Admission Requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in an appropriate secondary education discipline. Transcript evaluation will determine what additional discipline area coursework will be required.
2. An overall grade point average of at least 3.0 (4.0 = A) in the last two years of undergraduate work. Applicants with a GPA of less than 3.0 may be granted a Conditional Admission. This will b converted to a regular admission if students receive a grade of “B” or better in the first two graduate courses (six credit hours) taken.
3. A concise written “statement of purpose” (250 words or less) indicating the applicant’s reasons for seeking admission to the program and what the applicant hopes to accomplish during the program of study.
4. Congruence of applicant’s written “statement of purpose” with the parameters of this degree program.
5. Three written recommendations.
6. Acceptable scores on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) - Professional Readiness Exam (PRE), and at least one secondary education content area (i.e., biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, or mathematics).

Applications for this program are accepted June 15 through March 15 of each year with selection and admission determined by April 15. Coursework begins during summer I session.

Upon admission, each student will be assigned an advisor who will assist in the preparation of a program of study. The program of study should be completed during the first semester of enrollment.

Program Requirements

35-45 hours depending on content discipline.

Concentration: Teaching Chinese as a Second Language

Coordinator: Moi Mooi Lew
4121 Sangren
(269) 387-3496
moimooi.lew@wmich.edu

Contact Person: Tamara Klinger
4121 Sangren
(269) 387-3465
tammie.klinger@wmich.edu

The Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language is a post baccalaureate initial teacher certification program designed for teacher candidates with Chinese language proficiency. This cohorted program, which requires a bachelor’s degree in Chinese International Education (or equivalent) from a Chinese university, will result in Michigan certification to teach Chinese language and culture in K-12 settings.

The 20-month program includes four school-based field experiences designed to familiarize teacher candidates with the culture and contexts of American education. The first field experience consists of a series of focused observations in American elementary, middle and high schools, examining issues such as school structure and governance, curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom organization. During the second field experience, a supervised pre-internship, the teacher candidate will spend one semester (i.e., at least 75 hours) in a Chinese language classroom in which American students are learning Chinese as a second language. The third field experience involves teaching within the context of a multi-week summer camp for local K-8 children who are interested in learning about Chinese language and culture. The final field experience is a semester-long internship in which teacher candidates will either be placed with a mentor who teaches Chinese language and culture at all grade levels, or they will split their internship between two settings: one elementary and the other secondary.

Embedded within the pre-internship and internship experiences is a weekly seminar that addresses such issues as curriculum, assessment, pedagogy, organization of learning environments, leadership, and child and adolescent development.

Admission Requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Chinese International Education (or equivalent).
2. Undergraduate transcript.
3. An overall grade point average of at least 3.0 (4.0 = A).
4. Three letters of recommendation.
5. A concise written “statement of purpose” (250 words or less) indicating the applicant’s reasons for seeking admission to the program and what the applicant hopes to accomplish during the program of study.
6. A passing score on the SAT exam, which is required by the Michigan Department of Education.
7. A minimum TOEFL score of 80 or IELTS 6.5 for unrestricted admission. A TOEFL score of 61-79 or IELTS 6.0 for restricted admission.