Elementary Education Transition to Teaching/Master of Science in Education (MSE) with an Emphasis in Elementary Education

The Master of Science in Education (MSE) with an Emphasis in Elementary Education qualifies candidates to seek licensure in elementary education (kindergarten through 6^th grade). This degree is offered by the Department of Teacher Education and the Department of Advanced Education Programs and is approved for licensure by the Kansas State Department of Education. Depending upon their qualifications, students may be able to teach in an approved, elementary classroom (only in the state of Kansas), while completing their degree.

Admission Requirements for MSE Transition to Teaching / MSE Elementary Education 

General M.S.E. Admission Requirements:

• Two letters of recommendation from people who can comment on your potential to be an effective K-6 educator. (Note to ELED T2T Applicants: At least one letter must be from the building administrator in your hiring/sponsoring district.)
• A written statement (of at least 250 words) that describes your professional reasons and motivation for pursuing K-6 licensure, which includes examples of the qualities and characteristics that will make you an effective educator. This statement should also reflect your ability to write and construct a narrative at the graduate level.
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0.  
• A grade of B or better in English Composition II and Speech/Oral Communication.
• A grade of C or better in College Algebra.
• Completed Admission Criteria Acknowledgement form.
• Completed Program Expectations form.
• In addition to overall GPA, students’ previous undergraduate academic performance will be evaluated.
• A consistent and successful academic history at the undergraduate level that demonstrates the student can successfully pursue education-related coursework at the graduate level and pass licensure exams. This undergraduate coursework should include natural/physical sciences, humanities, and social/behavioral sciences courses.
• Please note: Candidates must meet the undergraduate requirements. Subsequent graduate performance and/or degrees will not be considered. Students who were placed on FHSU TE Program probation or received a disposition violation (such as plagiarism) at FHSU, are not qualified.

(Refer to either Track 1 or Track 2 below for access to specific, required documents, which can also be found in the Graduate Application.)

Additional Departmental Requirements:

After candidates have been accepted into the MSE program at FHSU, they will need to meet the following criteria, which will be facilitated through an online, graduate course and are necessary to enter classrooms. These requirements are not associated with the FHSU Graduate School. Students will be walked through this process during their first practicum course. All related inquiries should be directed to the Department of Teacher Education after candidates have been accepted into the program.

• Provide verification of completing a national background check that must be conducted after admission into the MSE program.
• Provide verification of a negative tuberculosis (TB) skin test that must be completed after admission into the MSE program. Most TB skin tests take three days to complete.
• Provide verification of professional liability insurance.

Program Summaries

There are three tracks to obtaining a Master of Science in Education (MSE) in Elementary Education. Please follow the links to find the program of study which fits your requirement and licensure needs.

Track #1: Elementary Education Transition to Teaching (ELED T2T) 

Click link above to view program of study. 

This is for candidates who have a school district in Kansas willing to sponsor and hire them to work as the full-time, elementary classroom teacher-of-record while they complete FHSU classes.

In addition to the Program Admission Requirements, candidates must also submit a signed Intent to Hire form by their hiring/sponsoring district. Applications to the ELED T2T program will not be accepted without the Intent to Hire form. In addition, candidates must meet ALL of the admission requirements or they will not qualify.

Please note that this program requires a preliminary semester (which starts in the Fall or Spring) in which students take courses in ELED Literacy, Mathematics, Social Studies and Classroom Management along with completing a 120 hour internship in an ELED classroom. While students cannot be hired as the teacher-of-record in the preliminary semester, they could still serve as paraprofessionals or substitutes in their sponsoring district.

After successful completion of the preliminary semester, students can be offered a contract and teach in an ELED classroom under this limited license.

Required, ELED T2T (Track 1) Admission Documents. 

(These documents must be uploaded as part of the graduate application.)

• ELED T2T (Track 1) Admission Criteria Acknowledgement
• ELED T2T (Track 1) Intent to Hire
• ELED T2T (Track 1) Program Expectations

Track #2: Elementary Education (Traditional Certification)

Click link above to view program of study. 

This is for candidates who do not have a school district in Kansas willing to sponsor and hire them to work as a full-time, elementary classroom teacher-of-record. Please note the following for the ELED Traditional Certification Route:

• Candidates will not be eligible to serve as the teacher of record in a K-6 classroom until after successful completion of licensure courses and passing the required exams.
• While all of the required courses are offered online, candidates will be required to complete a practicum of approximately 80 clock hours over the course of a semester in an approved K-6 classroom. Additionally, candidates will also have to student teach, full-time for an entire semester, in an approved K-6 classroom. FHSU has no influence over nor is it responsible for students’ employment status or the extent to which they can receive compensation during their practicum and/or student teaching experiences.
• Candidates who wish to teach outside the state of Kansas must first obtain their Kansas license and then inquire with the respective state’s department of education. Please go to this link to locate each state’s information. 

Required, ELED Traditional (Track 2) Admission Document.

(These documents must be uploaded as part of the graduate application.)

• ELED Traditional (Track 2) Admission Criteria Acknowledgement
• ELED Traditional (Track 2) Program Expectations

Track #3: Elementary Education (for currently licensed teachers)

Click link above to view program of study. 

This is for candidates who already hold a non-elementary education teaching license such as early childhood, middle school or secondary and wish to add the elementary education endorsement through the Kansas State Department of Education.

How and When to Apply

To apply, go to the FHSU Graduate School Admission webpage for instructions and a link to the online application. Please note that although there is no application deadline, all applications must be approved and processed in Workday a minimum of two weeks before beginning a new semester to secure registration. 

Contact Information

For information specifically related to the MSE – ELED programs, please email Dr. Valerie Zelenka (vlzelenka@fhsu.edu) or call the Department of Teacher Education (785-628-4204) for more information.

For more information and general questions about the FHSU Graduate School, go to the FHSU Graduate School webpage.