Education (EDC)

Programs: M.S., Teacher Certification

Offered Online

The College of Professional Studies-Online (UNH-Granite State College), Education Academic Center offers a Master of Science in Instruction and Leadership, and multiple post-baccalaureate Teacher Certification programs for initial certification or additional certification for already certified teachers.

Admission Requirements

Master's Degrees

Admission requirements include: 

  • Bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA average in the last 60 credit hours, or Graduate Degree completed from a regionally accredited college or university with a 3.0 GPA minimum overall. 
  • Official transcripts for all previous college work.
  • Transcripts from other countries will need to be translated and evaluated prior to full acceptance.
  • 500-1000 word statement which includes professional goals and aspirations, motivation for applying for the degree, and relevant formal or informal experiences. The statement is evaluated on applicant’s writing and its content alignment with the program’s purpose and outcomes.
  • Two (2) Professional or academic references.
  • Contact information for references is submitted via the admissions application. This will generate an email inviting references to complete a short questionnaire to assess candidacy. A formal letter of recommendation is not required; however, references are welcome to upload one within the questionnaire. 
  • Current résumé.

Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certifications

Admission requirements include:  

  • Bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA average for the last 60 credit hours or a 3.0 GPA at the graduate level from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • Official transcripts for all previous college work.
  • 500-1,000 word statement that describes why you would be an effective educator in the certification area you are seeking and how your professional and personal experiences will assist your pursuit.
  • Two (2) professional or academic references.
  • Contact information for your references is submitted via the admission application. This will generate an email inviting your references to complete a short questionnaire to assess your candidacy. A formal letter of recommendation is not required; however, your references are welcome to upload one within the questionnaire. 
  • Current resume.
  • Passing PRAXIS CORE Academic Skills for Educators scores or current teacher certification (applicants who have not yet fulfilled this requirement are eligible for admission, though it will need to be fulfilled prior to taking EDC 700 Introduction to Field Experience and Program Requirements). 

Outcomes-Based Learning

Our greatest concern is that our graduates develop a specific set of skills and abilities.

The College’s outcome-based degree programs and curriculum:

  • Provide standards to be met in demonstrating competence
  • Form a base from which to design and pursue learning activities
  • Foster the ability to demonstrate self-directed learning

In addition to individual student assessment and grading, learning outcomes assessment is conducted in all programs to ensure the quality of our programs and to prompt ongoing improvements in teaching and learning.

Graduate Degree Learning Outcomes

Based in our commitment to our students through our mission, vision and values, every graduate degree program at the College of Professional Studies - Online provides students with opportunities to learn and demonstrate their abilities to do the following:

Communicate, particularly

  • Communicate effectively—orally and written—with respect to theories, arguments, methods, and concepts, using supplemental materials and technology as appropriate.
  • Disaggregate, reformulate and adapt principle ideas, techniques or methods when completing a paper or project.
  • Contribute to, expand, evaluate or refine the scholarship within the field of study.
  • Collaborate with diverse people and teams using elements of effective team dynamics to effectively and appropriately structure team work.

Think critically and comprehensively, particularly

  • Demonstrate analytical skills needed to gather and assess information to influence data-driven decision making.
  • Exhibit a conceptual understanding of the most widely applicable methodologies of decision-making; for example, employ creative problem solving for strategic planning.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking, appropriate analytical models, and critical reasoning processes to evaluate evidence, select among alternatives, and generate creative options in furtherance of effective decision making.

Apply knowledge to workplace and community, particularly

  • Display competency and appropriate skills for working effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and orientations.
  • Effectively engage in one’s broader community through various forms of outreach.
  • Design and implement a project that requires the application of advanced knowledge to a practical challenge and articulate the insights gained from the experience.1

Gain specialized knowledge, particularly

  • Demonstrate proficiency in specialized skills and technologies needed to participate in the intellectual and organizational aspects of one’s profession.

1 Not applicable to Graduate Certificate programs.