Graduate Studies

Dean of School of Education: Jenni Trujillo
Email: trujillo_j@fortlewis.edu

Fort Lewis College has been meeting regional needs for professional educator preparation and development for more than 100 years. The graduate Teacher Education programs, which complement our undergraduate preparation and licensure programs, continue this tradition.

Graduate Teacher Education Programs

The Master of Arts in Education: Cultural and Linguistically Diverse Education allows you to earn your Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Endorsement in Colorado or your Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) endorsement in New Mexico. A culturally and linguistically diverse educator is a certified teacher or educational professional who wants every student, no matter their background, to achieve their academic goals. These educators are experts in educational linguistics and culturally responsive strategies to help students with who are bilingual or speak a second language. Through our program, you will be able to share the expertise you gain through graduate-level research in educational linguistics, language acquisition, multilingual teaching strategies, assessment, and policy with your peers in your school district, community, and multilingual Learners and their families in diverse educational settings.

The Master of Arts in Education: Principal Leadership is for the next generation of strategic change leaders. The highly personalized online program for aspiring educational leaders seeking licensure to serve in rural and culturally diverse schools offers high quality and experiential instruction that fits into a candidate’s life. Students will identify a Leadership Mentor in a school setting and complete practical assignments that integrate with day-to-day work as a school leader.

The Master of Arts in Education: Leading in Context is a two-year program with significant development in the fundamentals of action research, as well as the critical Teacher Leader competencies included in the Teacher Leadership Certificate . These competencies are in technology, culturally responsive teaching, assessment, instructional coaching, differential instruction, and leadership. The master’s degree culminating research project prepares students to design data-based improvements in the practices and policies in their programs, buildings, or districts. The Teacher Leadership degree and certificate were designed to align with the Teacher Leadership Model Standards and developed in collaboration with teacher leaders, principals, and superintendents in area schools. Students are admitted into the programs in cohorts, every other year, on the odd year (e.g., 2021, 2023, 2025).The programs are taught year-round in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. To meet the needs of working adults, the programs are designed so students can attend half-time. Courses are taught in a hybrid format, with on-campus class sessions complemented by learning activities using a learning management system.

Graduate Licensure: FLC offers graduate-level courses in Secondary and K-12 license areas. Students can complete two semesters of intensive coursework, field study, and student teaching in Secondary (Math, English, Social Studies, and Science) or K-12 (Art, Music, Theater, World Languges, and Physical Education) areas. The first semester will include foundational coursework and a part-time field study placements. The second semester entails full-time Student Teaching in one school setting that best fits the student’s career interests, along with coursework. Alternative licensure is possible under this program.

The Master of Arts in Education: Teacher Licensure is a two-year program that provides the courses and experiences necessary to apply for a Colorado teaching licensure and develop the knowledge and skills to excel in their chosen area of expertise. The first semester of the first year will include exposure to a variety of diverse field placements (e.g. middle school, high school, charter schools, Title I, culturally diverse schools in the Four Corners region). The second semester of the first year will be full-time in one school setting that best fits the student’s career interests. The second year of the program will focus on supporting candidates in their first year of full-time teaching and developing an action research project, which is the hallmark competency of a graduate-trained educator. Students are admitted into the Teacher Licensure program in cohorts, each Fall. This program is taught year-round in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Students are expected to be full-time students during the first year of attendance, but will be able to complete the second year while attending half-time.

The Master of Arts in Education: Special Education features the Special Education K-12 Generalist Endorsement is for practicing teachers who would like to improve their classroom teaching strategies and provide an additional endorsement that will increase their career options. In addition, the program allows career changing, non-teachers an opportunity to gain an initial Colorado teaching certificate (transferable to New Mexico) in this high need field. Special Education Endorsement Alternative Pathway is for individuals who have obtained district-approved employment in a special education position as the teacher of record setting and wants to become a licensed Special Education K-12 Generalist teacher in one year.

Departmental Policies

Academic Progress Standards

To be eligible to continue in a graduate Teacher Education program, students must meet the cumulative grade point average standards that apply to all Graduate Studies programs as well as qualitative standards established by the department. Department faculty may refer a student to the Graduate Professional Education Review Committee for failing to act in a professional and ethical manner; failure to follow an academic plan; or failure to make satisfactory progress on a summative portfolio or research project. The most serious outcome of this review process would be a department petition to the Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate Academic Standards Committee for a student to be academically disqualified.

Access to School Setting

Students must have access to a P-12 school setting to achieve course and program learning outcomes in a graduate Teacher Education program.

Applicants to the Master of Arts in Education: Teacher Licensure, Special Education, and Principal programs must furnish background check information and a properly completed and readable set of fingerprints. State and National background checks use files of the Colorado and Federal Bureau of Investigation. To continue in the program, students will be subsequently required to establish research access to a school setting, as described below.

Applicants to the Master of Arts in Education: Leading in Context and Teacher Leadership Certificate programs are required to establish research access to a school setting as part of the admission process. This access must be re-established prior to the beginning of each fall and spring semester by completing a form available on the department website and submitting it to the Graduate Program Manager. Degree-seeking-students who cannot establish access to a school setting will not be eligible to take coursework that semester. This policy also applies to non-degree-seeking students enrolled in any course required in the Teacher Leadership programs.

Graduate Research Mentor

Master’s degree students are assigned a Graduate Research Mentor in addition to an academic advisor.

Technology Requirements

Students must secure access to technology that enables full participation in a distance-education graduate program. FLC provides low-cost rental of laptops and internet technology and students should pursue this option if needed. High-speed access is recommended, as there may be files or online programs that will not work well on a dial-up connection. Technology requirements are subject to change and may differ depending on the course. Students are responsible for reviewing the technology requirements on the departmental website and on each course syllabus.

Graduate Studies

Graduate Teacher Education Programs

Departmental Policies

Master of Arts in Education

Graduate Certificate

Endorsement Pathways