Middle School Education
Pat Seiber, coordinator
Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts Degree in Middle School Education (Grades 5-9)
The middle school undergraduate program prepares graduates for teaching certification in their choice of content areas: mathematics, science, language arts and social studies in grades 5-9.
Undergraduate students in the middle school education certification program complete programs of study in three general areas. First, they complete the Murray State University's required University Studies Program. Second, students are required to complete the professional education courses sequence. Finally, they must complete content requirements in their selected content areas. Practicum and field experiences are provided in a variety of middle school settings in the region as part of the professional education courses. in addition, for certification, students must earn a passing score on two content-specific Praxis exams plus the PLT Exam.
The final step to full professional teacher certification involves successful completion of the KTIP internship year in Kentucky, although certification requirements vary from state to state. Since Murray State University's College of Education is NCATE accredited, a degree in middle school education with teacher certification is transferable to most other states.
Master of Arts in Education with specialization in Middle School Education (Non-thesis Option)
This MA degree program is designed to fulfill course requirements for Rank II classification. The program must be preplanned with one’s advisor and consist of 33 semester hours of graduate level course work with a minimum of 18 hours in professional education and a minimum of 17 hours of courses at the 600 level. Applicants must hold a Middle School (5-8, 5-9) Provisional Certificate or its equivalent. A written comprehensive examination is required.
Master of Arts in Education with specialization in Middle School Education (Thesis Option)
A thesis option MA degree program is designed to fulfill course requirements for Rank II classification. The program must be preplanned with one’s advisor and consist of 33 semester hours of graduate level course work with a minimum of 18 hours in professional education and a minimum of 17 hours of courses at the 600 level. Applicants must hold a Middle School (5-8, 5-9) Provisional Certificate or its equivalent. Defense of Thesis is required.
Middle School Education (Grades 5-8, 5-9) Thirty-Hour Program for Rank I with specialization in Middle School Education
This is a non-degree program designed to fulfill course requirements for Rank I classification. Admission to the program requires completion of the requirements for a Rank II classification (Masters Degree or Fifth Year Programs). The 30 credit hour program must be preplanned with one’s advisor and consist of graduate level course work with a minimum of 15 hours in professional education. Applicants must hold a Middle School (5-8, 5-9) Certificate. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required for completion of this program.