Master of Middle Grades Education at East Carolina University

The Middle Grades Education is a Master degree offered by East Carolina University at its main campus in Greenville , United States of America. The program is delivered on campus as a Full Time course in English and requires approximately 2 years to complete. Students study at the university's main campus while gaining the knowledge and practical experience expected for this area of study. The next intake is available from August 21, 2027.

About Master of Middle Grades Education

Are you eager to help young minds learn? Do you want to advance your expertise in the field of professional education?

The master of arts in education middle grades education degree program allows completion of an advanced degree for individuals who presently hold an initial middle grades teaching license.

Middle grades education students explore middle grades curriculum development in public school settings, advanced instructional and assessment strategies, and issues/trends specific to middle grades education.

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Program Coordinator: Kristen Gregory (221 Speight Building; 252-328-1134; [email protected])

The degree requires a minimum of 30 s.h. as follows:

1. Professional core courses - 6 s.h.

EDUC 6001 - Introduction to Differences in Human Learning in Schools
ELEM 6550 - Leadership and Communication Skills in Education

2. Middle grades education core courses - 12 s.h.

Students in the thesis option take 3 s.h. of MIDG 7000 instead of MIDG 6402.

MIDG 6200 - Middle Grades Curriculum Development in Public Schools
MIDG 6300 - Advanced Strategies and Assessment for Middle Grades Learners
MIDG 6400 - Educational Research in the Classroom I

MIDG 6402 - Educational Research in the Classroom II OR
MIDG 7000 - Thesis

3. Concentrations - 12 s.h.

Students in the thesis option take 12 s.h. of concentration courses in total. Nine s.h. can be taken from the list of concentration courses and 3 additional hours of thesis can fulfill the final 3 hours of concentration credit requirements. Students in the nonthesis option take 12 s.h. from one of the following concentrations or a minimum of 9 s.h. from one concentration and 3 s.h. from another.

a. English:

ENED 6630 - Studies in the Process of Composition OR
ENGL 6340 - Ethnic American Literature OR
ENGL 6360 - World Literature Written in English OR
ENGL 6460 - Studies in African American Literature OR
ELEM 6488 - Advanced Language Arts in the Elementary School

ELEM 6550 - Leadership and Communication Skills in Education
ENED 6600 - Teaching English Studies in the High School
ENED 6967 - Literature Study in the Secondary School
3 s.h. ENGL or ENED elective

b. Mathematics:

MATE 6321 - Advanced Middle-Level Mathematics Methods
MATE 6331 - Reasoning with Number and Algebra
MATE 6341 - Teaching and Learning of Geometry
MATE 6351 - Data Analysis and Probability in the Middle Grades
MATE 6361 - Measurement Across the Curriculum
MATE 6371 - Teaching and Learning of Algebra
3 s.h. MATE or MATH elective
3 s.h. MATE or MATH elective

c. Science:

SCIE 6003 - Advanced Studies in Biological Science for Teachers
SCIE 6004 - Advanced Studies in Physical Science for Teachers
SCIE 6005 - Advanced Studies in Earth Systems Science for Teachers
SCIE 6020 - Perspectives on Science Education
SCIE 6030 - Technology in Science Teaching, Learning and Professional Development
SCIE 6310 - Advanced Methods in Science Teaching and Learning
3 s.h. SCIE elective
3 s.h. SCIE elective

d. Social studies:

ELEM 5306 - Social Studies in the Elementary School OR
ELEM 6406 - The Teaching of Social Studies in the Elementary Grades

GEOG 5283 - Selected Topics in Physical Geography
GEOG 6393 - Independent Study in Human Geography
HIED 6510 - Issues and Topics in Social Studies Education
HIST 5140 - The Old South
HIST 5220 - Selected Topics in US Women's History
HIST 5230 - Themes in African American History
HIST 5300 - Comparative History of Non-Western Civilizations
HIST 5480 - Weimar and the Rise of Hitler
HIST 5765 - Latin America, 1492 to the Present
HIST 6035 - Civil War
HIST 6260 - The United States and the Middle East, 1783 to the Present
HIST 6375 - Twentieth-Century European History
MIDG 6600 - Teaching Middle Grades Social Studies

Thesis option:

Thesis students are not required to take MIDG 6402. Students in the thesis option take 12 s.h. of concentration courses in total. Nine s.h. will be taken from the list of concentration courses and 3 s.h. of thesis credits will fulfill the final 3 hours of concentration credit requirements. The thesis must be written on a topic related to the concentration area. An oral defense is required. If the thesis is not successfully completed, the student will need to take the fourth 3 s.h. concentration course and MIDG 6402.

MIDG 7000 - Thesis

Comprehensive assessment requirement:

All graduate programs at ECU require a comprehensive assessment. The nonthesis option for this degree requires a research project with a presentation and written documentation (MIDG 6400 and MIDG 6402). The thesis option requires the successful completion of a thesis (MIDG 7000) and an oral defense.

Licensure for the Middle Grades Education, MAEd

The Middle Grades Education, MAEd leads to a NC Advanced, M Level license in one of four content areas. The licenses issued with this degree will be one of the following: Language Arts Grades 6-9, Mathematics Grades 6-9, Science Grades 6-9 or Social Studies Grades 6-9. Candidates must hold a valid NC initial, A level license in one of the four Middle Grades Education content areas noted above in order to be eligible to upgrade the license to the advanced, M level in the same area upon program completion.

Candidates may be admitted to the Middle Grades Education, MAEd if they do not hold the valid NC initial, A level license in one of the four middle grades education grades 6-9 content areas noted above, including anyone with a license in another area, with an out-of-state license, or with no license at all. These candidates will be required to sign the LNNC Waiver and by doing so are duly informed that they will not receive the NC recommendation for the chosen area of the Middle Grades Education Grades 6-9 advanced, M level licensure until the NC initial, A level licensure requirements in the same area are met, which will include additional NC licensure tests.

The LNNC Waiver can be located at https://education.ecu.edu/graduate/. The waiver should accompany the application for admission to the MAEd.

ECU degree programs satisfy the professional licensure and/or certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for these exams. Requirements in other states may be different.

Upon successful completion of ECU educator preparation program degree requirements and licensure requirements for the State of North Carolina candidates will be eligible for an ECU recommendation for a NC license. However, final licensure granting decisions are the sole responsibility of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction not ECU.

Candidates who seek out of state employment or out of state licensure will have to meet the receiving state's requirements. There is no automatic licensure reciprocity between states. ECU will verify the completion of an approved, accredited program for candidates who seek this verification, but those candidates will be responsible for working with the receiving state to complete any additional requirements to obtain the license and/or employment in the receiving state.

For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Master of Middle Grades Education at East Carolina University

Entry Requirements

In order to be considered for admission, international graduate applicants follow the same steps as a U.S. applicant with a few exceptions as identified in Red font. Step by step instructions are identified below:

Complete the ECU Online Graduate School Application: One application fee and one set of supporting documents should be submitted for each program of study applying to.
Pay the Application Fee: Payment will be made through the self-service portal prior to submission of the application. The payment portal accepts debit or credit card only.
Provide Foreign Transcript Evaluation:

An official course by course credential evaluation of all foreign transcripts indicating that, at minimum, the US equivalent of a bachelor’s degree has been awarded by an accredited college or university is required.

Provide Official Transcript(s) & Diploma Copy: A copy of your transcript(s) and diplomas showing a full education history issued in your native language as well as a notarized or certified copy in English must be uploaded to your application.
Provide Evidence of English Proficiency: If English is not your native language and you have not completed at least one year of education (minimum of 18 credit hours) at a United States school, you are required to take a standardized English language exam or complete the ECU Language Academy (ECULA).
- Language Exam Options: The Graduate School accepts either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Duolingo English Test or Pearson Test of English (PTE) and scores must be forwarded to the Graduate School by the testing service. The paper- or computer-based TOEFL exam is accepted by request only.
ECU Language Academy: You may choose to attend the ECU Language Academy instead of taking the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. Also, if you do not obtain the required score on the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE, at least one session of the ECU Language Academy may be required prior to the start of your program. Successful completion of all levels of the ECU Language Academy is required for admission without TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. More information on the ECU Language Academy, including the ECULA application, is available on the Intensive English Program website. Individual programs may have higher minimum requirements.
Provide Official Standardized Admissions Test Results: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange for an official score report to be sent directly to the Graduate School by the testing service (GRE or GMAT). ECU’s institutional code is 5180. ECU does not have departmental codes.
Upload Statement of Purpose: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your personal statement (why you believe you would be a good candidate for the program) to your application. You may want to use resources to help you write a personal statement in English such as this webinar.
Provide Letters of recommendation: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange to have LOR’s submitted electronically with the online application. Review your program’s application requirements to determine the number of letters, if any, that they require.
Upload Resume: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your most recent resume to your online application.
Provide Financial information: If/when you are admitted to a graduate program at ECU you will be required to provide certified evidence of financial resources adequate to cover educational costs and living expenses. Documents only need submitted if/when an offer of admission is extended.

English Requirements

PTEMin 65
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 78

Career Opportunities after Completing Master of Middle Grades Education

Graduates with this degree are successful in many fields and careers, including the following:

Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Ed
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Ed

Career Opportunities

ECU has developed resources to help you learn more about career opportunities and job market outlook. In addition, the websites below provide specific information on careers in the various majors from which students may choose:

NC Tower

This website provides graphs and tables of in-depth information on employment rates, wages and ongoing higher education enrollment of graduates from the North Carolina Community College System and from the University of North Carolina system schools. NC Tower includes data on former UNC students who are working in roughly 90% of all jobs in North Carolina. This database excludes information for graduates who are:

Self-employed;
Work for the federal government, including the military: or
Work outside of North Carolina.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

This website also provides in-depth information regarding pay, projected new jobs, required education, growth rate and on-the-job training information on various occupations.

Degree-specific internships

For information on internship information for specific majors, go to the home page of the department in which the major is located and, as available, find the link to the information on internships in that major.

Tuition and Fee Information for Master of Middle Grades Education at East Carolina University

Application Fee 75

How to Apply for Master of Middle Grades Education at East Carolina University

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Master of Middle Grades Education at East Carolina University

East Carolina University

United States of America, Greenville