"Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system." – Sidney Hook
Start your teacher preparation at CSM, where we have several options depending on your goals.
Teacher certification in Maryland requires at least a Bachelor's degree, and at CSM you can lay the foundation and earn your associate degree before transferring to a four-year school to complete the requirements.
The Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degrees in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education are part of statewide articulation agreements designed to transfer seamlessly to any public four-year school in Maryland. Private universities and out-of-state universities also accept these degrees, though transfer may not be seamless.
The Associate of Arts (AA) Teacher Education: Secondary Education includes all of the core courses as well as introductory teacher education courses and content area courses to prepare students for transfer. Identifying the desired certification area and transfer destination as early as possible is essential.
CSM also provides opportunities for students who already hold a Bachelor's degree and are interested in earning teacher certification. We offer many courses for those seeking educator certification that you can complete prior to entering a Master of Arts in Teaching or alternative preparation program.
For more information, please contact Professor Beth Settle, CSM Teacher Education Program Coordinator at ebsettle@csmd.edu or 240-725-5459.
Programs of Study
The Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) Early Childhood Education program is designed for students preparing to transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor's degree and Maryland teacher certification in Early Childhood Education Birth to Grade 3. Students should familiarize themselves with the program requirements of the institution to which they plan to transfer.
The Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) Elementary Education program is designed for students preparing to transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor's degree and Maryland teacher certification in Elementary Education Grades 1 - 6. Students should familiarize themselves with the program requirements of the institution to which they plan to transfer.
This curriculum prepares students to transfer to a four-year college or university within the state of Maryland to pursue a bachelor's degree and Maryland teacher certification in Secondary Education Grades 7-12.
Students should familiarize themselves with the program requirements of the institution to which they plan to transfer. Students should complete all elective credits in the content area in which they intend to certify.
The Certificate in Education provides professional development in essential knowledge and skills for individuals employed as instructional assistants, paraeducators, Career and Technology Education teachers, and/or private school teachers. The program can be completed in one year and includes both general education and professional education coursework designed to enhance professional practice. The Certificate does not equate to teacher licensure but provides a credential and coursework that can be applied to the associate degree programs in Teacher Education.
Basic Skills Test Requirements for Teacher Education Majors
Basic skills tests measure basic competence in reading, writing, and math. As per Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) regulations, CSM teacher education majors must meet one of the following requirements for graduation:
A 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale; or
A 2.75-2.99 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale and qualifying scores on a basic skills assessment (SAT, ACT, GRE, or Praxis Core) for teacher licensure as established by the State Superintendent of Schools and as approved by the State Board of Education. Passing scores should be submitted directly to CSM as a recipient institution.
Please note: if your cumulative GPA drops below the 3.0 minimum at any time – even after transfer – the basic skills test requirement will be reinstated.
A variety of test preparation materials for all these tests are available, either for free or for purchase. For more information, please contact Professor Settle, CSM Teacher Education Program Coordinator (ebsettle@csmd.edu).
Frequently Asked Questions
The practicum is an early field experience that requires teacher education students to complete a minimum of 45 hours of observation and participation in an assigned public school placement.
It is NOT the same as student teaching and will NOT fulfill state internship requirements. Rather, it is an opportunity for students to get involved in and experience the day to day life of a classroom and school as they make decisions about their future goals and aspirations prior to transferring to a four-year school to complete their teacher preparation.
Practicum courses require a granted petition (which means you need permission to register for one of the practicum courses). Once you have completed the prerequisites, please contact the program coordinator to register for the appropriate practicum section.
If you already hold at least a Bachelor's degree and are interested in earning teacher certification, your best bet is to look into a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. These are initial certification programs at the graduate level that provide all courses required for certification.
It is strongly recommended that you complete a program through an accredited college or university - many people try to use their MSDE transcript analysis to find courses through a variety of schools ("course count" or "credit count") only to end up not being able to fulfill the internship requirement because they have not matriculated in a program.
If your existing degree(s) are closely aligned with the subject/grade you want to teach, it may also be possible to complete an Accelerated Certification for Teaching program or to be hired on a conditional certificate while you complete certification requirements. These are highly dependent on the nature and extent of your existing coursework as well as staffing needs in school systems.
Locally, Notre Dame of Maryland University offers programs for career changers at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland location in California, Maryland.
While CSM teacher education degrees transfer to main campus locations of Maryland four-year colleges and universities, CSM also has 2+2 partnerships that allow Early Childhood and Elementary Education students to complete their entire bachelor's degree and certification in Southern Maryland:
Notre Dame of Maryland University (B.A. Elementary Education with dual certification options)
Towson University (B.S. Elementary Education)
Classes are offered by these universities at CSM campuses and local higher education centers in Southern Maryland. These programs allow students to save money as well as complete their field experiences in local school systems, which helps build professional contacts and networks. Students pursuing certification in Secondary Education must complete their preparation at a main campus location of a four-year college or university. Please contact Professor Settle, CSM Teacher Education Program Coordinator, for more information (ebsettle@csmd.edu).
We have a chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society in education.
Transfer Opportunities for Elementary Education
In addition to their main campus offerings in Baltimore, Maryland, Notre Dame of Maryland University offers their Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education, and Dual Certificate in Special Education (grades 1-8 or 6-adult) at the College of Southern Maryland campuses.
Prior to the program starting, students must graduate with the Associate of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood Education/Generic Special Education, Birth-Grade 3 or Associate of Arts in Teaching in Elementary/Generic Special Education, Grades 1-6.
In addition to their main campus offerings in Towson, Maryland, Towson University offers the 2+2 Elementary Education program at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland (USMSM) in California, Maryland.
Prior to starting this program, students must:
Graduate with an Associate of Arts in Teaching in Elementary/Generic Special Education, Grades 1-6.
Application and acceptance to Towson University
GPA of 3.0 or higher and a C or better in all required courses.
Application to Towson University's Elementary Education program.
This program is only offered at the main campus in College Park, Maryland. In planning AAT coursework, students transferring to University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) for Elementary Education should select HST-1031: The United States to 1877, not HST-1032: The United States Since 1877.
Students interested in transferring to University of Maryland, College Park should apply for the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP). For more information, please visit the Pre-Transfer Programs webpage.
Our degrees transfer to other programs within the state of Maryland. Please reach out to Professor Settle, CSM Teacher Education Program Coordinator, at ebsettle@csmd.edu.
The Associate of Arts in Teaching in Elementary/Generic Special Education, Grades 1-6, (as well as the Associate of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood Education/Generic Special Education, Birth-Grade 3) are designed to transfer to a four-year college or university in the state of Maryland. These programs may transfer to an out-of-state institution, but transfer to an out-of-state institution is not guaranteed to be seamless.
If you wish to transfer to an out-of-state institution for Early Childhood Education and/or Elementary Education, please consult with your desired transfer destination prior to starting courses at the College of Southern Maryland to ensure the courses you take will transfer and apply to the Elementary Education program at that institution.
Courses for Educator Certification
The following courses meet the MSDE Requirement for Child Development
EDU 1013-Child Growth and Development: Students develop an understanding of the basic theories and principles affecting the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of children. Observations in childcare settings will be required in addition to regular class lectures.
PSY 2050-Human Development: Through The Life Span Human physical, intellectual, and personality (social-emotional) development through the whole life span are surveyed using models from the psychoanalytic, behavioral, and humanistic approaches.
The following course meets the MSDE Requirement for Human Learning
TED 2600-Educational Psychology: Students study the basic principles and concepts of learning and their applications to teaching, methodology, behavior control, motivation, and constructing effective learning environments.
The following course meets the MSDE Requirement for Inclusion of Special Needs Students
EDU 2610-Integrating the Special Education Student: Teachers and support staff who are involved with integrated special education students learn how to identify key learner characteristics, to select appropriate teaching methods, to avoid discipline problems, and to use the support of specialists. They also review recent developments in teaching the special education student.
The following courses meet the MSDE Requirements for Reading/Literacy
EDU-1085 Processes & Acquisition of Literacy
TED-2100 Instruction in Literacy
TED-2101 Assessment of Literacy
TED-2102 Materials for Teaching Literacy
TED-2500 Literacy in the Content Area I
TED-2501 Literacy in the Content Area II
TED-1011 Educational Technology (1 credit)
TED-1012 The Reading Process & Strategies (1 credit)
TED-1013 Introduction to Culturally Responsive Teaching (1 credit)
TED-1014 Introduction to Classroom Management (1 credit)
TED-1015 English Language Learners in the Classroom (1 credit)
TED-1016 Professional Responsibilities for Educators (1 credit)
my.CSMD
