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Master in Teaching – Questions and Answers

College of Education, Sport, and Human SciencesDepartment of Teaching and LearningMaster in Teaching – Questions and Answers

Master in Teaching – Questions and Answers

You have questions, we have answers…

What is the MIT program?

Our Master in Teaching (MIT) degree is a high quality, intensive, practitioner-oriented, teacher preparation program designed for those with non-education bachelor’s degrees. The program is designed to prepare students to become effective elementary or secondary education teachers in just ONE calendar year!

Why WSU?

The WSU difference. WSU is one of America’s top research universities, with professors among the best in their field who are committed to developing students’ cultural competence and developing professional and responsible future teachers/leaders in our community. Our MIT program prepares you for your career. WSU has certified more current K-12 administrators than any other university in the state of Washington.  Thanks to the reputation of students who have previously completed our program, WSU Cougars love to hire fellow WSU alumni. Go Cougs!

But, don’t just take our word for it. Listen to one of our recent alumna Abigail Kamrowski:

What is the format?

  • Courses are normally offered through live in-person classes, interactive courses broadcast over Zoom, and online. The MIT program is an integrated course of study with field experiences in public schools across two semesters.

When does the program start and end?

  • The Pullman and Spokane MIT programs begins each June and ends 13 months later. The TriCities and Vancouver MIT programs begin in early May and also ends 13 months later.

When is the application deadline?

  • The priority processing deadline for Pullman and Spokane is November 15. The Priority processing deadline for TriCities is January 31 and for Vancouver is February 1.

All applications close on April 1.

Can I still apply after the application priority deadline?

In what subjects does WSU provide licensure?

  • WSU provides certification (endorsements) for individuals to teach either at the elementary level (K-8) or in a wide variety of subject areas at the secondary level.  Applicants wishing to teach in a self-contained (i.e., Special Education) elementary classroom will complete the elementary MIT program and will earn an elementary education endorsement. Secondary teachers are content specialists and will complete an endorsement in the area they want to teach. Select the below URL to see which endorsements are available at each of the WSU campuses: Endorsements

Are there any prerequisite courses?

  • Elementary program.  No. Incoming MIT students will have demonstrated mastery of the following foundational subject areas (American government, US History, economics, mathematics, life and physical science, and geography) by successful completion of Subtest 1 and 2 of the Elementary NES examination.  Whereas completing college coursework in these areas is recommended, it is not required.
  • Secondary program.  Maybe. Generally, individuals holding a bachelor’s degree with a major in the subject area they will be teaching will need to take a methods course and possibly an additional course or two in their content area during the fall while enrolled in the program and will not need to take prerequisite coursework.  These individuals should use the “Evaluation Assessment Chart.”[PDF coming soon], to determine these courses.  Students with an undergraduate major different than the subject they want to teach will have more deficiencies and will likely have to complete prerequisite coursework.  A course by course evaluation of their undergraduate transcript will determine these prerequisite courses.
  • For the secondary program– MAYBE. Generally, individuals holding a bachelor’s degree with a major in the subject area they will be teaching will need to take a methods course and additional courses in their content area during the fall term while enrolled in the program. Students with an undergraduate major different than the subject they will be teaching will have more deficiencies and require prerequisite coursework prior to beginning the program.  These individuals should use the “Evaluation Assessment Chart.” to determine these courses.  A course-by-course evaluation of undergraduate transcript will determine courses needed for secondary endorsement.

Is there a minimum GPA requirement?

  • Yes, but there are exceptions.  For admission into the Graduate School, applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.  For individuals with less than a 3.0 GPA, the department may request a calculation of the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits.  If that GPA is calculated to be above 3.0, the department has the option to recommend a student be admitted to the Graduate School.  Occasionally, program faculty will recommend the admission of an applicant whose GPA is below a 3.0 if the balance of their application is exceptional and they have reason to believe the applicant will be successful in the program.

What are the costs?

  • For an estimate of costs for the fall and spring terms of the program, please follow the Student Financial Services chart which provides the current tuition and fees for the academic year (Fall/Spring) of the program. The MIT program also includes two summer sessions. For example, in 2025, the MIT Secondary program required 19 summer credits and the Elementary program required 21 summer credits.  For the 2025 summer session, the summer graduate credit rate was $682.55 per credit hour.  In 2025, an MIT student would pay $13k to $15k in tuition for summer courses (not including fees and room/board).  For a current estimate for each summer, please review the current MIT handbook for the number of required credit hours in each summer session and multiply that by the current WSU graduate credit hour rate listed here on the summer tuition page.

Are there any required tests?

  • There are no required test to apply.  However, Washington State legislature requires all certified teachers to complete testing in basic skills and content knowledge before you are fully admitted to the program and earn teacher certification.

Basic Skills:

  • This is not required to apply, but is required for admission.  All teachers must demonstrate basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. If you have taken ACT, SAT, or West-B with all three subject areas (reading, writing, and math), you have met the basic skills requirement.  If you took the ACT or SAT before there was a writing assessment, you can take the West-B writing test. We are not looking for a passing grade but that you have taken and submitted the test scores.

Content Knowledge:

  • This is not required to apply, but is required for admission.  The content exams verify that each teacher possesses the content knowledge in each endorsement they are completing in order to teach. The Washington Educator Skills Test – Endorsement (WEST-E) or National Evaluation Series (NES) are the assessments used to fulfill this requirement. Students who meet endorsement requirements with their bachelor’s degree must pass the content exam prior to admission. Candidates completing elementary education or a secondary endorsement different than their undergraduate degree must register to take the content exam prior to enrolling in TCH_LRN 593, Pre Internship. Passing scores must be on file prior to student teaching. Individuals planning to complete endorsements in Spanish or French must pass the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) at the Advance Low level in addition to the Designated World Language WEST-E.

How do I apply?