Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education

Have you always wanted to become an elementary teacher, but your life path took you in another direction? Did you recently realize that teaching grades kindergarten – 6 is the profession for you? The Master of Arts in Teaching program with a concentration in Elementary Education combines a master’s degree and requirements for teacher licensure in Colorado to prepare you for a successful career in K-6 education through a high quality, supportive, and accessible program!

The goal of the Master of Arts in Teaching program with a concentration in Elementary Education is to prepare K-6 teachers to make effective decisions in diverse classrooms. To accomplish this goal, we emphasize producing master teachers who are self-reflective, lifelong learners who have an understanding of child development, content, and pedagogy.

Master of Arts in Teaching Elementary Education teacher candidates must apply theory, research, classroom experience, and professional judgment to lead others in collaborative planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective instruction for K-6 students.

In our program, you will experience:

• A diverse student population
• Engaging, topical coursework
• Supportive faculty and staff who value diversity, equity and inclusion
• Clinical experiences in partnership schools across the Denver metro area throughout your program
• Incredible value

With a Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education degree, you will have the knowledge, skills, and experience to be a highly effective K-6 teacher who thinks critically about classroom issues and supports the needs of diverse learners.

Our graduates begin their teaching careers prepared and excited to become leaders in their schools and communities!

In order to apply to the MAT program for Special Education or Elementary Education, applicants must meet the following requirement:

• Students must indicate completion of a degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0. If a candidate holds a GPA lower than 3.0, alternative options to meet this requirement can be discussed with the Director of Graduate Programs in the School of Education. Feel free to request an appointment, or our graduate team will contact you after your application has been submitted if this discussion is warranted.

In addition to the above requirement, applicants must submit the following materials:

• Completed MSU Denver Graduate Application
• Graduate Application Fee
  • $50 fee paid online through the online MSU Denver Graduate Application
• ALL official transcripts. (Please note: you do not need to provide MSU Denver transcripts if you attended here in the past)
  • Electronic submission is the preferred method. Have official electronic transcripts sent directly from the institution to: [email protected]
  • Official hard copy transcripts can be mailed to:
    MSU Denver
    The Office of Graduate Studies
    P.O. Box 173362
    Campus Box 48
    Denver, CO 80217
• Supplemental Documents (uploaded as part of the MSU Denver Graduate Application):
  • Resume
  • Personal Statement – Please submit a personal statement addressing the points below. Submissions must be two pages, double-spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman font, and with one-inch margins.  Document must be must be .PDF or .DOC/.DOCX format.  Please note: applicants who are applying for the Autism & Significant Support Needs Certificate concurrently with a Master of Arts in Teaching program should combine their personal statements for both programs, and the length of the combined statements should be 3 pages total and should specifically address both programs.
    • Your reason for pursuing this degree and licensure.
    • Your experiences and/or qualities that will benefit you as you pursue this degree and licensure.
    • Your reason for pursuing this degree and licensure at MSU Denver, specifically.
  • Professional Recommendation – you will need to provide the email address and other details (name, title, relationship, phone #, etc.) of one professional reference (current or former employer, current or former university instructor, etc.).
    • This person will receive a request to submit a recommendation letter directly to our application system.
    • You will be able to include a personal message to your reference during the application submission process.
• International Student Admissions Documents (if required)
  • Submit all additional required admissions documents for international students to:
    • [email protected]
    • or mail to:
      MSU Denver
      The Office of Graduate Studies
      P.O. Box 173362
      Campus Box 48
      Denver, CO 80217
  • For a list of the additional required admissions documents for international students, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies.

Dr. Krista Griffin

Dr. Krista Griffin is one of our reading specialists in the Master of Arts in Elementary Teaching program. You might meet Dr. Griffin in the free Praxis review workshops offered to our Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education students once each fall and spring. A particular passion of Dr. Griffin’s is supporting groups of elementary licensure students in applying for MSU Denver funds to attend the Annual Conference of the Colorado Council of the International Reading Association (CCIRA), where she mentors our candidates in networking as literacy professionals.

Dr. Rolly Schendel

Dr. Rolly Schendel, a reading specialist in our department, values building community among our graduate students. He serves as the faculty advisor to our graduate students who are currently enrolled in our Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education program. Once you’re enrolled in your first semester of classes as a degree-seeking graduate student, reach out to meet Dr. Schendel.

Our Master of Arts in Teaching: Special Education graduates become teachers and leaders in schools and facilities not just in Colorado, but across the country as well!

Where will you end up?  Get started today to find out.