Frequently Asked Questions

"Coming back to school and obtaining my master's degree was never in my plans when I considered my career goals. This changed when I began learning about community circles and other Restorative Justice techniques several years ago. Through EMU's RJE program...I have been encouraged to be a better teacher, colleague and community member."  ~ current GTE student

GTE classes equip educators with professional knowledge that you can immediately use to support and empower students.  Earning a graduate certificate or master's degree may additionally open up opportunities for specialized roles and an increase in pay for school employees.

Tuition is $514 a semester hour.

All course work, research and practica for the master's degree and/or graduate certificate shall be completed within six calendar years of the first registration as an admitted graduate student. Classes are offered in various formats during fall and spring, while the summer sessions sometimes provide intensive week-long courses. A full-time student can complete the master’s degree in two years. Most teacher practitioners graduate in 2-4 years by taking 10-12 semester hours per year. Certificates can be completed part-time in 15 months. 

Candidates must be registered for EDPC 611 Action Research Project before participating in graduation ceremonies. In addition, candidates who choose to walk and subsequently prolong the completion of their final Action Research Project over one year from the initial registration date must register for a thesis extension course.

Yes. 

Yes, students can enroll as a non-degree student. Please complete the single course registration form. 

The master's program has five core courses.  Graduate certificates consist of five courses in the area of specialization, all of which can be applied to a master's degree.

The Virginia licensure programs for Reading Specialist and ESL are accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). EMU at Lancaster is a Pennsylvania Department of Education approved provider of graduate teacher education. The University is accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). 

Candidates may request to transfer up to nine hours of coursework from other regionally accredited colleges or universities. A transfer of credit request form must be completed and requests for transfer credit approval may be directed to the program director and will be considered on a course by course basis as applicable to the particular concentration area.

Continuing Education Units (CEU) courses are not accepted as transfer graduate credit. A candidate must submit an official transcript from the university that awarded the graduate credit. Only six credit hours can be transferred into the concentration area.

Two exceptions exist:

1. With program director approval, candidates may transfer up to twelve hours of course work previously taken under the supervision of EMU graduate faculty, i.e. EMU Teacher Education Program institutes or site-based courses.
2. With program director approval, candidates may transfer 12 hours of graduate studies in English as a Second Language including the concentration area if those hours meet the Pennsylvania requirements for the ESLcertificate. Only six credit hours can be transferred into the concentration area.

All transfer credit must meet the following criteria:

1. Course work was completed within five years of admission to the EMU program.
2. Credit must reflect applicability to EMU’s MA in Education concentration area goals and program purposes.
3. All transfer work must have a grade of A or B.

Transfer of credits completed at EMU to another institution is at the discretion of that institution. Candidates should check with the institution to which they wish to transfer regarding the transferability of EMU credits.

Yes. GTE students may be eligible for unsubsidized federal education loans. Full-time or part-time GTE students may also consider an affordable monthly payment program that can be used in combination with a loan to reduce interest costs.

Graduate Teacher Education Financial Aid Checklist

Students can begin classes in either the fall, spring, or summer semester.

Due to the part-time nature of our Graduate Teacher Education program, we are not currently able to sponsor international students for F-1 or J-1 visas. However, online programs are available to students in their home country. In addition, we welcome international students who possess other permission to live and study in the U.S. 

To view your grades, visit my.emu.edu in your web browser, and login using your Royals username and password. Click on the Academics tab, then the myStudent tab on the left. Using the View My Grades portlet, select the term you are interested in, then click the View Final Grade Report link.

To request an official transcript(s) follow the registrar’s instructions, which are outlined on the registrar’s website.

Your program will end with an action research project designed in collaboration with an academic mentor. Action research projects (EDPC 611) take a variety of formats: curriculum restructuring projects, staff development projects, research for public policy change, research for publication, etc. 

Graduate Teacher Education applications are accepted on a rolling basis. There is no set and firm deadline to apply as they are reviewed regularly throughout the year.  It is also an option to enroll as a non-degree student in the meantime. Please complete the single course registration form. 

Review the university-wide graduate program policies

Because of the interactive nature of graduate classes at EMU, we believe that candidates who miss class for the equivalent of six 50-minute periods (300 minutes)or four 75 minute periods in a three semester hour course (200 minutes for a 2-semester hour course, 100 minutes for a 1-semester hour course) have not fulfilled necessary requirements to receive an “A” in the graduate class. Grades may be lowered for absences of less time at the instructor’s discretion.

The program observes the guidelines of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for distance education. Standards of academic quality for these courses are equivalent to those for residential courses. Enrollment is limited to 25 candidates or less to ensure a high level of instructor-candidate interaction. Particular attention is given to making available either locally or online, the study resources normally expected for graduate courses. Tuition is comparable to that of residential courses. There is regular evaluation of individual courses and of the total program.

All course numbers for the Master of Arts in Education program are at the 500 and 600 levels to designate graduate level courses. Undergraduate courses at EMU are listed at 100-400 levels.

• EDCC designates a core course.
• EDCI designates a curriculum and instruction course.
• EDCT designates a classroom technology course.
• EDDA designates a course in the trauma and resilience concentration area.
• EDDS designates a special education course.
• EDSL designates a teaching English as a second language related course.
• EDLA designates a literacy related course.
• EDPC designates a course in reflective practice.
• EDRJ designates a course in restorative justice in education.
• EDSP designates a special topics course.
• EDTR designates a course that is cross cultural.
• EDI designates an institute course offered as an elective or special offering.
• EDIU designates a Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 course.

Institutes

• EDIC Curriculum courses
• EDID Diverse Needs courses
• EDIL Literacy courses
• EDAI Anabaptist Learning Institutes
• EDIT Technology courses

Extra courses

• EDSP 599 Special Topics
• EDSP 699 Directed/Independent Studies

For more information on our programs, please visit www.emu.edu/gte or contact the Graduate Teacher Education Recruitment Specialist. For admissions information and to apply visit the GTE admissions page.

Your experience in EMU classes (especially, but not exclusively online courses) is highly dependent on the quality and functionality of your computer equipment. Below are the minimum required specifications for your computer equipment and software. 

 Computer

• A Windows or Mac desktop or laptop computer with speakers, microphone, and a webcam.
• Windows 10 22H2[1] or Windows 11 Build 22H2 or newer • macOS 12.7.5 or newer (Win 10 version 22H2, Win 11 22H2 or macOS 14.5 or higher recommended.)[2] Please note that this data is accurate as of the date stated above for at least one calendar year.
• Audio headset with microphone attachment is required for all online live sessions

System requirements for Zoom

Network Bandwidth/Connection Speed

• Internet Access with a minimum connection speed of 100 mbps (300 mbps download speed or higher recommended). To test speed: Close all applications and other website tabs and conduct test by visiting: https://speedtest.net
• Students have had connection issues in past years using limited data cellular connections and/or lower speed home internet connections. This type of internet access will often have restrictive data caps that could result in unexpected overage fees due to the bandwidth required for online learning.

 Software

• PDF Viewer: Adobe Acrobat Reader (https://get.adobe.com/reader/ ) or Preview for macOS (to open PDFs)
• Browser: Firefox – https://firefox.com (recommended); Other browsers may work but Moodle prefers Firefox.