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Certificate of Graduate Study in Middle Grades Certification

Cohort b​eginning in summer 2021​

APPLY HERE

For additional information contact program coordinator:

Julie Horwitz
MLED Coordinator
(401) 456-8170
jhorwitz@ric.edu

The Certificate of Graduate Study in Middle Grades Certification, which meets RIDE Middle Grades Certification, is a 15 credit program designed to provide advanced graduate study and practicum training for students with an undergraduate degree and either elementary or secondary teaching certificate and who are seeking preparation to become middle-level teachers.

Federal financial aid is available for students admitted in this certificate program. See more details about graduate student financial aid here http://www.ric.edu/financialaid/Pages/Graduate-Students.aspx

The six courses are taught in a sequence and address the eight RIDE (Rhode Island Department of Education) Middle Grades Competencies and the five AMLE (Association of Middle-Level Educators) Standards. Students fulfill a practicum in each course (either in one’s own classroom if currently in a middle level position or an assigned placement if needed) culminating with the submission of a Capstone Project at the end of the sixth course.

Students also must be proficient in their content area either having earned a Secondary Teaching Certificate in a content area (Math, Science, English, or Social Studies) or an Elementary Teaching Certificate with at least 21 hours of designated coursework in Math, Science, English, or Social Studies (See course list below). The appropriate Middle Grades Praxis Content Test must also be completed prior to applying for certification.

Admission Requirements

The following are admissions requirements for this program:

  1. A completed applicatio​n form accompanied by a fifty-dollar nonrefundable application fee.
  2. A copy of the candidate’s teaching certificate.
  3. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate records.
  4. Applicants must have taken OR have a plan to take at least 21 undergraduate credit hours in their subject content area (see list of required courses below) and a 3.0 GPA.
  5. Three letters of recommendation attesting to the candidate’s middle-level graduate work.

Course Requirements

Course Number Course Title Course Credits Notes
MLED 531 Critical Inquiry in Middle Level Education 2 Primarily online, an introduction to critical inquiry
MLED 532 Contextualizing Young Adolescent Development 4 5 field hours, completing an inquiry study with one individual student
MLED 533 Disciplinary Literacy with Young Adolescents I 2 5 field hours, gathering data about disciplinary literacy in order to plan lessons
MLED 534 Disciplinary Literacy with Young Adolescents II 2 10 field hours, implementing and reflecting on disciplinary literacy instruction
MLED 535 Curriculum and Assessment for Young Adolescents 4 25 field hours, gathering data to plan and implement a differentiated unit
MLED 536 Seminar in Middle Level Education 1 Capstone course, pulling together learnings from the program
Total Credits: 15

Content Area Requirements

Math

Required:
MATH 209: Precalculus (4 credits)
MATH 212: Calculus I (4 credits)
MATH 220: Formalizing Mathematical Thought (4 credits)
MATH 240: Statistical Methods I (4 credits)
MATH 324: College Geometry (4 credits)
MATH 409: Problem Analysis (4 credits)

Additional Recommended Courses
MATH 213: Calculus II (4 credits)
MATH 210: Trigonometry (4 credits)
MATH 436: Discrete Math (4 credits)

Science

Required:
BIOL 111: Introductory Biology I
BIOL 112: Introductory Biology II
CHEM 103: General Chemistry I
CHEM 104: General Chemistry II
PHYS 101: General Physics I
PHYS 102: General Physics II

Choose TWO of the following:
PSCI 211: Intro to Astronomy
PSCI 212: Intro to Geology
PSCI 214: Intro to Meteorology
PSCI 217: Introduction to Oceanography

ELA

Required:
ENGL 200: Reading Literature and Culture
ENGL 300: Intro to Theory and Criticism
ENGL 212: Adolescent Literature
SED 445: Teaching of Writing in Secondary Schools

Choose ONE:
ENGL 208, 304, 305, 306, 345, 346 (all variations of British Lit and Shakespeare)
Choose ONE:
ENGL 202, 209, 301 (all versions of American Lit)
Choose ONE:
ENGL 326, 327, 336 (All variations of Ethnic/Minority Lit)

Social Studies

Contact MLED coordinator for course list.

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Page last updated: May 16, 2021