Graduate Education

Overview of Graduate Programs
Credential Program
M aster of Arts in Teaching
Master’s Degree Candidacy
Admission of International Students to Credential and Graduate Programs

General Information
Graduate Study Load
Prerequisites and Professional Preparation Requirements for Teaching Credentials
Programs

Shannon Stanton Agbotse

Cean Colcord, Chair

Lauren H. Swanson

Whittier’s Graduate Education Programs include both credential and Masters of Arts in Teaching degree programs that further the institution’s tradition of excellence in the preparation of teachers. In-depth study of various pedagogical issues occurs within the context of Whittier’s liberal arts perspective. The Graduate Program faculty includes outstanding professors and adjuncts with advanced academic degrees and professional experience in their specialty areas. Among the themes that unify graduate study at Whittier College are appreciation of diversity, active construction of knowledge, value of critical thinking, and lifelong learning.

Overview of Graduate Programs

Graduate offerings include the following credential programs approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC): Preliminary Multiple Subject Teaching Credential Programs (elementary education); Preliminary Single Subject Teaching Credential Programs in several subject areas as described in the Teacher Education section of this catalog (secondary education); and Preliminary Education Specialist: Mild to Moderate Support Services and Extensive Support Services Teaching Credential.

Whittier also offers the Master of Arts in Teaching Degree. Qualified students may work simultaneously on the M.A. degree and a credential. Graduate students have the opportunity to study at the Broadoaks Children’s School, Whittier’s nationally known campus demonstration school. Graduate courses are offered in the evening during the fall and spring semesters, and also during the summer sessions.

Credential Program

Graduate students must complete an application for admission to the Teacher Preparation Program according to specified deadlines. Only those students accepted to the program may enroll in the core courses.

Graduate candidates applying to the credential programs must complete and submit the following to the Department of Education and Child Development:

The application for admission includes such items as a statement of purpose, at least two professional references, and documentation of subject matter preparation.
Passage of CBEST (California Basic Educational Skills Test)
Transcripts documenting the following:
- A Bachelor of Arts Degree or Bachelor of Science Degree from an accredited college or university
- Minimum 2.8 GPA in the last 60 graded units.

Master of Arts in Teaching

Whittier College offers the Master of Arts in Teaching. Candidates must complete 30 units beyond the Bachelor of Arts (excluding student teaching). All 30 units must be part of an approved Educational Design for the Master of Arts in Teaching. During the last two semesters of study, students take EDUC 605 - Introduction Education Inquiry (4 credits), and EDUC 606 - Educational Inquiry Practicum (4 credits) as their capstone courses.

Master’s Degree Candidacy

Applicants seeking the Master of Arts in Teaching must be admitted to Master’s Degree Candidacy. Students should apply as early as possible, and no later than one semester prior to the intended entry date. To apply for Master’s Degree Candidacy, applicants must submit the following:

The application for graduate admission, which includes an essay on professional and educational goals and two professional references. Students who have previously been admitted to a credential program do not need to complete the application for advancement to master’s candidacy.
Transcripts of all college work documenting a Bachelor of Arts Degree or a Bachelor of Science Degree from an accredited college or university.
Evidence of completion of graduate semester units with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Admission of International Students to Credential and Graduate Programs

International graduate students who wish to apply for the credential program and/ or the Master of Arts Degree program must do the following:

Submit a completed application for graduate admission.
Submit transcripts verifying the completion of degree equivalent to a US baccalaureate degree. All students whose baccalaureate work was completed outside the United States or Canada at an institution where a language other than English was the dominant language of instruction must submit transcripts that have been translated and analyzed by the International Education Research Foundation, Inc., or another authorized agency before they can be accepted to the teacher credential or master’s degree program. (Students already in the U.S. may be permitted to enroll in a maximum of two courses while they await transcript analysis.)

All students whose baccalaureate work was completed at an institution where a language other than English was the dominant language of instruction must submit acceptable TOEFL scores.

General Information

Post-baccalaureate (graduate) students who meet all prerequisite and entrance requirements can complete all credential and Master’s program requirements through evening and summer courses. Procedures and requirements for post-baccalaureate students differ from those for undergraduates. These procedures and requirements are described in separate documents available from the Department. Post-baccalaureate students should obtain program information and advisement from the Department as early as possible for admission to summer and fall cohorts.

For both undergraduate and graduate students, a grade of B- or above is required in each teacher preparation course in order to enroll in the next course(s) in the teacher-preparation program sequence. When a grade below B- is earned in a course, a student must do the following before enrolling in any other teacher preparation course:

Petition the department for permission to retake the course in which a grade below B- was earned, and if permission is granted
Retake the course and earn a grade of B- or above.

Graduate Study Load

For Graduate Students, a minimum full-time study load is 9 credit hours per term.

Prerequisites and Professional Preparation Requirements for Teaching Credentials

The teacher education programs for students pursuing the Multiple Subject (elementary) and Single Subject (secondary) and Education Specialist Teaching Credentials include planned prerequisites and professional preparation courses. Students should plan their undergraduate programs so as to take the prerequisites during their freshman and sophomore years. Professional preparation requirements are not open to freshmen or sophomores. Students should take the sequence of required professional preparation courses in the junior year and after. The prerequisites and professional preparation courses for the Multiple Subject (elementary), Single Subject (secondary) and Education Specialist Teaching Credentials are listed on the next page.

Graduate Education (EDUC) courses are open to graduate students. Most require admission to the Teacher Credentialing Program. In general these courses are not open to undergraduates.

Catalog