Albert Einstein acknowledged, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” We set as our mission the awakening of such joy. The Boston University School of Education’s Elementary Education program has a strong tradition of preparing exemplary teachers who care deeply about the education of children. Our pre-service teachers possess not only demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter integral to the elementary curriculum, but also a passion for the ideas embodied in these disciplines. They bring a high level of pedagogical knowledge to their teaching, translating theory and research into effective practice. They are dedicated to narrowing the achievement gap to ensure that children from all walks of life reach their optimal potential. And finally, our teachers reflect on the quality of their teaching at every turn, with the goal of enhancing their effectiveness.

The Master’s Program and Initial Licensure in Elementary Education (Grades 1-6)
If you hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, exhibit strong intellectual ability, a broad-based liberal arts education, and a high level of maturity and commitment, we would be honored to have you join our community of dedicated teachers. You typically will be able to complete a master’s degree in elementary education (grades 1-6) and earn a Massachusetts Initial License in elementary education in one calendar year (which begins in late June, although a September entry is possible).

At the heart of our program are the pedagogical courses and classroom experiences designed to induct you into the current research and best practices of each subject area in the
elementary curriculum. These courses and mentored field experiences will prepare you to teach children to:
• Not only read and write well, but also instill a passion for the written word
• To tap their curiousity about the world around them in order to introduce and extend key science and social science understandings
• To foster mathematical understanding and proficiency

This knowledge base will include teaching strategies and assessment procedures that have yielded successful results with diverse populations, including children from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds and those with a range of learning needs. And in order to prepare you for the complexities of a teaching career, you also will explore the historical, philosophical, social, and political issues that underpin our work in schools with children.

Integral to your preparation will be the time you spend in classrooms in both urban and suburban schools. Prior to student teaching, you will complete a minimum of 100 hours in the field, planning and teaching lessons across the curriculum as well as completing other field-related assignments. Beginning in January, you will student teach for the entire semester, assuming major responsibility for designing and implementing effective instruction and assessing children’s learning. A University supervisor and the supervising teacher with whom you will be co-teaching will mentor you. You will also attend seminars in which you will be asked to reflect critically on your teaching. (Note: If you wish to extend your time at Boston University, you also will have the opportunity to apply for student teaching in London, England, in Sydney, Australia, or in Quito, Ecuador).

M.Ed. Elementary Education Coursework
*Summer:

Fall:

Spring:

Summer:

*We strongly encourage Ed.M. candidates to begin the program in late June. However, it is possible to begin in September, but not in January.

"Initial License: An educator license issued to a person who has completed a bachelor's degree, passed the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, completed a professional preparation program approved by the Commissioner, and met other eligibility requirements established by the Board. The Initial License is valid for five years of employment and may be renewed at the discretion of the Commissioner for an additional five years" (Massachusetts Department of Education, 2005).

In order to attain an Initial License, a candidate must meet all of the licensure requirements stipulated on the Graduate Checklist and must successfully complete the following courses. The graduate program takes one calendar year to complete. If coursework as stipulated on the Graduate Checklist has not been completed prior to entry, additional time will be necessary.
We urge you to begin the program in the summer.

Required Courses

Suggested Course Sequences—in accordance with entry date (and course availability) for an Initial Teaching License (we urge you to begn the program in the summer):

Course descriptions

Master’s in Elementary Education and Initial Licensure in Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) and Special Education (Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (Pre-kindergarten through grade 8)
As an elementary teacher, you will be responsible for educating students with a wide range of abilities, including students with moderate disabilities. To hone your skill and knowledge base, you may wish to consider our two-year program that will earn you a master’s degree in elementary education and an Initial License in elementary education as well as an Initial License as a teacher of students with moderate disabilities. In addition to coursework to prepare you to teach general education students, you will complete courses that examine in depth the characteristics of special needs children as well as theory and practice of successfully educating children learning and behavioral disabilities.

The Master’s Program and Professional Licensure
If you possess an Initial License (valid in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) and wish to pursue a master’s degree and professional licensure as an elementary teacher, you may do so in the School of Education. You need not have completed your induction year in a school system or the full three years of employment prior to entering this sequence. However, Boston University will only be able to endorse you after all coursework and the required supervised experience, beyond the induction year, have been completed. Our master’s program with professional licensure is a 32-credit course sequence that includes both graduate arts and science courses, and pedagogical courses. To meet the State requirement of at least 16 credits of the coursework in an academic discipline related to the license, you would complete the four following courses in the area of linguistics. For the remaining credits, you will complete two required pedagogically-based courses, chose one curriculum course, and complete a mentored field practice of 60 hours.

Discipline Related Courses

Courses in Specialization

Course descriptions

Professional Licensure Only
If you hold both a master’s degree and an Initial License in elementary education, you may complete an 18-hour course sequence to attain recommendation for a Professional License. As listed below, you will complete a minimum of nine credits in an academic discipline in the arts and sciences and two required specialization course along with a mentored field experience of 60 hours.

Discipline Related Courses

Courses in Specialization

Course descriptions

Download a description of this program