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About GPE

At Earlham, believe that there is no more valuable calling than the work of education. We seek to “awaken the teacher within,” thereby equipping new educators with the skills and knowledge to shape their classrooms and workplaces into environments that foster lifelong learning in their own students.

Those who are best prepared to meet the challenge of education are well grounded in their content field, passionate about their learning, and courageous in their response to this calling.

Our history

The Earlham M.A.T. program is a unique post-baccalaureate teacher preparation program that began in 2001.

In creating the M.A.T. program, Earlham faculty sought to blend Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching with the Earlham College Principles and Practices. The program was also informed by two key works: Parker Palmer’s The Courage to Teach and Robert Fried’s The Passionate Teacher.

Developed by teachers, for teachers

Secondary teachers and administrators provided significant input into the program’s creation, and the faculty of the Earlham M.A.T. program have continued a strong working relationship with these and other stakeholders.

Our Advisory Board meets annually with program faculty to provide feedback. More importantly, the M.A.T. program uses input from area teachers throughout the year in the assessment of teaching candidates.

From summer semester through spring semester, input and advice from current secondary teachers is a vital part of the process of teacher preparation.

Developing educators beyond the classroom

The M.Ed. was program was added in 2005. At that time, this program focused on serving currently practicing teachers.

In 2018, the M.Ed. was revitalized to serve a wide range of candidates with different focuses in education. Partnerships on Earlham’s campus with Trueblood Preschool, the Joseph Moore Museum and the athletics department, as well as off-campus partnerships with local schools and non-profit community organizations make our M.Ed. program unique in its ability to be personalized to each individual candidate’s needs.

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Our educational philosophies

Awakening the teacher within

Every person has unique strengths, needs, and viewpoints, so every educator is unique in those ways as well. Through foundational identity work, substantial responsibility in the classroom or workplace, and an environment of encouragement and support, we help our students find who they truly are as educators. By the end of your 11 months with us, you will have begun the process of awakening the teacher within yourself, which will sustain you for your whole career.

Cohort model

We seek to develop and reinforce our students’ understanding and practice of how to create and successfully participate in a community of learners and appreciate how a community of learners enhances learning. Rather than teaching and learning in isolation, our students have ample opportunities to construct a culture of collaboration, both in and outside the classroom. The cohort model enhances actively listening to others, thoughtfully reflecting, and rigorously applying collective insights to develop individual beliefs about teaching and learning.

Community of leaders

Being an educator extends to much more beyond knowing how to manage a classroom or create lesson plans. The M.A.T. and M.Ed. programs seek to show future educators how to become leaders in their school or workplace in order to shape the culture and learning environments to better serve their students or community. Students have opportunities to learn, practice, and value the process of infusing Quaker beliefs and practices—such as the process of consensus-building, the affirmation of the worth of individuals, and the process of peaceful problem-solving—in the foundation and formation of a learning environment’s culture. We help our students understand issues surrounding structural inequities and how to advocate for equity within their spheres of influence.

Research

One component of the program is a project that requires each student to pick an area of educational research that interests them and not only study the current research, but design and implement their own action research project. At the end of the Spring semester, students will present their research to an educational community.

Equitable learning environments

Earlham is a Quaker institution, and as such we take seriously the principles and practices of equity and acknowledging the worth of every individual while fostering stewardship in a community that works towards peace and justice. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Structural Equity Pedagogy, and Historically Responsive Literacy are threaded throughout almost every course in our program and are the lens through which we view an educator’s responsibility to their students, school, and community.

Meet our faculty

Our faculty are dedicated to your success, both in our classrooms and in yours. Please reach out to us with any questions—we are happy to help.

Our faculty →

Licensure, degree requirements, policies and reports

Learn more about our licensure standards, degree requirements, academic policies and program reporting.

Licensure standards

Program policies and reports

Frequently asked questions

The M.A.T. (Master of Arts in Teaching) program leads to a master’s degree and a teaching license. It is geared toward those who want to become a secondary classroom teacher. The M.Ed. (Master of Arts in Education) program leads to a master’s degree. It is geared toward those who want to enter or further their experience in a field of education other than the public classroom. Examples of careers include outdoor education, educational nonprofits, educational media and technology, museum work, journalism, and library science.

Both programs begin in early June, on campus. There is no virtual option for either program.
Entrance to the programs is only in Summer. Students cannot begin the program in the Fall or Spring semesters.

For the 2023-24 academic year, tuition will be the following:

M.A.T. program: $29,000
M.Ed. program: $23,000.

We offer significant scholarships to help offset the cost of each program. For information about scholarships, contact [email protected].

Cohort numbers vary by year. They range from 10-25, with the average size being around 11 students.

M.A.T. candidates complete a two-week practicum in the summer. In August, candidates begin a year-long practicum (for M.A.T. candidates, this is student teaching) that usually concludes in mid-April. By January, candidates are at their placement every day.

For MEd, students have a practicum each semester, 40 hrs in the summer, 140 hrs each fall and spring. Practicum placements are decided by the student in consultation with faculty, and are flexible to meet the needs and goals of the student.

Students usually live close to campus in rented houses and apartments. It is not uncommon for groups of M.A.T. and M.Ed. students to live together. We can help you find housing options. While you do not need a car, we strongly recommend having one as it will make travel between campus and your placement much easier.

Yes, both for admission and for staying in the program. Students are expected to have roughly a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, and are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA for the duration of the program. See admissions guidelines above.

M.A.T. students may have a part-time job; however, it may be challenging, given the demands of coursework and clinical work. M.Ed. candidates have more flexibility with jobs and, in many cases, their pre-existing job becomes their practicum placement.

The M.A.T. and M.Ed. are 11-month programs.* Admitted students will begin the program in early June and will continue for three semesters: summer semester, fall semester and spring semester. Graduation occurs in May. For more details, view the graduate academic calendar.

*Students pursuing the two-year M.Ed. graduate 23 months after beginning the program.

In general, M.A.T. classes meet 8:30-3:30 Monday-Thursday in the Summer semester (June and July). In the Fall semester, M.A.T. students are at their student teaching sites for the school day Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and on Earlham’s campus taking classes Tuesday and Thursday. In the Spring semester, M.A.T. students are at their student teaching sites during the school day Monday-Friday, and have two evening classes a week on campus.

In general, M.Ed. classes meet 8:30-3:30 Monday-Thursday in the Summer semester (June and July). In the Fall and Spring semesters, M.Ed. students have classes from 8:30-11:30 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. M.Ed. students will work their 140 hours of Fall and Spring practicum outside of class hours. M.Ed. students on the two year track will have parts of the Summer semester off each year, and they will take classes one or two days a week (depending on the year and the semester) in the Fall and Spring semesters.