Program Goals

• Master teachers are self-directed and ethical in their personal and professional growth as educators.
• Master teachers are responsive to children’s differences as influenced by development, exceptionalities, and diversity.
• Master teachers are well-grounded in the technology, content, and pedagogy of the elementary curriculum and emphasis area.
• Master teachers are effective in urban, rural, and suburban cultural contexts
• Master teachers are self-reflective, educational advocates, and educational researchers.
• Master teachers are collaborative and impactful educational leaders.
• Master teachers are globally aware of the impact of local education.

General Requirements for Admission to the Graduate School

Please refer to admission information in the Graduate School section of this Catalog.

Additional Admission Requirements

1. Official transcripts of all previous academic work beyond high school with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75
2. Completion of a Bachelors in Elementary Education from an approved program
3. Official reports of GRE or MAT examination
4. An essay describing statement of purpose for undertaking graduate study
5. Apply online: graduateschool.uncc.edu

Degree Requirements

The M.Ed. in Elementary Education is a 33 credit hour online program. The Programs of Study include 18 credit hours of required courses and 11-15 credit hours of courses from one of the following concentrations: Academically or Intellectually Gifted;  Elementary Mathematics; Instructional Systems Technology; Literacy; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education, Special Education; and Teaching English to Second Language Learners.

Admission to Candidacy

The Candidacy form supplied by the Graduate School must be received no later than the eighth instructional day of the semester in which completion of all degree requirements is expected.

Application for Degree

The Application for Degree/Graduation form supplied by the Graduate School must be received early in the last semester of your program.

Clinical Field Experiences

Students in the M.Ed. program participate in structured field experiences that require them to apply coursework in their classroom settings, analyze K-5 student learning, and reflect on their practice in the context of theories on teaching and learning. Students deepen their understanding of the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions that foster student learning. These experiences broaden their ability to help all students learn, including children with exceptionalities and students from diverse ethnic/racial, linguistic, gender, and socioeconomic groups. These structured field experiences are designed to take place in multiple settings within the candidate’s school community or districts, after-school programs, alternate youth centers, or in the schools and classrooms in which the candidates work.

Capstone Requirements

The capstone experience for the M.Ed. will be fulfilled by successfully completing the Teacher Inquiry Project in the ELED 6303  course.  Only students in their final semester of coursework are eligible to enroll in ELED 6303 .

Advising

All students are assigned an advisor upon formal admission to the program. Students are required to attend the advising seminar at the start of each semester.

Assistantships

The Program typically has a limited number of graduate assistantships with salaries starting at $8,000/academic year. Applications are available from the Department of Reading and Elementary Education.

Licensure

The master’s (M.Ed.) program in Elementary Education is a K-6 instructional degree that leads to the “M” level teaching license.

Research Opportunities/Experiences

Faculty members in the Department of Elementary Education faculty are deeply committed to research in urban schools. As a result, candidates will have opportunities to become involved in classroom-based research.

Financial Aid/Financial Assistance

Information is available from the Office of Teacher Education Advising, Licensure, and Recruitment (TEALR). See tealr.uncc.edu for details. Additional information is available from the Office of Student Financial Aid at finaid.uncc.edu.

Program Approval

All teacher education programs at UNC Charlotte are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The M.Ed. in Elementary Education is awaiting approval by North Carolina State Board of Education.