Program Admission

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 coursework must be aligned with requirements for the equivalent undergraduate degree at EMU
• Hold a 2.75 undergraduate GPA or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate work
• Furnish an analysis of professional goals written by the candidate. This analysis should include a description of how the chosen degree program will meet the selected goals and how the candidate’s life experiences, accomplishments, and interests will contribute to success in the program.
• Two letters of recommendation, that addresses the candidate’s professional commitment, experience, and potential for graduate-level scholarship
• 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.
• 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 | Wendy Burke, Ph.D., Department Head | 313 Porter, 734.487.3260, wburke1@emich.edu

Advisor Information

Molly Thornbladh, 206 Porter, 734.487.1416, mthornbl@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. 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 a passing score on the MTTC world language exam
• document oral proficiency by passing the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI or OPIc) at the state approved level;
• 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.

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.