Elementary Education (Teacher Certification), MEd
TEACH FOR AMERICA, TEACH FOR AMERICA OR TEACH ME, Teacher, edugte, mac, teachers college
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College is changing their name, effective Fall 2025. The new name is Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation.
No matter where you're located, you can earn your master's degree and prepare to educate learners in grades K--8. Remote coursework paired with in-person internships and student teaching will prepare you to obtain teacher certification and thrive in the high-demand field of elementary education.
The Master of Education program in elementary education with a concentration in teacher certification is for those who already hold a bachelor's degree in any field and want to become licensed to teach grades K--8. The program builds on connections between educational design and decision-making and is designed to foster strong professional growth and leadership development.
The program of study is flexible, and students can complete it within five semesters with the appropriate professional experience placements. Students can also enroll part-time over additional semesters.
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College faculty actively engage in the educational research community, bringing new and relevant knowledge into the program. Students engage in their own research through an applied project capstone experience, deepening their knowledge and improving their practice through research, critical evaluation and application of education concepts.
A series of professional experiences assist students in developing a thorough understanding of teaching and learning as they apply knowledge from their coursework in varied school settings. Individualized guidance through the clinical framework provides students with the support they need to become effective educators.
This program offers two routes leading to Arizona teacher certification:
- In the traditional certification route, students complete three professional experiences: two internships and one student teaching.
- The alternative certification route provides an alternative pathway to teacher certification for individuals who are currently employed full-time by a school as a teacher of record. To qualify, individuals must secure a full-time teaching position in an approved K--8 placement. Students complete three professional experiences in the alternative pathway.
The coursework is the same in both certification routes and culminates in a research project in which students apply what they have learned to address a problem of practice or a topic related to education.
Graduates earn an institutional recommendation from ASU that is recognized by the Arizona Department of Education for teacher certification in Elementary Education, K--8. To teach in an Arizona public school, graduates must pass the appropriate Arizona educator exams: National Evaluation Series or Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments.
- College/school:
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
- Location: Online
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
33 credit hours including the required applied project course (EED 593) - Alternative Certification, or
33 credit hours including the required applied project course (EED 593) - Traditional Certification
Required Core (5 credit hours)
TEL 510 Instructional Design, Planning and Assessment (2)
TEL 517 Creating Equitable Learning Environment: Decision Making and Action (3)
Concentration (16 credit hours)
EED 529 Science Teaching Methods for Elementary School (2)
EED 532 Literacy Methods of Instruction and Assessment for Diverse Learners (3)
EED 534 Social Studies Methods and the Arts (2)
EED 537 K-8 Mathematics Methods and Assessment (3)
TEL 502 Exploration of Education: Child/Adolescent Development and Foundations of Special Education (3)
TEL 531 Foundations of Literacy: The Science of Reading (3)
SEI Endorsement (3 credit hours)
ELL 515 Structured English Immersion (SEI) Methods (3)
Other Requirements (6 credit hours)
6 credit hours of Alternative Certification Pathway courses, or
6 credit hours of Traditional Certification Pathway courses
Culminating Experience (3 credit hours)
EED 593 Applied Project (3)
Additional Curriculum Information
Students select one of the alternative certification or traditional certification pathways.
Alternative pathway students choose six credit hours of apprentice teaching as their other required coursework from a pre-approved list. Students switching routes from traditional certification may substitute student teaching for two credits of apprentice teaching with permission from the program.
Traditional pathway students complete six credit hours from internship and student teaching as their other required coursework from a pre-approved list. At least two credits must be internship and at least two credits must be student teaching. Students switching routes from alternative certification may substitute apprentice teaching for student teaching with permission from the program.
Students should see the academic unit for the appropriate other requirements and elective coursework. If a student plans to switch pathways mid-program, the student must reach out to the academic unit for appropriate advisement.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants | International applicants | English proficiency
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- three letters of recommendation
- personal statement
- resume
- IVP fingerprint clearance card issued by the state of Arizona
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. The following are accepted to meet this requirement:
- TOEFL: Applicants must have a score of at least 90 on the iBT, with scores of 22-30 on the speaking and written portions. ASU's institutional code is 4007. Only electronic copies of scores are accepted.
- IELTS: Applicants must have an overall band score of at least 6.5 (6=Competent User, 7=Good User). No institutional code is needed.
The personal statement should describe the personal and professional goals that motivated the applicant to apply to the program, and explain what led the applicant to this career path and how they will excel as an educator. The admission committee pays particular attention to the quality of writing and ideas expressed in the personal statement.
The professional resume should be one to two pages and include relevant personal, professional, educational and community activities.
The personal statement and professional resume should be prepared in one of the following file formats: MS Word (.doc), rich text (.rtf), Portable Document Format (.pdf), or text (.txt).
The letters of recommendation should be from individuals who can speak to the applicant's potential for success in a graduate program.
ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. Applicants may view the program’s ASU Online page for program descriptions and to request more information.
Graduates of Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College are highly sought-after teachers in public, charter and private education institutions. They possess skills in teaching, conducting research, utilizing technology and collaborating in teams --- all of which prepare them to succeed in educational careers working with learners in grades K--8.
ASU programs that may lead to professional licensure or certification are intended to prepare students for potential licensure or certification in Arizona. Completion of an ASU program may not meet educational requirements for licensure or certification in another state. For more information, students should visit the ASU professional licensure webpage.
Division of Teacher Preparation
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ED 118
GraduateEducation@asu.edu
480-965-5555
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
