Virginia Tech® home

Elementary Education Teacher Preparation Admissions Information

an image of the pylons on the main campus in blacksburg, right side pylons only

M.A.Ed. in CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION, specialization in ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: ACADEMIC AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

  • Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree, from an accredited college or university. No particular major or combination of minors is required. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate academic credit in order to be considered for regular admittance. Applicants holding a GPA of less than 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate academic credit will be considered for acceptance as provision students.
  • Applicants must submit scores on the Elementary Education Praxis Subject Assessment (Test Code: 5001) at the time of application. However, while it is not necessary to pass Praxis Subject Assessment in order to be accepted, the test must be passed before completion of the Elementary Education Teacher Preparation program.
  • Applicants must submit passing scores for the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA). The testing information is available from http://www.va.nesinc.com.  
  • Documentation of 100 Hours working with children in approved programs
  • This program is offered to Commonwealth of Virginia Licensure applicants only.

GRE Scores are NOT required for application to this program.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Admission Type:       Deadline    
Early Admission   October 15  
Regular Admission    January 31

Note: Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. For inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies, contact the executive director for Equity and Access at (540) 231-8771 or Virginia Tech, North End Center, Suite 2300 (0318), 300 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061. 

Application Checklist

Transcripts

For current Virginia Tech students:

Include a scanned copy of your unofficial transcripts with your online Graduate School application.  You will need to send an official copy to School of Education at the time of licensure application.

For all others:

Arrange for an official copy of your transcripts to be sent to Graduate Admissions. You will need to send a second official copy to be sent to School of Education at the time of licensure application.

School of Education Graduate Testing Requirements

GRE is not required for Elementary Education (PK-6) M.A.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction.

Licensure Testing Requirements

  • Applicants must submit scores on the Elementary Education Praxis Subject Assessment (Test Code: 5001) at the time of application. However, while it is not necessary to pass Praxis Subject Assessment in order to be accepted, the test must  be passed before completion of the Elementary Education Teacher Preparation program.
  • Applicants must submit passing scores for the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA). The testing information is available from http://www.va.nesinc.com.  

Elementary Education Undergraduate Content Check Sheet

This content check sheet should be submitted by potential students with the other application materials. It is used for analysis of coursework and can be used by potential applicants to check on the completion of all requirements.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required for Elementary Education (PK-6) M.A.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. You can include references/recommendations email addresses in your online application, and they will receive an email with instructions on how to provide an electronic reference.

Essay

Essay (3-4 double-spaced pages) is required by the School of Education.

The essay prompt is: Reflecting on your experiences in working with children, what have you learned from them that will have an impact on your teaching?

Curriculum Vitae/Resume

Please submit your latest Curriculum Vitae/Resume.

Any Additional Information/Supporting Material

Applicants are welcome to submit any additional information with application material that would be useful in evaluation of your application.

Interview with Members of Program Faculty

Qualified applicants will be asked to complete an interview with members of the Elementary Education program faculty.

Application Fees

Degree-seeking students must include a $75 fee with their application. If this poses a financial hardship, check with the Graduate School to see if you qualify for a waiver or reduced fee. All application fees are non-refundable.

 

To apply to the graduate program, students must submit the Virginia Tech Graduate School online application. 

Additional Notes

  • To apply to the Virginia Tech Elementary Education (PK-6) program, select "Education, Curriculum and Instructions " as your major. You will be able to select " Elementary Education Program Area" later in the online form. Choose degree option “M.A.Ed.” from the list.
  • There are two application phases, one in October, and one in January of the senior undergraduate year (or thereafter).
  • To be considered for an Early Decision, applicants should complete and submit all application materials between October 1 and October 15 of the senior year.  Early Decision candidates must have completed all requirements for the program other than coursework (to be finished in the current fall semester and the upcoming spring semester).  During the October phase, applicants will be notified of a decision by the end of November.  Students who have been accepted at this time will be asked to make a decision about commitment to the VT Elementary Education Program by December 15.
  • The second application phase is during January and application materials are due by January 31.  Applicants should have completed all requirements for the program except for coursework to be completed in the current spring semester.  Applications will be analyzed during February and candidates will be notified of a decision during the first few weeks of March.
  • Acceptance into the elementary education program is competitive. Thus, preference is given to students who have (a) earned the highest undergraduate GPA, (b) written the highest quality essays, and (c) documented the most significant teaching/advocacy-related experiences with children. Essays are judged on a rubric that assesses (a) writing organization, (b) correct writing structure (grammar, spelling, sentence and paragraph structure), and (c) quality and reflectivity in terms of responding to the prompt.  Applicants are evaluated on the three criteria using a weighted scale in which GPA accounts for 50%, the essay accounts for 30%, and the documentation of work with children accounts for 20% of the scale.

 Send official scores to Virginia Tech Graduate School, code 5859.

Include a scanned copy of your college transcripts with your online application, then arrange for an official copy to be sent to us after you receive an offer of admission.

The official transcripts showing degree conferral should be sent directly from your institution(s) to Graduate Admissions and School of Education

To,
Virginia Tech Graduate Admissions
120 Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown
Mail Code 0325p 155 Otey Street NW
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061

To,
Office of Academic Programs
School of Education
1750 Kraft Drive (0302)
Suite 2000
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061

Graduate Assistantships at Blacksburg Campus Only

A question on the application for graduate admission asks whether you want to be considered for a teaching assistantship. Check "yes". Please note that indicating that you wish to be considered for an assistantship does not mean that you will be offered one, only that you wish to be considered for one, if available.

What about financial aid?

In-state K-12 teachers are eligible for a 25% discount! Use this application form in order to receive the reduced costs. Otherwise, as with on-campus students, we refer you to the VT Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for information on financial assistance. Generally, distance learners may qualify for federal loans if they take 5 or more credit hours per semester.

Find out what loans are available as a graduate student and other opportunities.

School of Education Scholarships

The Graduate School sends an official offer of admission to applicants upon the recommendation of the department faculty.

Office of Academic Programs Application Support

Lori Sharp
Enrollment Services Assistant
1750 Kraft Drive (0302), #2063
540-231-5348
llsharp@vt.edu

For Further Information, Contact the Program Leader

Donna Fogelsong, Assistant Professor of Practice and Program Leader, Elementary Education, smiles broadly at the camera
Donna Fortune, Assistant Professor of Practice and Program Leader, Elementary Education

Dr. Donna Fortune
Program Leader
1750 Kraft Drive (0302), #2011
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-232-8466  |  donnafortune@vt.edu