Masters Certification Program (MCERT)
for Elementary & Secondary Education

 

Elementary Education Program Overview :

MCERT(Maryland Graduate Certification Program) for Elementary Education is an alternative teacher education program for individuals which have completed a baccalaureate degree in various academic fields. The MCERT program is a 13-month, full time program that leads to a Master’s of Education (M.Ed) degree as well as eligibility for Maryland State certification to teach in elementary schools. 

Teacher candidates start in June and finish the following July of the following year.  Placements are made for year long internships in a Professional Development School (PDS) located in Montgomery County or Howard County.  All graduate interns are assigned a school-based mentor and receive regular support from their university-based supervisor.

Sample Course Schedule
Most graduate courses are offered at Universities at Shady Grove or at a PDS site.


Summer (July/August)
Embracing Diversity in Classroom Communities (3 credits)
Processes and Acquisition of Reading (3 credits)
Diagnostic Reading Instruction and Assessment (3 credits)
Teaching Language Arts in Elementary Schools (3 credits)
Fall (September-December)
Materials for Reading Instruction (3 credits)
Studying Students in Diverse Contexts (3 credits)
Teaching Math in Elementary School (3 credits)
Teaching Science in Elementary School (3 credits)
Practicum (1 credit)
Spring (January-May)
Elementary Reading Methods (3 credits)
Teaching Social Studies in Elementary School (3 credits)
Apprenticeship in Elementary Teaching (5 credits)
Summer (May/June)
Conducting Research in the Schools (3 credits)
Teaching, Professional Development and Social Change (3 credits)

 

Field Placements/ Internships


All graduate interns are assigned apprentice teaching duties in elementary schools in Montgomery or Howard County for three full days during the Fall semester and for 16 weeks during the Spring semester.  The full year internship, as required by the Maryland State Department of Education, encompasses 100+ days of school-based experience in a participating PDS.

 

Exit Requirements