Central Michigan University

MA in Middle Level Education

The program leading to the Master of Arts in Middle Level Education degree has been developed based on teacher preparation standards written by the National Middle School Association and adopted by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the accrediting body for Michigan teacher education programs. Any certified teacher meeting the requirements for entry into graduate studies at Central Michigan University will be able to enter this program.

The Master of Arts in Middle Level Education is a result of the efforts of the Middle Level Teacher Preparation Committee of the Department of Teacher Education and Professional Development. In addition, the design and implementation of this program was funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation through the Michigan Schools in the Middle Project.

The Master of Arts in Middle Level Education Program Mission:

articulates a sound philosophy of middle level education;

promotes an understanding of the developmental needs of early adolescence and maintenance of an academically excellent, developmentally responsive, and socially equitable learning environment;

prepares teachers to apply organizational structures and instructional strategies appropriate for the middle level learner, such as interdisciplinary

teams, flexible scheduling, integrated instruction, active learning, and the use of a variety of classroom grouping patterns;

prepares teachers to work collaboratively with other teachers, staff, parents, and the community; stresses the integration of knowledge and the teaching of lifelong learning skills that facilitate critical thinking and problem solving; and

requires continuous and progressive teaching experiences that provide meaningful interaction with young adolescents and exposure to exemplary middle level practices.

Successful completion of the appropriate number of hours and experiences included in this program will also permit the graduate student to apply for a Michigan middle level endorsement for his or her elementary or secondary teaching certificate.

Degree Requirements:

To qualify for graduation, candidates for the Master of Arts in Middle Level Education degree must meet a residency requirement and demonstrate significant scholarly ability. This demonstration will typically involve the development and completion of a comprehensive written examination at the end of the individual’s coursework.

The residency requirement is fulfilled by taking at least 12 semester hours on the Mt. Pleasant campus or in a CMU off-campus course taught by a Teacher Education and Professional Development tenure or tenure-track faculty member.

The program requires 36 semester hours of credit for the Capstone Seminar option.

At least one-half the credits earned toward the degree must be taken at the 600 and 700 levels. All credits must be completed in the seven-year period immediately preceding the granting of the degree.

Middle Level Education Center

The students in both the Master of Arts in Middle Level Education and the undergraduate middle level education minor have access during the course of their studies to the Center for Excellence in Middle Level Education, the only Michigan collection of middle level education resources from all over the United States.

Print and video resources are available in this “middle school classroom of the future” as a result of funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for the Michigan Schools in the Middle Project. Information about the middle level education programs and the resource center are available by contacting the Center for Excellence in Middle Level Education.