Overview of Programs

Graduate curricula lead either to the Master of Education or, for those wanting a teaching license, the Master of Arts in Teaching.

1. Master of Education (Learning Communities)

The Master of Education (Learning Communities) is a program designed for licensed teachers or people who want an M.Ed. but do not want a teaching license. The M.Ed. integrates theory and practice with graduate courses designed to strengthen teachers' knowledge and skills in the areas or disciplines they teach. The program is 30 credit hours long and culminates in a thesis or project. For more details consult the Master of Education Handbook 2003-2004, which is available online through the Department of Education web site.

2. Master of Education (English)

The Master of Education with a specialty in English offers a full range of courses in English and American literature and a variety of clinical experiences. These courses and experiences provide the professional background in the discipline of English and the practical familiarity with teaching secondary school English. Special points of interest include the teaching of writing in conjunction with the study of literature; the refinement of candidates' written and oral communication skills; and the enhancement of the masters students' competence in literary study and of their ability to convey a deepened awareness of the literary tradition to secondary school students.

3. Post-Baccalaureate Licensure Programs

The Belmont University Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Education programs are designed to attract talented individuals who hold baccalaureate degrees and have the desire and potential to become good teachers. All post-baccalaureate programs require candidates to address any deficiencies in their education to ensure attainment of the knowledge and skills required in general education, professional education, and the major for the teaching field. Additional course work may be required based on assessment of the knowledge and skills demonstrated by the candidate when admitted to the program or through assessment of performance during the induction experience. Candidates may take courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels, as needed.

All post-baccalaureate education candidates must complete a minimum of 30 hours at Belmont in order to be recommended to the state of Tennessee for licensure. No professional education courses completed at other universities can be transferred in for credit toward licensure.

There are four versions of the Belmont University post-baccalaureate licensure program. The first is the full-time, year-long, cohort based Internship that leads to the award of Master of Arts in Teaching. The second program is a part-time program, completed at graduate level, that also leads to the award of Master of Arts in Teaching. The third program is the Master of Arts in Teaching (Modified K-12 Special Education) program designed as a concurrent fifth year along with initial licensure in another area or as an additional endorsement for experienced teachers.

To qualify for the award of MAT candidates must complete a total of 42 credit hours, 30 academic hours and 12 of student teaching or Internship. The only exception to this is the Special Education program which has 30 academic hours.

The fourth post-baccalaureate program is for candidates who don't meet the prerequisites for the graduate program but do meet minimum standards for licensure by the State of Tennessee, or for those who do not want to complete the licensure program at graduate level.

3.1 Internship - Master of Arts in Teaching

Candidates for the internship are screened for admission by a committee comprised of Belmont faculty, K-12 personnel and members of the Teacher Education Council. The internship program is planned by staff of the local school system, including principals and K-12 teachers and Belmont University faculty.

Interns complete an entire summer of a full course load in professional education including a minimum of 30 hours of practicum prior to entering the schools as an Intern in the fall. Additional coursework is taken in the fall and spring to meet the knowledge and skills in professional education. Each intern completes a minimum of twelve (12) months of substantially full-time study. Interns hold the Tennessee Alternative License D during their internship year. This Alternative D license allows the year to count as the first year of professional experience.

Interns are treated as full-time teachers and as such participate the same days of the school years as their mentor teachers. Interns are expected to team teach with their mentors for the entire semester. Because this counts for the first year of teaching Interns are expected to assume greater responsibility for organizing the instruction that occurs in their room. After team teaching for several weeks with their mentor making most of the decisions, the Intern assumes more of the decision-making role until, for a period of about eight (8) weeks, they are making most of the decisions in the room. After this period the process is reversed until the mentor resumes control of the decision making process. Mentors teach with, observe and confer with interns on a daily basis. University supervision occurs a minimum of twice a month with collaboration between classroom and campus supervision. The Intern is also expected to visit other classes in the school to see a variety of teachers and teaching approaches.

Formative evaluation occurs at the mid-point of each semester and a summative evaluation occurs at the end of each semester. A summative evaluation by the principal takes place in at least two schools. The principal in the spring semester placement is responsible for completing all probationary status paperwork.

Each intern has a minimum of two placements per year, enabling interns to have experience at different grade levels, in more than one academic area (where appropriate), and in different schools, with diverse student populations. K-12 schools in local school systems are used as placement sites.

3.2 Part-time – Master of Arts in Teaching

3.3 Master of Arts in Teaching (K-12 Modified Special Education)

The Master of Arts in Teaching (K-12 Modified Special Education.) program is available in two versions.

The first is designed to be an add-on following (deletes from here f a concurrent licensure program following to here) an Early Childhood Education or Middle Grades Education license. ( delete the rest of the section - completed with a major in Psychology or Special Learning. It is also designed to be an additional endorsement for already licensed teachers who want to further their formal education and add this particular license.)

The second track is designed to be a Post-baccalaureate initial licensure program in K-12 Modified Special Education.

The program is designed and taught through a consortium with ( delete Fisk and) Lipscomb University ( delete Universities) and candidates can expect to attend classes at all (delete three) two institutions.

TRACK 1: An add-on to an existing license

The thirty (30) hour licensure program for level dependent K-12 Modified Special Education is as follows:

TRACK 2: An initial post-baccalaureate license for student who have already completed an undergraduate degree.

Student Teaching can be waived if a candidate successfully completes the State of Tennessee required two or three years of teaching in Special Education, on an alternative license.

3.4 Montessori Education Certification Program

Track I: Teachers seeking an M.A.T., a Montessori Diploma/Certification, and State Licensure, Pre-K-4.

Track II: Teachers seeking an M.A.T., and a Montessori Diploma/Certification.

Track III: Teachers seeking a Montessori Diploma/Certification

3.5 Post Baccalaureate but Licensure only.

See the Undergraduate Bulletin.