Admission Requirements

Master of Arts in Teaching-
Early Childhood Classroom Teaching, K-12 Literacy Specialist & Special Education

DOMESTIC STUDENTS:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Teacher certification in the State of Michigan or have an out-of-state teaching certificate that is recognized by the State of Michigan
• SVSU Application for Admission to include the non-refundable Application Fee and the following:‌
  • Official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts from any college or university where college credit was earned sent directly to SVSU from the colleges or universities attended
  • A copy of most recent teaching certificate or departmental approval. If you need to obtain a copy of your (current or expired) teaching certificate to submit with your application, you may retrieve a copy through the Michigan Department of Education Certification site.
  • A current résumé
  • A one-page statement of accomplishments and academic goals

Applicants who have just completed a teacher preparation program at another institution and are in the process of being recommended for a teaching certificate must include a letter from the recommending institution in the application packet confirming the candidate has completed all requirements for certification and will be recommended for a teaching certificate.

Non-Teacher Certified Applicants interested in seeking admission to a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree Program must complete "Request for Admission" (31KB) (31kB) (31kB) form and submit to the appropriate department chair or faculty advisor for approval. If approval is granted, a photocopy of this document must be included in the application packet.

Please Note: A felony or misdemeanor conviction may affect a student's admission to SVSU College of Education's programs, ability to attain state certification or employment. Refer to SVSU Course Catalog for further details.

Submit completed DOMESTIC applications, transcripts and required materials to: 

Saginaw Valley State University
Graduate Admissions
230 Wickes Hall
7400 Bay Road
University Center, MI 48710
(989) 964-6096
(989) 964-6066 - fax
gradadm@svsu.edu

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Teacher certification in the State of Michigan or have an out-of-state teaching certificate that is recognized by the State of Michigan
• Please complete the SVSU Application for Admission‌ including the non-refundable Application Fee and the following:

• Official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts from any college or university where college credit was earned (original signed/stamped transcripts)
• A copy of most recent teaching certificate or departmental approval. If you need to obtain a copy of your (current or expired) teaching certificate to submit with your application, you may retrieve a copy though the Michigan Department of Education Certification site.
• A current résumé
• A one-page statement of accomplishments and academic goals
• Two letters of professional reference
• Evidence of financial support (original signed/stamped bank statement)
• A demonstrated knowledge of personal computer usage and application. Knowledge of programming is desirable, but not a requirement for admission. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate competence in English. SVSU accepts an IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 79 for the Master of Arts Teaching program. Conditional admission to SVSU’s English Language Program is available for students without an acceptable score. Successful completion of the English Language program does not grant acceptance to a graduate program at SVSU. Students must still submit a passing IELTS or TOEFL score to enter the degree program.

Provisional admission into the MAT program may be granted until the following criteria have been met:

• Successful completion of SVSU’s English Language Program or equivalent test
• Successful completion of ELP 098 and ELP 099
• Successful completion of a 3-credit experience in a Mid-Michigan local school
• Signed approval of program coordinator

Applicants who have just completed a teacher preparation program at another institution and are in the process of being recommended for a teaching certificate must include a letter from the recommending institution in the application packet confirming the candidate has completed all requirements for certification and will be recommended for a teaching certificate.

Non-Teacher Certified Applicants interested in seeking admission to a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree Program must complete the "Request for Admission" (31KB) (31kB) (31kB) form and submit to the appropriate department chair or faculty advisor for approval. If approval is granted, a photocopy of this document must be included in the application packet.

Please Note: A felony or misdemeanor conviction may affect a student's admission to SVSU College of Education's programs, ability to attain state certification or employment. Refer to SVSU Course Catalog for further details.

Submit completed INTERNATIONAL applications, transcripts and required materials to:

Saginaw Valley State University
International Admissions
230 Wickes Hall
7400 Bay Road
University Center, MI 48710
+1-989-964-6096
intadmit@svsu.edu