| Graduate Study
Master of Education
The MEd programs in elementary education and secondary education help teachers become better informed about the developmental and educational needs of children and adolescents from various types of communities; skillful in diagnostic and evaluation procedures and in developing educational programs to meet individual and group needs; versatile in their employment of teaching strategies; capable of providing leadership in a classroom, school, or school system; knowledgeable about issues, trends, and research in their fields; systematic in their reflective assessment of trends and innovations; and well-informed about new technology and its applications.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the requirements of the Graduate Division, applicants for the MEd in elementary and secondary education programs must provide the following:
1. Successful academic performance in curriculum, psychological and societal foundations, and appropriate methods courses;
2. Successful academic performance in an academic minor (elementary education applicants) or in an academic major (secondary education applicants);
3. Full-time teaching experience or its equivalent; and
4. Three letters of recommendation from references who have observed or supervised the applicant's work and are able to comment on the quality of the applicant's teaching experience, ability to pursue graduate study, and general character.
Program Requirements
Students are advanced to candidacy only after the development of their program plan and the successful completion of 12 credit hours of approved courses.
Additional details about the program are available in the Information Bulletin available from the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies.
Plan A (Thesis) Requirements
The Plan A program is designed primarily for students interested in research and in writing a thesis. It requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of course work with at least 12 credit hours in teacher education and curriculum studies. Of these, 12 credits hours (excluding 699s and 700) must be approved course work. Required courses are the appropriate sections of TECS 622 and TECS 667, a research methods course, and an elective in another area of education. A maximum of 18 credit hours is to be taken in a related field. Usually this field will be the same as the student's undergraduate major (or minor), but it may be in reading or another area of specialization within the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, in other departments in the College of Education, or in a discipline in one or more of the other colleges at the University. Of the approved courses, 12 credit hours (exclusive of research methods courses) must be at the 600 to 700 level. Six credit hours are required for the thesis.
Plan B (Non-thesis) Requirements
The Plan B program is designed primarily for students who wish to strengthen their teaching field major or minor or to pursue course work in selected areas of teacher education and curriculum studies. It requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of approved course work, with a minimum of 12 credit hours in teacher education and curriculum studies (excluding TECS 699). Required courses are an appropriate section of TECS 622 and TECS 667, a research methods course, and an elective in another area of education. A maximum of 12-15 credit hours is to be taken in a related field. The related field is usually the same as the student's undergraduate academic major (or minor), or it may be in reading or another area of specialization within the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, in other departments in the College of Education, or in a discipline in one or more of the other colleges at the Manoa campus. Of the approved courses, 18 credit hours must be at the 600 to 700 level. A maximum of 6 credit hours of 699 may be applied to the degree program. The Plan B program also requires a paper.
Doctoral Degree
The Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD) is a college-wide degree awarded for distinguished academic preparation for professional practice in the field of education.
The goal of the PhD with a specialization in curriculum and instruction is to develop specialists in curriculum development, teaching, and curriculum evaluation. The number of credit hours for the program of study varies, depending upon the candidate's qualifications, and includes a college component required for all doctoral students enrolled in the College of Education; an area of specialization with course work leading to a specialty in curriculum development, teaching and learning, or curriculum and program evaluation; a cognate field with course work taken outside the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies; a field project or an internship; and the dissertation.
For additional information, see the "Doctoral Degrees" section within the College of Education.
Certificate in Community College Teaching
The Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, in cooperation with the University of Hawai'i Community Colleges, offers a three-phase graduate program for prospective and in-service community college faculty in the industrial arts field. Phase I, a pre-internship preparation, covers community college foundations, media technology, teaching, curriculum, and evaluation. Phase II is a full-time internship in a postsecondary institution. Phase III, a follow-up of the internship experience, summarizes and generalizes the practical experience.
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Secondary Education
(PBCSE)
The PBCSE is a full-time (9 1/2 month) or part-time post-baccalaureate certificate program for the preparation of secondary school teachers. It is designed for students who possess a BA or BS degree and wish to obtain initial basic teacher certification. Students admitted to the PBCSE will have completed an academic content major appropriate to their proposed teaching subject.
The PBCSE offers a cohesive, field-based experience that encourages students to integrate educational theory and practice in cooperating secondary schools. The program consists of nine interrelated courses totaling 33 credits.
Students who complete this initial basic teacher certification program are encouraged to continue their professional growth. They may be able to apply up to 12 course credits from the PBCSE to a master's degree program. Students must negotiate course transfer at the time of application.
Admissions Requirements
All applicants to the PBCSE program will be evaluated competitively and considered for admission on the basis of a profile composed of the following criteria:
1. Applicants must achieve minimal passing scores in the reading, writing, and mathematics subtests on the Pre-Professional Skills Test
(PPST) or Computer Based Academic Skills Assessments (CBT).
2. Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited and UHM recognized four-year institution of higher education with an academic major in one of the following teaching fields:
- Agriculture
- Art
- Business Education: marketing education, office education
- English
- English as a Second Language
- Foreign Language: Chinese languages, French, German, Japanese, Latin, Philippine languages, Russian, Spanish
- Hawaiian Language
- Mathematics
- Music*
- Physical Education*
- Science*: general science, biology, chemistry, Earth science, physical science, physics
- Social Studies*: American studies, anthropology, economics, geography, Hawaiian studies, history, political science, psychology, and sociology
*Students usually are not required to take additional courses in their undergraduate academic majors. However, in specific areas where an extensive undergraduate preparation is required-such as music, physical education, science, or social studies-additional undergraduate courses may not be required. In these fields, early advising during the undergraduate major is strongly recommended.
3. Applicants holding a baccalaureate degree with an academic major in a field other than those listed above may be considered for admission to the program. Applicants must demonstrate knowledge in a teaching field by taking an appropriate Praxis subject area assessment, which measures content knowledge. Other appropriate subject area tests such as the Graduate Record Exam subject test may be considered. Adequacy is evaluated on the basis of evidence submitted by the applicant in addition to the subject area test (Praxis, GRE subject test), such as course work, evaluations of prior teaching, self-designed secondary curriculum, or published original work.
A qualified applicant holding a baccalaureate degree from an accredited,
UHM-recognized four-year institution of higher education with an academic major in one of the teaching fields may elect to take the Praxis subject test as an exit requirement rather than an entrance requirement. Individuals failing to pass the Praxis subject test will not be recommended for basic certification to the state Department of Education.
4. A minimum post secondary cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in the academic major.
5. Applicants must demonstrate oral and non-verbal communicative competence through the successful completion of an interview. Applicants also must demonstrate attitudes toward education, learners, and themselves as prospective teachers that are compatible with the standards and curriculum of the program.
6. Applicants must document current (within the past five years) active involvement, paid or volunteer, with groups of youth between the ages of 12 and 19. A minimum of 40 hours of experience is required.
7. Applicants must have a Hawai'i Department of Health TB clearance as required by state Department of Education school regulations. Contact the Department of Health for more information.
Admission requirements are subject to change. Call the Office of Student Academic Services for updated information. |
