Teaching and Learning (MTL), Extended Teacher Education Program (ETEP), M.S.Ed.

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The Extended Teacher Education Program (ETEP) prepares candidates for initial teacher certification in Maine. Faculty are committed to providing our teacher candidates simultaneous classroom experiences and course work that help them connect the everyday work with students to theories and research. Through the Extended Teacher Education Program (ETEP), students engage in an intense graduate level internship and post-internship course work to complete the Masters of Science in Education with a concentration in Teaching and Learning (M.S.Ed.- MTL) ETEP. ETEP is a nationally recognized teacher certification program, including options of an intensive one-year, full-time program or a two-year program with methods courses in the first year and internship courses in the second year. Faculty in ETEP are dedicated to ensuring that USM’s teacher candidates have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to teach in the increasingly diverse and demanding schools of today. We are committed to providing our teacher candidates classroom experiences and course work that help them ground their daily practice in current research-based best practices and educational theory.

We work closely with practicing administrators and teachers in partner schools to place our teaching candidates in collaborative, professional environments that allow them to observe and reflect on excellent teaching. In university classes, USM teaching candidates work together in teaching cohorts to share and challenge ideas. Through all of these experiences, USM teaching candidates come to understand the complexities and joys of teaching.

Program Requirements

The Extended Teacher Education Program (ETEP) consists of the internship and the master’s degree in Teaching and Learning. The program offers two different options to meet the various needs of students.

One-year Option (K-6 or 6-12)
Two-year Option (K-6 or 6-12)

This is an intensive experience that integrates both theory and practice in a school-based program. Interns progress through the program as part of a cohort with other teacher education candidates and complete two semesters of mentored internship in public school classrooms. The internship prepares students to teach in one of the following areas:

Elementary (K-6)
English (6-12)
Life Science (6-12)
Mathematics (6-12)
Physical Science (6-12)
Social Studies (6-12)
World Languages (PreK-12)

The teacher education programs hold national accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Course Requirements

All courses are 3 credit hours unless otherwise noted. The exact sequence of courses will vary, depending on cohort, concentration, and program option.

Elementary (K-6) (45 credits)

Secondary (6-12) and World Language (PreK-12) (39 credits)

Content Area Methods Courses: One of the following (3 credits)

After the Certification Year

After the certification year, students have five years to complete the additional six credits for their MS Ed in Teaching and Learning. Asynchronous online degree completion is possible during this course sequence.

EDU 600 - Research Methods and Techniques
EDU 643 - Inquiry in Education
(EDU 607 for K-6 or EDU 667 may be substituted for EDU 643)

ETEP Policy

The faculty of the School of Education and Human Development reserve the right to accept and retain only those students who, in the judgment of the faculty, satisfy the requirements of scholarship, maturity, and personal suitability for teaching. The program maintains the ability to change admission and/or program requirements as needed to meet changes in state certification standards.

Additional Certifications and Endorsements

The following are pathways to additional certifications or endorsements an MSEd graduate might consider.

Endorsement for teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) may be obtained through our TESOL program.

Initial certification in Teacher of Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities (282) and receive the Master of Science in Special Education may apply to the Special Education Program.

Online Data Management System for Educator Preparation Programs and Pathways

All undergraduate and graduate students who matriculate into an Educator Preparation program at USM and are accepted as a candidate for their internship/student teaching year are required to subscribe to an online data management system. Students upload assignments and other artifacts to this system as evidence that they have mastered state and professional standards for their profession. There is a one-time subscription fee related to the administration and assessment of the program that must be paid by each student before their internship begins. For loan purposes, this system is eligible for consideration as part of educational costs. Subscription instructions (including the current fee) are posted on the Office of Educator Preparation page on MyUSM at https://mycampus.maine.edu/group/usm/office-of-educator-preparation.

Please note Professional Education Council Policy: In order for USM’s Educator Preparation Unit program completers to be recommended by the institution to the Maine Department of Education for certification or licensure, the candidate must provide evidence of meeting all certification requirements including proficiency on the standards relevant to their state-approved professional program. This evidence must be compiled and assessed within the context of the Unit’s data management system.