Each of our Education degrees includes the following components: a General Education Curriculum, a Subject Area major, a sequence of Professional Education courses, and Student Teaching and Field Experience. Working with area schools and professional organizations and agencies, students are given progressive opportunities to put theory and pedagogy into practice. Graduates of the program demonstrate competencies for meeting Maine’s Common Core Teacher Standards through academic study, field experiences, and reflective practice, and are eligible for teacher certification by the Maine Department of Education. This certification is recognized by other states and provinces with which Maine shares reciprocity.

Elementary Education
The Elementary Education Major focuses on teaching and learning in the K to 6 environment, with majors required to complete a subject area concentration in Art, Early Childhood Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, or Special Education. The Elementary Education program is based on national standards in each discipline, Maine’s K-12 Learning Results, and Maine’s Common Core Teacher Standards required by the Maine State Board of Education.

Secondary Education
The Secondary Education Major focuses on developing teaching skills and curriculum materials for the grade 6-12 classroom, with majors required to complete a concentration in English, Mathematics, Biology, or Social Studies. The Secondary Education program is based on national standards in the content area discipline, Maine’s K-12 Learning Results, and Maine’s Common Core Teacher Standards required by the Maine State Board of Education.

Physical Education
The Physical Education Major is designed specifically for the student who wishes to become a certified physical education teacher. Students learn both the pedagogy and how to develop and deliver the hands-on activities necessary for a successful physical education classroom experience. There is also a non-teaching degree option. For more details about the teaching and non-teaching PE degrees, please click here.

Concentrations in Elementary Education

• Art – Learn how to teach the visual arts in the public school system, principally in the United States and also in Canada. This includes learning about the pedagogical implications of art education and developing creative abilities in the learner.
• Early Childhood Education – This concentration will enable you to gain an additional endorsement in K-3 education, and in birth through school-age programming as well.
• English – The courses in this concentration will enable you to apply your additional knowledge and skill in teaching reading and writing, and would be especially beneficial to those hoping to teach at upper elementary levels.
• Mathematics – This concentration provides you with a solid grounding in mathematics principles, from the foundations to probability, algebra and geometry, so you can be most effective in promoting mathematics learning for your future students.
• Science – Studies in this concentration cover biology, chemistry, energy and geology to prepare you to teach science in the classroom. Science teachers are in great demand nationwide, and a concentration in this area will certainly attract employers’ attention in hiring.
• Social Studies – The range of history and social science courses you will take in this concentration will help you integrate social studies into many other content areas.
• Special Education – You will learn how to instruct students with disabilities and other special needs, how to integrate technology in the classroom for these students, and how to apply the principles of effective classroom management and individualized behavior interventions with them.

Concentrations in Secondary Education

• Science – Science, a key part of STEM education, is in demand at the secondary level, and this concentration will position you well for ready employment. Choose from a Life Science or Physcial Science concentration. Life science includes studying living things using biology, ecology, microbiology, psychology, and medicine. Physical sciences focus on nonliving things and include the areas of earth science, astronomy, geology, physics, and chemistry.
• English – English at the secondary level is at the center of Common Core, proficiency-based education, and this concentration will provide the content knowledge and skill you need.
• Mathematics – Math is one of Common Core’s most important focuses, and is a crucial element in STEM education. This concentration will prepare you to be an effective math teacher, and help you gain ready employment.
• Social Studies – You will take a variety of history and social science courses that will enable you to teach multiple related subjects at this level.

Minors

• Educational Studies
• Early Childhood Education

These minors will provide knowledge and skill that will allow you to work in a variety of settings with children, perhaps as an Educational Technician or in a private pre-school or daycare setting. Additional coursework and student teaching would lead to eligibility for certification in the future if you chose that route.

Follow these links to learn more about the Admission process into a Teacher Education Program, or Eligibility requirements for Student Teaching.