MEd & MIT in
Elementary Teaching/K–8

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About

Eastern Washington University’s Master in Teaching (MIT) is a graduate degree program designed for individuals planning a career change into the field of teaching. The elementary major program, accredited by the State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), offers you the opportunity to acquire a:

  • State of Washington elementary teaching certificate in grades K-8
  • Master of Education (MEd) degree in elementary teaching

The MIT program is rigorous and full-time, blending an incremented field experience throughout a full-year internship in a classroom accompanying day and evening classes. Coursework will be linked to classroom experience and will meet statewide certification requirements for teachers. This 5-quarter program also follows a cohort model — each cohort begins in summer and concludes the certification stage at the end of the following summer quarter. The MEd degree will be granted after completion of the next stage of the program, which requires additional coursework and a final orals defense.

Endorsements are not included in this program. Endorsements are included in a teacher’s licensure to denote which subjects and grade levels they are qualified to teach. If you plan to pursue an endorsement, it is recommended that you complete the associated coursework after obtaining your master’s degree by completing an add-on endorsement.

Curriculum & Requirements Sample Course Schedule

Preadmissions Testing

The following must be completed for certification and the majority must be finished before admission to the MIT program:

  • Prior to admission applicants must take the WEST-B (Washington Educators Skills Test-Basic) or an approved alternative (SAT or ACT).
    • If SAT or ACT was taken, based on test date, you may be required to complete one or more sections of the West-B test.

If you have questions regarding pre-admission testing requirements, please contact educgrad@ewu.edu.

Application Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university, or evidence of achieving the degree at the end of spring semester or quarter before officially starting the MIT program in summer. 
  • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • SAT/ACT or WEST-B score report. Consult this page (School of Education Certification – School of Education – College of Professional Programs – EWU – The Region’s Polytechnic) for more details. In general, if you have an SAT score of the year 2005 or later, you will not need to take WEST-B.
  • Note: This program does not require fingerprinting for application or admission reviews. But if you are admitted, fingerprinting will be required for teaching placement in schools. If you have concerns about eligibility, please consult the MIT Director or Coordinator before submitting the application.

Application Instructions

  1. Complete bachelor’s degree and pre-admission testing.
  2. Complete the online application – choose Education: Masters of Teaching – MED
    • Upload an application letter. The letter should address the following prompts:
      1. Are you interested in teaching in the elementary or secondary school?
      2. What inspired you to pursue being an elementary teacher or a secondary teacher?
        • Reflect on the events or experiences that ignited your passion for teaching. Was there a particular moment, teacher, or learning encounter that influenced your decision to become an educator? Share that story.
      3. What subject areas do you think you are particularly interested in teaching, although an Elementary teacher is expected to teach everything? Why?
      4. What challenges have you faced in your life?
        • Reflect on personal challenges you’ve overcome. How have these experiences shaped your character, resilience, and empathy? Discuss how they inform your teaching philosophy as well as how they may potentially help you survive a challenging program like Master in Teaching.
      5. What Are Your Career Motivations?
        • Articulate your long-term goals. How do you envision your teaching career evolving? Whether it’s impacting individual students, contributing to educational policy, or fostering a love for learning, share your aspirations.
    • Upload a CV
    • Submit three or four academic or professional recommenders for letters of recommendation using the application system.
    • Request BA or BS Transcripts be sent to Eastern Washington University
    • Upload SAT/ACT or West-B score report
    • Pay the $75 application fee.

Upon review of your admission materials, you may be invited to an online interview for further consideration in the MIT program. Upon acceptance, online orientation will begin in May.

Apply by March 1, at 5 p.m. for the Summer 2025 cohort. This program only starts in the summer quarter. 

If you have further questions about your application, please reach out to the MIT Director or the MIT Coordinator for clarification before submitting your application.

MIT Coordinator: Mr. Russell Pounds – rpounds@ewu.edu; p: (509) 359-2500
MIT Director: Dr. Jiawen Wang – jwang15@ewu.edu; p: (509) 359-6004

Apply Now

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Master in Elementary Teaching (MIT): Teaching (K–8), Master of Education in Education (M.ED)

MIT Elementary Teaching (K–8) M.Ed.–earn certification + MEd: a program designed for those candidates who desire an MEd degree and a Washington residency teaching certificate for teaching in the elementary grades. This program is available to candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree in an area other than education interested in receiving both an MEd degree and a residency teaching certificate for teaching in the elementary grades. Contact an advisor in the School of Education.

Additional Program Requirements

  • Prior to admission applicants must submit scores for the WEST-B (Washington Educators Skills Test-Basic) or an approved alternative (SAT or ACT).
  • Applicants go through a pre-approval interview process.
  • All candidates must take the Elementary Education NES 102 and 103 content tests prior to student teaching.
  • Candidates will participate in a year-long clinical experience in a school.
  • All prerequisite courses must have been completed within the last 6 years.
Additional undergraduate courses must be completed for certification
ART 390ART IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL3
EDUC 308FOUNDATIONS OF ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT3
EDUC 508UNDERSTANDING LITERACY INSTRUCTION K-86
MUSC 450INTEGRATING MUSIC INTO ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM COURSES3
PHED 390HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS3
SPED 363INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION4
Total Credits22
Required Common Core
Psychological Foundations
EDUC 522TRANSFORMATION OF LEARNING AND TEACHING4
Historical, Philosophical and Social Foundations of Education–choose two
EDUC 505CURRENT ISSUES IN EDUCATION4
or EDUC 506 EDUCATIONAL SOCIOLOGY
or EDUC 500 FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION/MIT
EDUC 502HISTORY OF AMERICAN EDUCATION4
or EDUC 507 PHILOSOPHY AND ORGANIZATION OF THE AMERICAN SCHOOL
Research and Applied Experience
EDUC 520METHODS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH4
EDUC 600THESIS (both are variable credit–5 credit minimum)5
or EDUC 601 RESEARCH REPORT
Elementary Teaching Area Specialization
EDUC 510CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT4
EDUC 538MEDIA LITERACY FOR TEACHERS4
EDUC 563SCHOOL LAW (MIT)2
EDUC 570ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE PROGRAMS4
EDUC 572MATHEMATICS AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
EDUC 574SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
EDUC 576ADVANCED LITERACY METHODS4
EDUC 695INTERNSHIP ( variable credit–15 credit minimum)15
Total Credits62