Secondary Education

Applicants need to provide documentation of scores on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators exam, or if they meet the minimum score requirements for the SAT, ACT, or GRE, a waiver based on appropriate scores would fulfill that requirement.

The overall GPA requirement for admission is 2.67 with a 3.0 average in the subject area (licensure area) coursework. Candidates who do not meet the overall GPA requirement can apply for a GPA waiver if their GPA is not below 2.4. Candidates whose subject area coursework is below 3.0 may be required to take additional coursework.

Visit the tuition and fees page for information about Fairfield's graduate programs.

Most of our courses are offered from Monday through Thursday in the late afternoon and evening. A few are offered on the weekends. Weekday courses generally meet once a week for 2 hours. Weekend courses tend to be full-day courses that meet for 4 or 5 weekends or weekend days over the semester. We also offer summer courses from late May through early August.

We keep our classes small. The typical maximum class size is 20, but class sizes range from 10 to 20.

Our students come from a variety of undergraduate and graduate backgrounds, which adds to the richness of our interactions in class. Though an undergraduate degree in the content area is strongly recommended, candidates with other related majors are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates for 7-12 teaching certification must have a minimum of 30 approved credits in the content area. Candidates who do not have a minimum of 30 credits are advised to meet with program faculty to identify appropriate coursework to take before beginning the MA program.

Applicants are not required to have previous teaching experience or education coursework to be admitted to the program. Candidates spend a significant amount of time in school settings as part of their planned program. That said, if you have not been in a school setting for a long time, it is useful to visit a classroom to familiarize yourself with schools today and ensure this is the right career path for you.

Students who attend full-time take 9 credits each Fall and Spring semester and up to 6 credits in the summer sessions. For full-time students who start in the Fall semester, the program can be completed in about 2 years. For students who attend part-time, the time will vary based on how many courses are taken at a time. Students are required, however, to complete their degree within six years after they begin their first course.