Program Overview

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Masters in Education (M.Ed.) with Initial Licensure

Expedite Your Move to Teacher Licensure

A wave of teacher retirements across the United States makes now a good time for aspiring teachers to enter the profession. Recent data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that more than 40 states and Washington, DC, report shortages of math and science teachers. While most graduates pursue regional positions, our alumni teach across the country.

Two Paths: One Purpose-Filled Future as an Educator

John Carroll University helps aspiring teachers move toward licensure on a schedule that best fits their circumstances. As a graduate student at John Carroll, you can choose one of two paths to obtain your Ohio Teacher licensure.

School-Based Path

Our School-Based Master of Education requires 11 months of intensive, full-time study — starting in the summer and extending through the following full academic year — and offers the fastest route to teacher licensure in Ohio. This program combines full-time coursework and a full-day internship at one of our partner school sites.

You will be matched with a master teacher who will guide you through each phase of classroom development: teaching, pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment.

Professional Teacher Path

Our Professional Teacher Initial Licensure Master of Education allows you to attend part-time or full-time and is designed for the adult learner who wants flexible scheduling. You can work around family and work responsibilities while benefiting from hands-on experience. You can complete the program on your timeline within a maximum of five years. You will engage in diverse field experiences throughout the program and complete a two academic semester clinical teaching assignment during your final year.

CAEP Accreditation

Both programs have received Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accreditation and allow you to choose any of the following areas of focus:

• Primary Education
  • (licensed to teach preschool-grade 5) Most beneficial to those who want to work with young kids or whose degree was in a non-core subject field. For example, a philosophy major or a business major can step right in and start this program.
• Middle Childhood Education
  • ("MC", licensed to teach grades 4-9), focusing in two subjects (English/language arts (ELA), math, social studies, or science). Must have 15-20 hours in each subject field before beginning. Beneficial to those who want to work with multiple subjects and middle school kids.
  • Students interested in this license must have most of the content area covered in previous coursework and should reach out to discuss next steps for evaluating their undergraduate transcript.
• Adolescent/Young Adult
  • (“AYA”, licensed to teach grades 7-12). Most beneficial to those who want to work with teenagers and who already have a degree in math, science, English, or social studies (or closely related field).
  • Students interested in this license must have most of the content area covered in previous coursework and should reach out to discuss next steps for evaluating their undergraduate transcript.
• Multi-Age Education in World Languages (PK-12)
  • The Multi-Age candidate prepares to work with students from grades pre-kindergarten in Spanish or Latin.
  • Students interested in this license must have most of the content area covered in previous coursework and should reach out to discuss next steps for evaluating their undergraduate transcript.

Admission Requirements

• Application
• 2 Letters of Recommendation
• Official Transcript(s)
• Interview
• Statement of Purpose
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Top OAE Pass Rates

Over a 3‐year average, the initial licensure Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) exam pass rate for JCU candidates was 94% — well above the statewide average.

Nearly 90% Employed

Over a 3-year average, 87% of JCU alumni survey respondents report being fully employed in their field 9 months after graduation

Low Loan Default

One important measure of teacher success is loan default rates reported by the Federal Student Aid Office of the U.S. Department of Education. The average loan default rate for JCU is 2.9%.

Why John Carroll for Ohio Teacher Licensure?

• Our Commitment
• Build Your Teaching Skill Set
• Continuous Professional Development
• Classroom Ready
• Teachers Inspire the Future

John Carroll University has been preparing teachers since 1920 and continues to be recognized for its commitment to developing teachers for the long haul: fully reflective professionals who strive for social justice, full equity and inclusion, classroom excellence and the greater good.

Your decision to serve students as a classroom teacher stands for something more than a career choice. From a Jesuit perspective, teaching is a calling to leadership through moral imagination, self-discovery and a commitment to meeting the complex needs of your students.

• Pedagogical skills: designing and teaching lessons, assessing student learning.
• Professional dispositions: understanding the social role of teachers and how to work within educational systems and how to land a teaching job that will allow them to flourish.
• Concepts of learning: understanding and applying theories of learning in different cultural contexts, designing instruction for students with special needs, and applying theoretical knowledge of child development.

Teacher training at JCU emphasizes field work and routine mentoring.

A recent grant funds a professional development mentor for each JCU cohort — a seasoned professional who will help you craft your embedded professional development and mentoring needs as you enter the profession.

JCU student teaching candidates score above national averages for the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), a national performance assessment of candidates designed to answer the question, “Is a new teacher ready for the job?”

New technologies will continue to change both how schools teach and how young people learn. As classroom models “flip,” you will be called upon to lead change by:

1. Examining new student needs and learning to apply new data sets, tools and models for classroom success.
2. Evaluating interactive engagement methods, inside and outside the classroom.
3. Adapting pedagogical skills and self-reflection in the classroom to inspire students to think about and claim agency for their own learning.

Curriculum Highlights

ED 5510 Literacy Across the Curriculum

Learn how a students’ language, reading, and writing skills shape their ability to learn all subjects.

ED 5120 Multicultural Education

Learn the legal, historical, and philosophical foundations of multicultural education through narratives and community-based experiences.

ED 5820 Professional Development Seminar

A complement to student teaching, this course helps you assemble their capstone portfolio, navigate interviews, and secure your first full-time teaching job.

Your Steps to Success

• Top Student Teaching
• Professional Development
• School District Certified
• Nationally Ranked

Your professional year consists of two academic semesters prior to program completion. You will complete 90 hours of supervised classroom teaching, followed by a second semester (15 weeks) of full-time teaching.

95% of JCU graduates successfully complete the Resident Educator program during their first four years of teaching to earn their professional license. Our graduates far exceed the national retention rate of 50% during the first five years of teaching as reported by the National Education Association.

Employer surveys consistently rate JCU completers as most effective in their practice in the areas of Collaboration and Commitment to Excellence, hallmarks of Jesuit-inspired teacher preparation.

Our Alumni Work and Live Here

John Carroll graduates who pursue teaching and education careers work at every level — primary education, middle childhood, adolescent and young adult — for a range of schools and school districts across Ohio and nationally.

Top field partnerships include:

• Cleveland Heights-University Heights, Mayfield Heights, Garfield Heights, Wadsworth, and Beachwood School Districts.
• Catholic schools such as the Welsh Academy at St. Ignatius, Holy Trinity (Avon).
• Private schools such as Hawken Lower School.

Education Alumni Across The Region

JCU education alumni serve students across Ohio: from larger city districts (Akron) to exempted village school districts (Yellow Springs). They work in every major market: Canton, Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Parma, Toledo and Youngstown.