical educators, work-force development professionals, and technical trainers in business and industry.

Licensure/Certification: Upon successful completion of the degree requirements and passing all required licensure examinations, candidates may apply for a Pennsylvania Career and Technical Instructional certification (MEd with no concentration) or a Pennsylvania Instructional I Teaching Certificate (MEd with the optional concentration in Business, Computer and Information Technology or in Marketing Education).

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Students may take up to, but not more than, 9 credits of graduate study in the program before being admitted to the program. Students completing non-matriculated courses before being admitted to the program are NOT guaranteed admission.

Financing Opportunities: Financial support opportunities may include scholarships, tuition remission, and other financial aid such as grants, loans and federal work study.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: March 1
Spring: November 1

Applicants should submit all required admissions documents by the application deadline to receive priority consideration for admission and financial support.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained to provide insight regarding the applicant's academic competence. References from college/university faculty are recommended.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: Prerequisites for admission to the Career and Technical Education MEd program include courses taken at the undergraduate level with a grade of "C" or better earned in the following areas:

• At least 6 credits of college-level mathematics, and
• At least 6 credits of college-level English composition and literature.

A prerequisite evaluation is conducted upon receipt of the application and all official transcripts. All required prerequisites must be fulfilled before an applicant is eligible for admission.

For the Business, Computer and Information Technology or Marketing Education concentrations, your transcript should show coursework in each of the following areas:

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A bachelor's degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected.

International applicants should also submit an official document that validates completion and conferral of a degree, diploma and/or certificate. While not required, international applicants are encouraged to submit transcript(s) to the World Education Services (WES) for evaluation.

Statement of Goals: In 500 to 1,000 words, outline your interest in seeking a master’s degree with a specific focus on the career to which you aspire, your interests, and your academic and job-related experiences that are relevant to the program.

Standardized Test Scores:
For the MEd with no concentration, applicants must show proof of Intern Certification (8,000 hours of paid work experience and OCA completion).

For the MEd with an optional concentration in Business, Computer and Information Technology or in Marketing Education, applicants must provide an official score report that demonstrates a passing score on the Praxis® Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge (5511) test. Additionally, to be eligible for certification, all applicants must pass the relevant Praxis® Subject Assessment in their intended concentration area. Although not required, we recommend that applicants pass the subject-area test prior to admission:

• Praxis® Business Education: Content Knowledge (5101) for the Business, Computer and Information Technology concentration – 154 minimum score
• Praxis® Marketing Education (5561) for the Marketing Education concentration – 144 minimum score

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

• TOEFL iBT: 79
• IELTS Academic: 6.5
• PTE Academic: 53

Resume: Current resume required.

Transfer Credit: Courses may be transferred from an accredited institution provided they were completed less than five years ago and are relevant to the program. The academic advisor makes the decision about the relevancy of the courses that the student desires to transfer. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 6.

Coursework Waivers: Each student is assigned a faculty advisor at the time of admission. The advisor reviews the student's credentials and determines which, if any, of the required courses can be waived. In general, this waiver covers the beginning-level courses in the program. Waiving a specific requirement, however, does not reduce the total number of credits needed to graduate.

Clearances: A Pennsylvania criminal background check, a federal criminal history check, a child abuse clearance, and a TB test are required upon enrollment.

Other Requirement: Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all accredited institutions attended and/or from which credit was earned must be submitted.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 33

Required Courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
CTE 5605	Models of Teaching	3
EDUC 5255	Tech in Classrooms: TPCK	3
EDUC 5402	Child and Adol Develop	3
MGSE 5796	Literacy and Differentiation in the Academic Areas, 7-12	3
SPED 5666	Introduction to Special Education	3
TESL 5631	Foundations of Language Teaching: Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners	3
Concentration Courses 1		9
Culminating Courses
EDUC 5409	Research Methods and Induction Capstone	3
EDUC 5888	Supervised Teaching	3
Total Credit Hours		33

1	Three courses are taken. The approved courses are delineated in the grids below:

MEd with No Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
CTE 5425	Advanced Concepts and Practices in Career and Technical Education	3
CTE 5431	Concepts in Career and Technical Education Programs	3
SPED 5109	Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support	3
Total Credit Hours		9

OR MEd with Optional Concentration in Business, Computer and Information Technology

OR with Optional Concentration in Marketing Education

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
BSED 5241	Methods of Teaching Business, Computer, and Information Technology and Marketing Education	3
BSED 5251	Current Trends & Developments in Business, Computer and Information Technology & Marketing Education	3
CTE 5669	Project-Based Learning	3
Total Credit Hours		9

Culminating Events: Student teaching and its related seminar constitute the culminating events for the MEd in Career and Technical Education program.

Contacts

Department Contacts: