Transition to Teaching/Master's (T2M)

Program Overview

Transition to Teaching/Master's (T2M)

Ignite your passion for teaching.

Are you a content expert ready to transform lives in the classroom? The University of Indianapolis' Transition to Teaching/Master's (T2M) program is your launchpad to becoming an engaging, licensed secondary teacher. Designed for bachelor's degree holders in various content areas, our program offers a dynamic blend of in-person and virtual learning, coupled with immersive field experiences.

Advantages

• Flexible Learning: Balance your studies with other commitments through our hybrid model.
• Practical Experience
  • For Current Teachers on Alternative Permits: Apply your learning directly in your classroom.
  • For Aspiring Teachers: We'll place you in secondary classroom settings that align with your coursework.
• Expert Faculty: Learn from seasoned educators passionate about shaping the next generation of teachers.
• Career Advancement: Fast-track your path to licensure and a master's degree.

Learn More

About the Program

Embark on a transformative experience that will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and support network to excel as a secondary teacher. At UIndy, we're not just preparing teachers; we're cultivating inspirational educators ready to make a lasting impact in secondary education.

Program Length & Format

Earn your initial teaching license in just 15 months, with the option to seamlessly transition into a full master's degree. Experience the best of both worlds with a mix of in-person and synchronous virtual coursework.

Courses

Year 1 - Semester 1

• EDUC 529 - Teaching for Social Justice (2 credit hours) This course provides an introduction to teachers and teaching in the United States' diverse secondary schools, including the historical, sociological, political, and philosophical foundations of education. Candidates will draw upon different disciplines and fields of study to address certain fundamental questions and issues in the study of education. This course is designed to help candidates develop the intercultural competence needed to work effectively in diverse environments.
• EDUC 536 - Classroom Management I (1 credit hour) This course covers practical, theoretical, philosophical, and ethical aspects of school and society, the education profession, and secondary schools, with a particular focus on classroom management, school violence, school safety, educational law, and other critical social issues. All candidates are supported with on-site faculty coaching. 15 hours of participation in schools are required whether candidates are employed as teachers or not. For those who are not yet teaching, field placements will be arranged.
• EDUC 532 - Developing Adolescents and Students with Special Needs (3 credit hours) This course examines the major theories that have shaped psychologists’ ideas about human development and their relatedness to teaching and learning with adolescent students. This course will be divided into three separate yet interrelated areas of study. Topics of special education that will be needed to support learners will be systematically integrated through the course. This course will meet the objectives of an introductory special education course within EDUC 532.

Year 1 - Semester 2

• EDUC 537 - Classroom Management II (1 credit hour) This course covers practical, theoretical, philosophical, and ethical aspects of school and society, the education profession, and secondary schools with a particular focus on classroom management, school violence, school safety, educational law, and other critical social issues, especially for those candidates who are gaining some level of experience in secondary and all grade classrooms. All candidates are supported with on-site faculty coaching. 15 hours of participation in schools are required whether candidates are employed as teachers, or not. For those who are not yet teaching, field placements will be arranged. The course runs concurrently with the Teaching for Social Justice and Developing Adolescents and Students with Special Needs courses so observational protocols will include analysis and applications of these areas.
• EDUC 551 - Content Area Pedagogy (2 credit hours) This course explores the theories and methods of effective instruction in mathematics. Students will develop lesson plans and assessments, teach lessons using a variety of methods appropriate for mathematics and developmental levels of diverse populations of students, incorporate appropriate technology and literacy elements, and critically reflect on their work. This course is required for secondary and all-grade licensure and includes a required 20 hours of clinical practice, if not the teacher of record.
• EDUC 517 - Multimodal Literacy Based Instruction & Supporting ELLs in the Content Classroom (3 credit hours) This course will focus on the tasks of designing, performing, and documenting instructional experiences that have a foundation in multimodal literacy. Specific areas such as sequence planning and organization, classroom procedures and strategies, curriculum development, literacy across the content areas, multicultural education, and supporting English Language Learners are included. Emphasis will be placed on formulation of lessons, strategies for developing specific instructional objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment techniques that match those objectives. The production of written lessons provides the documentation for planning and design. This course is designed to build teacher dispositions that accept broad human differences and similarities and how teachers can use this view to promote learning for all students in the classroom.

Year 1 - Summer 1

• EDUC 530 - Introduction to Makerspace Pedagogy (1 credit hour) In this course, candidates will address real world problems by designing solutions, modeling systems, prototyping and testing their designs and then iterating the process. In this way, candidates will experience the engineering design cycle and develop an appreciation for constraints and tradeoffs. Candidates will learn how to write computer software in multiple environments and apply this skill to modeling at least one of their design solutions. Google Level I Teacher certification will also be infused in this course.
• EDUC 506 - Designing and Assessing Teaching and Learning (2 credit hours) This condensed intensive 2.0 credit hour summer course consists of several modules which concentrate on factors related to classroom assessment including: reliability, validity, bias, construction of test, selecting items, and interpretation of data as it relates to the adolescent learner. Time in class will be workshop-based and will focus on a variety of instructional strategies, assessment tools, and plans for putting these into practice in the classroom. Candidates will have an exposure to and experience with creating a personal philosophy of assessment, a learner map, and multiple types of assessment in their content area. This course will also focus on the importance of data collected in assessment and how to use that data to drive further instruction.

Year 2 - Semester 1

• Full-time Residency and Seminar The internship experience includes observation, participation, and supervised teaching in a secondary school under the supervision of a cooperating teacher and the direction of a University supervisor. Interns engage in a variety of activities designed to aid in the development of the teaching skills, abilities, and qualities necessary for effective secondary school instruction. The required seminars are designed to focus on lesson and unit preparation, engaging all learners and specific issues encountered in the internship such as statewide testing programs, special needs, and school law and professional practice. The final assessment is an evaluation of classroom performance via the UIndy content based rubric for teaching performance.
• EDUC 589 - edTPA Project (0.5 credit hours) In this 0.5 credit hour course, candidates develop and submit the Exit from Program Portfolio, Pearson’s edTPA. Candidates will complete a series of training modules designed to guide them through compiling each task of the edTPA. Candidates will also receive training on overarching concepts in the edTPA, such as understanding academic language and infusing academic language into their teaching. This course is required of all School of Education initial preparation programs.

Master's Degree Option for Transition to Teaching

• EDUC 504 - Reading Foundations This course focuses on PK-12 literacy curriculum and instruction driven by informal and formal literacy assessment. Emphasis is placed on creating classrooms that encourage exploration and communication of ideas using developmentally appropriate practice. Literacy will focus on explicit, hands-on instruction in print concepts, oral language, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, phonics, linguistics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension as well as strategies for content and disciplinary literacy. The role of writing to learn is also addressed, with specific strategies and applications appropriate to various content areas. This course integrates unit and lesson planning and includes field implementation.
• EDUC 519 - Systemic Interventions for Students with Reading Difficulties In this course, candidates will focus on assessment and intervention with children experiencing literacy difficulties for a variety of reasons. In this course, candidates will use the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to design and differentiate curriculum and assessments in order to build the literacy skills for all learners, including students with mild disabilities, high abilities, twice-exceptional, and English language learners (ELLs). Special emphasis will be placed on dyslexia/dysgraphia, language-based disabilities, ELLs, and other common neuro-divergences in the elementary literacy classroom (e.g., autism, ADHD, behavioral difficulties). Students will learn to ground interventions in student motivation, choice, and voice, focusing on merging meaningful, interesting content with explicit skills instruction. Emphasis will be placed on high-quality teacher-child relationships and positive perceptions of all children in order to individualize and differentiate.
• EDUC 590 - Introduction to Educational Research This is a basic course in the methods of research in education, the planning and conducting of a research study, and the development of skills in problem identification, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and preparation of research statistics. The importance of collection, analysis, and use of appropriate data in decision-making is emphasized.
• EDUC 603 - Equity in Education Reform This course surveys social, political, and economic forces, that have shaped U.S. public schools and the contemporary school reform movement. Candidates will explore the roots of educational inequality, the history of school reform, and the most prominent reforms in American school systems. Candidates will also examine data related achievement gaps between student groups and consider the school leader’s role in dismantling patterns of inequity and exclusion.

Admission Requirements

• Online application form
• 500 word (maximum) statement of purpose highlighting your interest in the program and how it will benefit your practice
• 3.0 GPA
• Content major/minor awarded degree from regionally accredited university and passed Praxis content test no later than December 2022
• One letter of recommendation from a school or district leader
• Successful entrance to program interview session

Tuition & Aid

• View Graduate Tuition Rates The University of Indianapolis is participating in a tuition assistance program through the Indiana Special Education Assisted Licensure Program.
• Financial Aid for Graduate Students Financial aid is available for students seeking a Master's Degree.
• Scholarships for Graduate Students

A Community of Lifelong Learners

At UIndy, we believe in the power of community to enhance your learning journey:

• Vibrant Community of Practice: Connect with peers, faculty, and alumni to share experiences and insights.
• Multi-Dimensional Mentoring:
  • Collaborate with your cohort peers.
  • Tap into the wisdom of 20 years of UIndy master's students.
  • Learn from experienced teachers and education faculty.
• Ongoing Support: Our program is designed to provide the social support and camaraderie you need to thrive. Benefit from the guidance of a highly-skilled university instructional coach and a mentor teacher.