Secondary Education, Woodring College of Education
68 Credits
Graduate Faculty
Burgess, Donald, PhD.
Harwood, Angela, PhD, graduate advisor.
Larson, Bruce, PhD.
McClanahan, Lauren, PhD, graduate advisor.
Nolet, Victor, PhD.
Pyscher, Tracey, PhD.
Roxas, Kevin, PhD.
Ware, Molly, PhD.
Program Information
The Master in Teaching (MIT) program is designed for candidates who wish to complete a master’s degree while gaining state of Washington residency certification to teach at the secondary level (middle and high school). Our comprehensive MIT program is firmly backed by current research of effective teaching and promoting student learning. The MIT program can be completed in five quarters, including the student teaching (internship).
The MIT program is available at the Bellingham campus and at our Everett site.
Bellingham program: wce.wwu.edu/sec/master-teaching-mit-bellingham
Everett program: wce.wwu.edu/teop/master-teaching
Secondary Education: 360-650-3327, Christina.Carlson@wwu.edu, Miller Hall 400
Graduate School: 360-650-3170, gradschool@wwu.edu, wwu.edu/gradschool
See the Department of Secondary Education catalog page for additional program and teacher certification information. In particular, review the following headings: Certification, Endorsements, Character and Fitness, and Internships.
Program Application
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School and the Secondary Education department requirements below. Note: the GRE is not an application requirement for this graduate program. Before applying, review the endorsement website (wce.wwu.edu/cert/endorsements) to determine your readiness to apply. You may send unofficial transcripts with the name of your endorsement(s) to request an evaluation to Peter.Johnson@wwu.edu. To apply, create an online application account with the Graduate School and upload all supporting documents by the application deadline.
Application Requirements
- A 3.0 grade point average; see Graduate School eligibility requirements.
- Completion of an approved English composition course, with a grade or B of higher.
- English language proficiency.
Test requirement:
- Meet the Washington Education Skills Test- Basic (WEST-B) requirement. This may be met by a) taking the WEST-B exam, b) SAT minimum scores, or c) ACT minimum scores. See the WEST-B Requirement website for more information, wce.wwu.edu/admissions/west-b-requirement. Passing scores must be on file by the application due date.
Essays and statement of purpose.
Letters of reference.
Interview by Secondary Education faculty. Details will be provided after application deadline.
Important Application Dates:
- Bellingham location
- Fall quarter: February 1
- Winter quarter: September 1
- Everett location
- February 1: In odd-numbered years (e.g., 2017, 2019) cohorts start in the Summer; In even numbered years (2018, 2020) cohorts start in the Fall.
- This program is located on the Everett Community College campus.
- Late applications accepted on a space-available basis.
Requirements Upon Program Admission
Upon acceptance, each candidate is assigned an education graduate faculty advisor. All newly accepted teacher education candidates must attend the mandatory orientation and advising session before beginning first quarter classes. Candidates may be dropped from Secondary Education for failing to attend the required orientation. Candidates admitted to the Woodring College of Education must meet specified requirements throughout the course of their teacher education program in order to remain in the program.
- Completion of a Pre-Residency Clearance through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and a fingerprint background check as described in Character and Fitness (see catalog page for Secondary Education ).
- Completion of the Woodring College of Education Prevention of Sexual Harassment Training.
- Completion of the Woodring College of Education Blood-Borne Pathogens Training.
- Completion of the Secondary Education Supplemental Application/Student Conduct Requirements and Agreement.
General Retention Requirements
- Candidates must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, beginning with the quarter they are notified of admission to Secondary Education and all required courses. This requirement applies even to quarters where no education courses are being taken. Candidates who fail to meet this standard will receive a letter advising them that they have been dropped from the program.
- Candidates must earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in the professional education sequence, and a C (2.0) or better in all courses required for the endorsement. See Woodring College and the Graduate School policies for more information.
- Candidates must successfully complete a minimum of one MIT program course each calendar year
- Candidates must complete all certification and endorsement course work.
- Candidates are required to conduct themselves in a professional manner, in terms of moral code, use of written or verbal language, abstention from sexual harassment, gender, ethnic and racial bias.
Program Completion
To qualify for program completion and recommendation for state of Washington residency certification, candidates must complete the following requirements and assessments:
- A state-approved, performance-based teacher preparation program that includes preparation in an endorsable subject area, teaching methodology, and an internship.
- Evidence of good moral character and personal fitness.
- Pass a content test for each endorsement to be earned. The content tests are Washington Educator Skills Test (WEST-E), National Evaluation Series (NES), and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL).
- Pass the education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA).
- Successful completion of the student teaching internship as shown by performance on the WWU Intern Development and Evaluation System (IDES).
- Candidates who interrupt enrollment in a teacher education program for more than two consecutive quarters (summer quarter not included) must meet all program admission, completion and certification requirements in place for the quarter in which they expect to return.
- The Graduate School policy is for program requirements to be completed within five years. While it is possible to earn the Residency teaching certificate without completing the final requirements for the MIT degree, it is not possible to earn the MIT without earning the Residency teaching certificate.
