Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for admission:

• Meet the Graduate School admission requirements;
• BA/BS or equivalent earned from an accredited institution in the language of certification. The course work must be aligned with requirements for the equivalent undergraduate degree at EMU (30 credits at the 300-level). Transcripts will be reviewed upon application.  
• Hold a 2.75 undergraduate GPA or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate work
• Two letters of recommendation, including one from a college professor.
• Official scores from the general SAT (if taken after March 1, 2016) with a Mathematics minimum sub-score of 530 and Evidenced- Based Reading and Writing minimum sub-score of 480. Scores from the MTTC Basic Skills Test, MTTC Professional Readiness Exam, ACT or Michigan Merit Exam may be used as well. See an advisor for details. 
• Freedom from civil/criminal convictions, academic probation, or administrative probation; ICHAT Criminal Background Check and Statement of Civil/Criminal Convictions; For any civil/criminal conviction provide a copy of Judgment of Sentence, Registrar of Actions, or Certificate of Conviction and a written explanation of the offense; Applications of students with civil/criminal convictions will be carefully reviewed and may take longer to process.
• A 2-credit course Professional Writing in Educational Settings is required for international students and candidates who do not have extended learning or teaching experience in K-12 American school settings.
• A 2-credit course Orientation to Standards- and Proficiency-based Instruction is also required for international students and candidates who do not have extended learning or teaching experience in K-12 American school settings. This 2-credit orientation course is a pre-requisite to FLAN 611  and FLAN 541  
• Students may be required to have the equivalent of a teachable minor to earn a teaching certificate from the State of Michigan. See College of Education advisor.

Department Information

Teacher Education, College of Education

Martha Kinney-Sedgwick, Ph.D. | Department Head | 313 Porter | 734.487.3260 | mkinneys@emich.edu

Advisor Information

Amy Eastman | 206 Porter | 734.487.2048 | amy.eastman@emich.edu

Content Knowledge Verification

The major goal of the MAT-World Language Concentration is to prepare professionals who have at least a baccalaureate degree that includes 30 credits at the 300-level and above or the equivalent level of content knowledge in the language of intended licensure. To meet the Michigan Standards for World Language Teacher Certification and the ACTFL CAEP program accreditation expectations, all candidates must document their knowledge of the world language, linguistics, culture, literature, and civilization before being recommended for a Michigan Standard Teaching License by successfully completing the following assessments:

• earn passing scores on the MTTC World Language exam, or lacking such an exam, complete an equivalent comprehensive assessment of professional and content area-specific knowledge;
• document oral proficiency by passing the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI or OPIc) with a rating of Intermediate High;
• document proficiency in writing by passing the ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) with a rating of Intermediate High;
• complete an assessment in language and linguistics that is aligned with ACTFL CAEP expectations;
• complete an assessment in language, literature, civilization, and culture that is aligned with ACTFL CAEP expectations; and
• provide evidence of having participated in a formal study abroad experience (at least six weeks in French, German, Spanish, or Japanese) or document that they have lived for at least a year in a culture/country in which the language is used as the / one of the primary languages of daily communication.

Taken together, these requirements ensure that candidates who bring to EMU a B.A. or B.S. degree in a world language or who have a four-year degree in another field of study and also have significant prior experience, including native or heritage speaker status, with the world language and the cultures in which it is used demonstrate a high level of content knowledge.

All candidates are required to complete a 12-credit residency requirement. Candidates and an advisor from the Department of World Languages in the language for which certification is sought will work together to determine how this requirement can be met, for example, by filling gaps between the candidate’s existing 30-credit major and EMU’s ACTFL CAEP approved major, through study abroad, or, should no remedies be needed, by completing the required 12 credits in world language methods courses described below.

Degree Requirements: 43 hours

Completion of the 43-credit program of study outlined below leads to a State of Michigan teacher initial secondary teaching certificate with a K-12 endorsement and a MAT in the language in which certification is sought.