Assumption offers state-approved teacher preparation programs for teaching licenses in elementary, middle and secondary school settings in Massachusetts.
As is required in Massachusetts, students major in a specific academic discipline in conjunction with an education concentration. This prepares you to be an outstanding teacher in the classroom and a stand-out applicant in today’s competitive job market. Assumption’s small, intimate class settings help to ensure that everyone who pursues a concentration in education receives ample guidance and support.
Assumption believes in providing you with hands-on classroom experience as early as possible. These experiences will culminate with a full semester of student teaching in your senior year. Qualified Assumption undergraduates may enroll in a fifth year of study leading to a Master's degree in special education.
Academic Expectations
By the time you complete an education concentration at Assumption, you are expected to demonstrate:
An ability to communicate effectively in written and oral form;
A competent knowledge of the content within the field(s) of licensure;
Practices of effective teaching, guided by an expressed understanding of sound instruction and research-derived methods;
The ability to improve practice based upon self-evaluation of teaching;
A commitment to professional obligations and responsibilities.
Education Concentrations
Elementary Education: Grades 1-6
Students must major in one of the following areas: biology, chemistry, classics, English, environmental science, French, history, Italian, mathematics, or Spanish.
Subject-specific Elementary/Middle School Education: Pre-kindergarten-8
Subject-specific Middle School Education: Grades 5-8
Students must major in one of the following areas: biology, chemistry, English, history, or mathematics.
Subject-specific Middle School/Secondary Education: Grades 5-12
Students must major in one of the following areas: visual arts, French, Spanish, or Latin and classical humanities.
Subject-specific Secondary Education: Grades 8-12
Students must major in one of the following areas: biology, chemistry, English, history, or mathematics.
BA/MA Program
Fifth-year option for a Master of Arts in Special Education
The education department offers a five-year program that allows a student to complete requirements for both the Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts or science and a Master of Arts in Special Education degree. The program leads to eligibility for the Massachusetts Initial License for Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (Pre K-8, 5-12), as well as a Massachusetts Initial License in one of Assumption’s approved programs offered at the undergraduate level.
Minor in Education
This is a good option for students interested in studying the broader social and foundational dimensions of education without the requirements for teacher licensure. The student minoring in education must take a total of 6 courses in education and related disciplines, in consultation with a member of the department.