Masters Degree + Licensure in Secondary Education

Application Deadlines

Students applying for admission for fall semester (Secondary Education Language Arts, Secondary Education Mathematics) must apply by 12/15 of the year preceding the desired year of admission.

Students applying for admission for spring semester (Secondary Education Science, Secondary Education Social Studies) must apply by 9/1 of the year preceding the desired year of admission.

Admission Requirements

The following are requirements for admission into the Master's Degree program:

1. The applicant must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. The applicant must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8 at the undergraduate level leading to the Bachelor Degree. All calculations are based on a 4.0 scale.
3. The applicant must have aminimum of a 2.8 GPA in all content course work required for their teaching licensure area.

Candidates who graduated from a non-accredited college or university or who do not meet the minimum grade point averages requirement for admission may be admitted by a committee of faculty members from the program to which the candidate applied based on an evaluation of evidence submitted by the candidate. As a minimum, the evidence must address mastery of the knowledge prerequisite to the courses required by the program, acceptable writing skills, the ability to engage in critical thinking, and a personal commitment to completing the Master program. The evidence must convincingly demonstrate the candidate’s potential for success in graduate level work.

Admission decisions may not be made on the basis of race, age, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation or handicap.

Candidates who are not accepted for admission into a Master’s Degree program may not reapply to the same program for at least one academic semester. During that period, such applicants may be encouraged by the program to enroll in appropriate course work to develop the knowledge, skills, and values deemed necessary for admission into the program, or to demonstrate that the applicant already possesses such qualifications. Whether such course work may apply to the Master's degree program is left to the discretion of the program. Completion of this course work does not guarantee admission into the program.

The CI Master’s Degree plus secondary licensure is a 54 semester credit program. Advanced standing for a limited amount of course work taken prior to admittance to the program is possible. Course work completed 5 or more years prior to admission will not be applied to the requirements. To maintain active status in the program, students must register for at least one course every academic year. Degree requirements must be completed within 5 years of date of admission.

Requirements of graduate study, as found in the University of Cincinnati Graduate Handbook and the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services Graduate Handbook must be followed.

Application Procedure

An Application for Graduate Study must be completed and returned in accordance with the directions and must be accompanied by the appropriate application fee. The first step in the process of application for graduate study is to complete the online application at the University of Cincinnati Graduate School website.

In addition, please have an official copy of your transcript(s) sent to:

Beverly Reese
School of Education
College of Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services
University of Cincinnati
P. O. Box 210022
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0002

Application Components

The application is not complete, and cannot be reviewed, until the school has received all of the components of the application.

1. A cover letter clearly stating to which degree and program the application is being made.
2. A statement of the applicant’s academic and professional goals, approximately two pages long. This writing sample will be used as one of the criteria for evaluating the application. The applicant should explain specifically what areas s/he would like to study so that an appropriate advisor may be assigned to the applicant if admitted into the program.
3. A résumé relevant to academic and professional data. It should include the applicant’s name; address; phone; email; colleges attended with degrees, dates conferred, and grade point average; employment history; professional experience; present employer; and names of references.
4. Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the applicant’s academic and professional abilities, sent directly to the program. If possible, at least one letter should be from a faculty member in higher education. Those writing letters should explain who they are, their relationship to the applicant, and what they know of the applicant’s academic and professional abilities. The applicant should provide the persons writing the letters with business-size envelopes and advise the writers to sign their name across the flap of the sealed envelope. The applicant should then submit these envelopes unopened.
5. Official transcripts showing all undergraduate and graduate course work completed, including degrees granted and dates of degrees. Applicants whose previous degrees were earned at the University of Cincinnati may substitute “on-campus” transcripts.
6. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores. If Bachelors Degree GPA  is below a 3.0 or previous graduate GPA is below a 3.2: Provide an original copy of scores taken within five years of the date the application is reviewed by the program. To insure we receive the scores, both the college and the division/program to which scores are to be sent should be indicated on the order form. You must allow at least six weeks for GRE scores to reach our office. Applications will not be reviewed without GRE scores. Information on the procedures for taking the Graduate Record Examination can be obtained from the Student Services Center in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services.

On a limited basis, two types of financial awards are available to students through the Division of Teacher Education. The Graduate Assistantship (GA) is a stipend and tuition award and is available to full-time students. The University Graduate Scholarship (UGS) offers tuition only and is available for both full and part-time students during the academic year or summer. Applications are available by calling or visiting the School of Education, 5130 Edwards 1, (513)-556-3600. Please note that acceptance and retention of financial aid awards is contingent on satisfactory academic performance and progress toward the degree.

For information on financial aid opportunities, visit the University of Cincinnati Financial Aid website.

This curriculum information is intended as a general information guide for students considering enrollment in this program. These online tools are designed to assist you, but are not a substitute for planning with an academic or faculty advisor.

If you are currently confirmed or enrolled, you can check your degree requirements online. If you are considering transferring to this major from another school, use Transferology to see how credits you have earned will transfer to UC. See course descriptions by college.

Content Areas

• Secondary Education English Language Arts
• Secondary Education Integrated Mathematics
• Secondary Education Social Studies
• Secondary Education Science

Content Courses

The content courses outlined below reflect the content coursework that students in the undergraduate Secondary Education program take prior to licensure. These outlines are designed to give you an idea of the content coursework you need to be competent in your area. It is recommended that incoming students have at least 75% of the content coursework completed prior to admission. Comparable classes transfer as long as the final grade is a "C" or above.  

Please email Dianna Greivenkamp for a list of the content courses for the subjects in the following areas: 

• Content for Secondary Education English Language Arts
• Content for Secondary Education Integrated Mathematics
• Content for Secondary Education Social Studies
• Content for Secondary Education Science