Hit the Ground Running
In our Education Program, you’ll begin working in local schools with students starting your first semester.
A Lab of Your Own
Our Learning/Curriculum Lab provides students with a dedicated space and tons of classroom materials to develop best teaching practices.
Passionate about Education?
Join our Student Education Association of Maine (SEAM) club, the largest in the state.
Learn “on the job”
As part of a capstone class, students get to teach hands-on, after-school STEM classes to local kids.
Conceptual Framework
Our Education programs are undergirded by the beliefs and values our faculty hold about teaching and teacher preparation, which are articulated in our Conceptual Framework.
Program Learning Outcomes
Something something exciting list of PLOs
Take the next step
Ready to take the next step and become a candidate in our Education Program? To be eligible, you’ll need to do the following:
- Successfully complete your first two semesters, both of which require mandatory field experience;
- Demonstrate evidence of appropriate professional teacher dispositions;
- Successfully pass a candidacy interview with faculty of the Education Department.
All Education majors are expected to work closely with faculty advisors to follow the identified sequence of courses for their particular major. Students with secondary advisors outside of the College of Professional Programs should meet with their primary Education faculty advisor each semester to keep tabs on changing policies and requirements, and for course approval.
Teacher Certification Pathways
At UMPI, we offer several different pathways for you to become a certified teacher in Maine. In addition to the traditional pathway of a standard four-year Bachelor of Science in Education degree, we offer multiple courses aligned with State of Maine teacher certification requirements. This allows for you to pursue initial or additional certifications at your convenience, while receiving support and guidance from us along the way.
Contact us to get started
Shara Page
- Associate Director of Advising; Testing Manager
- 127 Preble Hall
- (207) 768-9419
- shara.page@maine.edu
We will:
- Discuss your goals and desired certifications
- Provide you with potential degree options through UMPI both on-site and online.
- Connect you with Admissions
Talk to us about class and training options to get recertified or to add a certification.
To get started, call Shara Page at 207-768-9419 or email shara.page@maine.edu.
We will:
- Refer you to the MDoE Initial Teacher Certification website so you can apply for your certification
- Request a copy of your MDoE Evaluation
- Schedule a meeting (phone, Zoom, or in person) to review evaluation with you
- Explain what classes meet the needs indicated on the evaluation
- Create a map for completion
- Explain the Financial Aid options
- Direct you to Student Records for course enrollment
We will:
- Explain how UMPI’s Canadian Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program works
- Provide link to our Canadian Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program webpage for information about the program and requirements.
- Once matriculated, we will conduct an enrollment/advising meeting with you.
This explains what Academic Maps are.
- Elementary Education, B.S. – Art Concentration
- Elementary Education, B.S. – Early Childhood Education Concentration
- Elementary Education, B.S. – English Concentration
- Elementary Education, B.S. – Mathematics Concentration
- Elementary Education, B.S. – Science Concentration
- Elementary Education, B.S. – Social Studies Concentration
- Elementary Education, B.S. – Special Education Concentration
- Secondary Education – English, B.S.
- Secondary Education – Life Science, B.S.
- Secondary Education – Mathematics, B.S.
- Secondary Education – Physical Science, B.S.
- Secondary Education – Social Studies, B.S.
- Physical Education – Teaching, B.S.
- Special Education Paraprofessional, AA
Each of our Education degrees includes the following components: a General Education Curriculum, a Subject Area major, a sequence of Professional Education courses, and Student Teaching and Field Experience. Working with area schools and professional organizations and agencies, students are given progressive opportunities to put theory and pedagogy into practice. Graduates of the program demonstrate competencies for meeting Maine’s Common Core Teacher Standards through academic study, field experiences, and reflective practice, and are eligible for teacher certification by the Maine Department of Education. This certification is recognized by other states and provinces with which Maine shares reciprocity.
Elementary Education
The Elementary Education Major focuses on teaching and learning in the K to 6 environment, with majors required to complete a subject area concentration in Art, Early Childhood Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, or Special Education. The Elementary Education program is based on national standards in each discipline, Maine’s K-12 Learning Results, and Maine’s Common Core Teacher Standards required by the Maine State Board of Education.
Secondary Education
The Secondary Education Major focuses on developing teaching skills and curriculum materials for the grade 6-12 classroom, with majors required to complete a concentration in English, Mathematics, Biology, or Social Studies. The Secondary Education program is based on national standards in the content area discipline, Maine’s K-12 Learning Results, and Maine’s Common Core Teacher Standards required by the Maine State Board of Education.
Physical Education
The Physical Education Major is designed specifically for the student who wishes to become a certified physical education teacher. Students learn both the pedagogy and how to develop and deliver the hands-on activities necessary for a successful physical education classroom experience. There is also a non-teaching degree option. See the Physical Education Program for more details about teaching and non-teaching PE degrees.
Concentrations in Elementary Education
- Art – Learn how to teach the visual arts in the public school system, principally in the United States and also in Canada. This includes learning about the pedagogical implications of art education and developing creative abilities in the learner.
- Early Childhood Education – This concentration will enable you to gain an additional endorsement in K-3 education, and in birth through school-age programming as well.
- English – The courses in this concentration will enable you to apply your additional knowledge and skill in teaching reading and writing, and would be especially beneficial to those hoping to teach at upper elementary levels.
- Mathematics – This concentration provides you with a solid grounding in mathematics principles, from the foundations to probability, algebra and geometry, so you can be most effective in promoting mathematics learning for your future students.
- Science – Studies in this concentration cover biology, chemistry, energy and geology to prepare you to teach science in the classroom. Science teachers are in great demand nationwide, and a concentration in this area will certainly attract employers’ attention in hiring.
- Social Studies – The range of history and social science courses you will take in this concentration will help you integrate social studies into many other content areas.
- Special Education – You will learn how to instruct students with disabilities and other special needs, how to integrate technology in the classroom for these students, and how to apply the principles of effective classroom management and individualized behavior interventions with them.
Concentrations in Secondary Education
- Biology – Science, a key part of STEM education, is in demand at the secondary level, and this concentration will position you well for ready employment.
- English – English at the secondary level is at the center of Common Core, proficiency-based education, and this concentration will provide the content knowledge and skill you need.
- Mathematics – Math is one of Common Core’s most important focuses, and is a crucial element in STEM education. This concentration will prepare you to be an effective math teacher, and help you gain ready employment.
- Social Studies – You will take a variety of history and social science courses that will enable you to teach multiple related subjects at this level.
Minors
- Educational Studies
- Early Childhood Education
These minors will provide knowledge and skill that will allow you to work in a variety of settings with children, perhaps as an Educational Technician or in a private pre-school or daycare setting. Additional coursework and student teaching would lead to eligibility for certification in the future if you chose that route.
From the Catalog
To view more information and program requirements, see the Course Catalog
- Elementary Education, Art Concentration, B.S.
- Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education Concentration, B.S.
- Elementary Education, English Concentration, B.S.
- Elementary Education, Mathematics Concentration, B.S.
- Elementary Education, Science Concentration, B.S.
- Elementary Education, Social Studies Concentration, B.S.
- Elementary Education, Special Education Concentration, B.S.
- Secondary Education – English, B.S.
- Secondary Education – Mathematics, B.S.
- Secondary Education – Science, B.S.
- Secondary Education – Social Studies, B.S.
Our Education program prepares students for future careers as a(n):
- Elementary school teacher
- Middle school/junior high school teacher
- High school teacher
- Special education teacher
- Early Childhood specialist
- Art teacher
- Language arts teacher
- Physical education teacher
- Special education paraprofessional
