Graduate students in the Elementary School Teaching M.A.E.d. program complete a 45-semester hour program that includes educational foundations course work, methods courses in elementary school subject fields, clinical and student teaching experiences, and a culminating curriculum project.

** The M.A.Ed. Program in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Elementary Education which leads to initial certification is open to, and only to, people who are not already certified. This program is designed as a full-time, 14-month (summer, fall, spring, summer) semester program in which students complete all requirements in a cohort group. Classes typically begin the day after Memorial Day and the program concludes in July of the following year.

This program is organized so that full-time students complete the program according to a set four semester course sequence. Students also have important field experiences prior to their student teaching semester. Because these students will be placed in the same school for fall and spring semester, they should be better prepared for their ten week student teaching experience. The seminar that accompanies student teaching should also allow more group discussion and university instructor feedback about their teaching experiences.

To satisfy the state of Virginia 's Testing Requirement in the C&I Master of Arts in Education (Elementary, Secondary, and Special Education Initial Licensure Programs), two exams are required: Praxis I and II. Praxis I is an academic skills assessment of mathematics, reading, and writing.

Praxis I must be passed before student teaching.

Praxis II is a content knowledge exam for teachers. Praxis II must be passed before program completion.

Students are responsible for providing copies of Praxis I and II results to the Office of Professional Services in Jones 100 prior to student teaching (Praxis I) and prior to program completion (Praxis II). When reporting results for Praxis II, students must submit a paper copy of the “Examinee Score Report” directly to the Office of Professional Services. The Examinee Score Report is sent to the student by ETS, and it provides detailed score information that the Office of Professional Services is required to collect. (This information is NOT available on the “Designated Institution Score Report” sent to William & Mary by ETS.)

The Board of Education has approved an SAT score substitution for Praxis I. A score of 1100 on the SAT, taken after April 1, 1995, with at least a 530 on the verbal and a 530 on the mathematics tests OR a score of 1000 on the SAT, taken prior to April 1, 1995, with at least a 450 on the verbal and a 510 on the mathematics tests may be used as a substitute for Praxis I.

Students seeking an initial license in elementary education are also required by the Commonwealth of Virginia to take and pass the Virginia Reading Assessment. This is a test of students' knowledge of reading instruction. Information about test registration is available in the Office of Teacher Education and Professional Services in Jones Hall 100.

General Education Requirements

To satisfy the General Education in the M.A.Ed. Elementary Education licensure program, students must have completed at least three college credits in each of the following areas: English, history, social science, mathematics, and a lab science. This may have been completed in your bachelor's degree. It is recommended that you have a bachelor's degree in a liberal arts and sciences discipline to apply to this program, but it is not required.

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