Streamlined Admissions
A bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA from a regionally accredited institution is required. All we need from you are a resume and official transcripts along with your application.
Graduate Microcredential available fully online
Education Essentials: Contemporary Issues, Policies, and Pedagogy
Earn Your Microcredential Online in Just Two Courses
The Graduate Microcredential in Contemporary Issues, Policies, and Pedagogy forms the introduction to teaching and the ability to meet the needs of all learners. The courses offer a basis for how to teach, how to understand students, and how to match effective pedagogy to the learner. The microcredential provides a basis for understanding the school context and the role the teacher plays in developing and instituting policies and procedures to best meet students' needs.
In just two courses, you will earn a microcredential, which is offered fully online (synchronous learning). Both courses apply to our Master of Arts in Teaching program for initial licensure programs (elementary and secondary) should you desire to continue your graduate education at St. Thomas.
Learning outcomes include:
- Understand the contributions and lifestyles of various racial, cultural, religious, and economic groups in our society
- Recognize and deal with dehumanizing biases, prejudices, and discrimination
- Create environments, which contribute to the positive self-image of persons and to positive interpersonal relations
- Respect human diversity and personal rights
- Identify languages, cultural attributes, and histories of Native Americans in educational contexts
- Develop multicultural approaches in our curriculum and assessments
- Incorporate education that is multicultural as a regular ongoing process throughout the educational realm
- Understand the historical and philosophical foundations of education in the United States
- Understand how political, economic, ethical, social, and legal issues impact education, teaching, and learning
- Examine the social role of schooling—school as an agent of equality, equity, and social control
- Explore schools as complex organizations
- Identify ways in which state and national standards for teaching and learning affect what happens in schools
- Learn about the qualities of effective teaching and school environments
- Explore career opportunities and challenges in the field of education
Contact
Phone Number
651-962-4550
Required Courses for the Graduate Microcredential
To complete the Graduate Microcredential in Contemporary Issues, Policies, and Pedagogy, you must complete the following two required graduate education courses (6 graduate semester credits):
TEGR 510: Education: Issues and Policies (3 credits)
This course is a critical analysis of education as a career choice, as a tool of society, and as a crucial path to a positive future in a rapidly changing world. Education's impact is examined from personal, historic, philosophic, social, and policy perspectives; schools are studied as complex organizations within an increasingly assessment and technology-driven context and global environment. The course includes a research-based exploration of critical issues in education and a guided, reflective, in-school field experience (30 hours).
TEGR 512: Diversity and Cultural Competence (3 credits)
This course is designed to equip students with the knowledge, practices, and dispositions to humanize those who are historically underserved. The course engages students with issues such as race, intersectionality, class, gender, exceptionality, oppression, and discrimination while examining the crucial role of educators in influencing positive, systematic change for social justice.
Flexible Online Program with Streamlined Admissions
This fully online microcredential offers synchronous learning that allows you to achieve your education goals more easily. You can start any term and complete in one to two semesters, depending on which term you start and when classes are offered.
Admission Requirements
Convenient Schedule
Our microcredentials serve working professionals with busy lives.
You can start your program in fall, spring or summer semesters.