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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  

 

How do I apply for a master’s degree or graduate certificate program offered by the Teacher Education Department?

To apply for any of the Master of Arts, Master of Education or Graduate Certificate programs offered by the Teacher Education Department, individuals must complete the application process through UTEP’s Graduate School. Prospective students submit:

1)  a resume;

2) a short, written statement of purpose describing personal and professional goals related to obtaining the degree; and

3) transcripts from all previous colleges and universities attended; transcripts should indicate at least a minimum satisfactory undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.

International students whose first language is not English must also submit an Official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score; the score requirement can be found at Graduate School Admission Requirements.

The admission materials submitted will be reviewed holistically to assess the potential for success in the chosen program of study.  The successful applicant would typically have an undergraduate upper division GPA of 3.0 or higher that demonstrates focus on academics, a current resume that demonstrates basic knowledge or experience in education or education-related fields, and a written statement that demonstrates maturity and commitment to the field of study under consideration.

Program Start Options:

  • Students seeking the MA in ED - Diversity Equity & Social Justice may start the program in either the summer semester or fall semester.
  • Students seeking the MA in ED with concentrations in Linguistic Diversity & Educational Equity or STEM Education may start these programs any semester-- spring, summer or fall.
  • Students seeking any of the M.Ed. programs may start in any semester-- spring, summer or fall.
  • Students seeking Graduate Certificates in K-12 ESL, K-12 Bilingual Education or Dual Language Bilingual Education may start these programs in the spring semester.
  • Students seeking a Graduate Certificate in STEM Education may start this program any semester- spring, summer or fall.

 

Program Application Deadlines:  

  • To begin in the Fall Semester, applications must be received by August 9th.
  • To begin in the Spring Semester, applications must be received by January 5th.
  • To begin in the Summer Semester, applications must be received by May 3rd.

To apply for a Master of Arts, Master of Education or Graduate Certificate program, go to Graduate School Application, select the desired program when prompted and follow the directions provided to submit your application.

 

 

What happens after I apply/when I am accepted into a Teacher Education Department masters-level program?

Once submitted, applications undergo a faculty review process. The average time from application submission to decision is between 2-4 weeks. Once a decision is made, students are notified by the Graduate School.

Once accepted into a masters-level program, a follow-up email is provided by the Teacher Education Department which includes: a formal welcome letter; program-specific orientation materials; information and contact for your assigned program faculty advisor; and initial course advisement/course registration information for the up-coming semester.

 

 

How many courses do I need to take to earn my degree/ how fast can I complete my degree?

Each masters-level program offered by the Teacher Education Department has a set number of credit hours/courses that must be completed and these vary by program. To see specific program degree plans and find out how many credit hours are required by your chosen program, visit our Degree Programs page, find your choice of program and click on “Learn More” button.

In addition to the number of required credit hours, the speed of completion depends on how many courses you take each semester and continued enrollment. Full-Time Enrollment at the masters-level is 9 credit hours (3 courses) per semester- spring, summer, and fall.  However, many of you are busy teachers and education professionals and you may prefer to/need to enroll part-time. Part-Time Enrollment at the masters-level is 6 credit hours (2 courses) per semester- spring, summer, and fall.

With special department approval, students may be granted permission to enroll in 12 credit hours (4 courses) in a given semester [4 courses in the summer which has two terms --Summer 1 and Summer 2-- is actually recommended (but not required) to speed up time-to-graduation].

Maximum enrollment would be considered: 9 credit hours/3 courses in spring, 12 credit hours/4 courses in summer and 9 credit hours/3 courses in fall. However, the courses in the master-level programs are rigorous and this may be too fast a pace for you given your particular life circumstances. It is recommended that students plan to attend part-time (take at least two courses in fall and two courses in spring, and at least two courses across the entire summer) to progress in a timely manner.

We do not generally recommend it, but the department does allow students to enroll in 1 course (if life dictates) in a given semester; when given the choice of taking 1 course or stopping out, we highly encourage the continued enrollment. (However, please note that enrolling in 1 course in a semester means you would not qualify for financial aid.)

So, there is no definitive answer to this question… the speed of completion and how many courses are needed depends on both the requirements of your specific program and your personal time commitment/amount of continued enrollment in the program.

 

 

Is financial aid available/how many courses do I need to enroll in per semester to be eligible for financial aid?

Financial aid may be available at the masters-level for students who qualify. The first step is to fill out a FAFSA, which can be accessed from /student-affairs/financialaid/.

For those students seeking the MA in ED concentrations in Linguistic Diversity & Educational Equity or STEM Education, M.Ed. in Bilingual Education, M.Ed. In Early Childhood Education or M.Ed. in Literacy Education, you may qualify for a Federal TEACH Grant which can supply scholarship funds toward your tuition. Specific information and requirements for the Federal TEACH Grant can be found at:   If you think you may qualify, the first step towards the Federal TEACH Grant is to fill out an application form, gain department approval and submit your application to the Financial Aid Office.  For more information or to obtain the application form/department approval for the Federal TEACH Grant, please contact the Teacher Education Department at tedgrad@utep.edu.

Full-Time Enrollment at the masters-level is 9 credit hours (3 courses) per semester- spring, summer, and fall. Part-Time Enrollment at the masters-level is 6 credit hours (2 courses) per semester- spring, summer, and fall. Students who qualify must be enrolled at least part-time (i.e., take 6 credit hours/2 courses per semester) to receive any financial aid.  While taking 1 course in a given semester is allowed by the Teacher Education Department, this would not meet the minimum requirements for receiving financial aid.  

Please note that Teacher Education Department faculty and staff cannot answer specific financial aid questions… all questions about awards and disbursements should be directed to the UTEP Financial Aid Office [studentfinancialaid@utep.edu; (915) 747-5204].

 

 

In what instructional formats are courses offered?

The instructional format depends on the specific program you are seeking. 

All MA in ED programs, the M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, the M.Ed. in Literacy Education and all Graduate Certificates are offered fully online. Courses are available through the Blackboard Platform system and they are all run asynchronously (i.e., they do not have specific required day/time meetings when you must be online).  All courses in these programs do run on a weekly schedule with set due dates throughout the week (at the professor’s discretion) and with continuous online interactions between you, your professor and your peers.

The M.Ed. in Bilingual Education is offered in two formats—both fully online and hybrid/in-person. When applying, you will select which form of the program they want to be part of.  For the fully online format and any online courses in the hybrid/in-person format, courses are available through the Blackboard Platform system and they are all run asynchronously (i.e., they do not have specific required day/time meetings when you must be online). Online courses do run on a weekly schedule with set due dates throughout the week (at the instructor’s discretion) and with continuous online interactions between you, your professor and your peers. In-person/hybrid courses require meetings at set days and time on UTEP’s campus in El Paso, Texas. As many of you are busy teachers or education professionals, all in-person/hybrid courses in the M.Ed. in Bilingual Education program are offered on weekday evenings and Saturdays.

The M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instructions is offered hybrid/in-person. For any online courses offered in the program, courses are available through the Blackboard Platform system and they are all run asynchronously (i.e., they do not have specific required day/time meetings when you must be online). Online courses do run on a weekly schedule with set due dates throughout the week (at the instructor’s discretion) and with continuous online interactions between you, your professor and your peers. In-person/hybrid courses require meetings at set days and time on UTEP’s campus in El Paso, Texas. As many of you are busy teachers or education professionals, all in-person/hybrid courses in the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction program are offered on weekday evenings and Saturdays.

 

 

What is the duration of each course?

The course duration varies, either 14 weeks or 8 weeks (7 weeks in summer). The specially designed structure of our programs often allows you take three courses in a semester but only work on two courses at a time (i.e., take an 8-week course in the first part of the semester and another 8-week course in the second part of the semester and at the same time, take a 14-week course that spans the whole semester). It is important to note that 7 or 8-week courses are not less content/work than 14-week courses—in fact, they are more intense as the content is covered in basically half the time. Course duration is set by the department; this information is provided on the UTEP Website (search “Dynamic Course Schedule” to find specific courses details).

 

 

What are the courses I need to take/how do I choose my courses?

Once accepted into your program, a department staff member will email you your degree plan which outlines the courses you must take to graduate from your program, as well as any other program specific information.  At this time, additional electronic orientation materials will also be provided and/or interaction will a faculty advisor will also take place.

Courses in each program are offered in a set rotation that repeats yearly.  You “jump on the course carousel” with whatever courses are currently available in the course rotation the semester you start and then needed program courses will be available in all the up-coming semesters so you can complete your program in a timely fashion.  We highly recommend continuous enrollment of at least two courses per semester.  If for some reason you get off the course carousel, a department staff member or your faculty advisor will work with you to provide courses/ course substitutions to not delay graduation.

 

 

When/how do I register for courses?

Registration for the spring semester usually starts in late October/early November of the prior fall. Registration for both summer and fall semesters usually starts in late March/earl April prior to the summer/fall.  Before/at the beginning of the course registration period, a department staff member will reach out to you by email about enrollment for the up-coming semester(s). You will be asked how many courses you want to take and based on this, information on the up-coming courses you need to take for your specific program will be provided. The staff member will then work with you to get you enrolled in your needed courses. We highly encourage that you get registered for courses early. 

 

 

How do I access my course once I am registered?

For Fully Online Courses: Courses are offered in the Blackboard platform. To get your online course site, you will need to go to the UTEP website () and click on “My UTEP” which is located in the top-right corner or go directly to the “MY UTEP” page (https://my.utep.edu/My), then under the “For Students” column, click on the “Blackboard” button [located 2nd in the left-hand navigation], login in using your UTEP email credentials, then click on your course title you are trying to access, which will be listed under the “My Courses” heading on the right side of the page. This will take you to the main page of your chosen course site.

For Hybrid/In-person Courses: Course days/times/locations are set by the department; this information is provided on the UTEP Website (search “Dynamic Course Schedule” to find specific courses details). All masters-level hybrid/in-person courses are scheduled for weekday evenings or Saturdays; they usually take place on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th floor of the College of Education building.

 

 

What are the expectations of me as a student in masters-level courses (generally)?

All masters-level courses offered by the Teacher Education Department are designed to be user-friendly and engaging. You will be taking courses from experienced, knowledgeable and highly committed faculty, both in the content area and in best practices in face-to-face and online learning. All faculty have advanced degrees and professional experiences from which you will be able to benefit in your program.

The courses are intensive and rigorous, which should be seen as a positive. It is important to be challenged to engage, explore, think, analyze, and grow personally and professionally as part of your graduate school experience. We believe such activity is critical in producing graduates who are master educators and agents of change for young children and in our society. The standard recommendation across the board by American universities is to plan for approximately three hours of study time for every one credit hour taken. Therefore, for a program course, you can expect each week to spend 9-12 hours devoted to coursework.

Every faculty and staff member in the Teacher Education Department is here to support you and your academic progress towards your graduation. We want you to succeed as a student, and to complete your program of study. And, learning is ultimately up to the student. Our masters-level programs require that students be organized, have good study and time management habits, and be good readers and writers. Regardless of the instructional format, your professors are available to help support your learning journey. For additional support at the program (rather than content) level, you will also be assigned a program faculty advisor (in your initial, formal welcome letter from the department once accepted). This is an additional person to help support you in your personal and professional growth while in your graduate program at UTEP.

 

 

What do I do if I need Technical (Course Site) assistance?

UTEP has a helpdesk available to troubleshoot any technical problems within Blackboard or applications associated with your courses. For technical support, you can contact the UTEP student helpdesk at helpdesk@utep.edu or 915-747-HELP (4357). The UTEP technology support web address is /technologysupport/.

 

 

What are the requirements for graduation?

All Master of Arts, Master of Education or Graduate Certificate programs offered by the Teacher Education Department have a specified set of criteria for graduation, determined in combination by the department and the UTEP Graduate School. In general, to earn a master-level degree in any Teacher Education Department program, UTEP requires for graduation:

1) successful completion of the specific program designated hours of required coursework with a grade of “C” or better;

2) completion and passing of a Culminating Experience (either a Comprehensive Exam, Capstone Project or Thesis Project);

3) a final GPA of 3.0 or higher [Graduate School Requirement]; and

4) course enrollment in the graduation semester [Graduate School Requirement].

 

All students in a chosen program complete a sequence of required content coursework as outlined on the program’s official degree plan. The final course(s) in a degree plan are dedicated to the program’s Culminating Experience. Depending on the specific program, Culminating Experiences take the form of either a Comprehensive Exam, a Capstone Project or a Thesis Project.

  • The MA in ED with concentrations in Diversity, Equity & Social Justice; Linguistic Diversity & Educational Equity, and STEM Education offer students the option to pursue a Capstone Project Pathway or Thesis Project Pathway as the Culminating Experience requirement for graduation. Students decide on their preferred pathway by their 1st or 2nd semester in the program in consultation with their faculty advisor.
  • The MA in ED with Alternative Certification Program (ACP) has a Capstone Project as the designated Culminating Experience. For this program, the Capstone takes the form of the Miner Teacher Residency, whereby students teach in a public school as either a Resident Intern, Resident Apprentice or Resident Instructional aid under the guidance of a Mentor Teacher and Teacher Preparation Faculty.  For more details about the ACP Miner Teacher Residency, click here.
  • The M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction has a Comprehensive Exam (COMPS) as its designated Culminating Experience.
  • The M.Ed. in Bilingual Education, M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education and M.Ed. in Literacy Education all have a Capstone Project as their designated Culminating Experience.
  • All Graduate Certificates (K-12 ESL, K-12 Bilingual, Dual Language Bilingual Education and STEM Education) have a Capstone Project as their designated Culminating Experience.

During the final semester of coursework, students will meet virtually with the Teacher Education Department Graduate Studies Coordinator for an audit and verification of coursework and final GPA, verification of completion of their program’s designated Culminating Experience and confirmation of application for graduation with UTEP’s Graduate School office. 

To see specific program degree plans, visit our Degree Programs page, find your choice of program and click on “Learn More” button.

For detailed information and explanations of the types of Culminating Experiences and their process for completion, visit our FAQs page.

 

 

What is a program Culminating Experience/how do I successfully complete it?

All students in a chosen program complete a sequence of required content coursework as outlined on the program’s official degree plan. The final course(s) in a degree plan are dedicated to the program’s Culminating Experience, which is a graduation requirement for all masters-level programs offered by the Teacher Education Department. Depending on the specific program, Culminating Experiences take the form of either a Comprehensive Exam, a Capstone Project, or a Thesis Project.

  • The MA in ED with concentrations in Diversity, Equity & Social Justice; Linguistic Diversity & Educational Equity, and STEM Education offer students the option to pursue a Capstone Project Pathway or Thesis Project Pathway as the Culminating Experience requirement for graduation. Students decide on their preferred pathway by their 1st or 2nd semester in the program in consultation with their faculty advisor.
  • The MA in ED with Alternative Certification Program (ACP) has a Capstone Project as the designated Culminating Experience. For this program, the Capstone takes the form of the Miner Teacher Residency, whereby students teach in a public school as either a Resident Intern, Resident Apprentice or Resident Instructional aid under the guidance of a Mentor Teacher and Teacher Preparation Faculty.  For more details about the ACP Miner Teacher Residency, click here.
  • The M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction has a Comprehensive Exam (COMPS) as its designated Culminating Experience.
  • The M.Ed. in Bilingual Education, M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education and M.Ed. in Literacy Education all have a Capstone Project as their designated Culminating Experience.
  • All Graduate Certificates (K-12 ESL, K-12 Bilingual, Dual Language Bilingual Education and STEM Education) have a Capstone Project as their designated Culminating Experience.

 

 

Descriptions of Culminating Experiences:

Comprehensive Exam (COMPS):

For this Culminating Experience, students complete a two-part, take-home essay exam. The purpose of the COMPS is to analyze and synthesize content from your program coursework in order to demonstrate masters-level knowledge. Part 1 of the COMPS focuses on content from TED CORE courses (TED 5300, TED 5301, TED 5304, and TED 5313). Part 2 of the COMPS is focused on your particular program specialization area. For each part of the COMPS, faculty provide question options and you will choose one question to answer in the form of a 3000 to 4000-word essay.  Both Part 1 and Part 2 must be successfully passed (at “B or better” level) to fulfill the COMPS requirement.

COMPS are offered three times a year (spring, summer and fall). They last about a month (each part of the exam is allowed two weeks to complete and submit). COMPS are administered through the Blackboard system, however, you do not take them as part of your regular program coursework.

Your COMPS should be completed before finishing all your course work.  Just prior to your last semester/when you are within 6 credit hours of completing your program coursework, department staff will contact you and get you set up to take your COMPS (we enroll you internally; there is no enrollment fee/cost to take your COMPS).

Each semester prior to the start of the COMPS, the Teacher Education Department provides a faculty-led online workshop that details the COMPS process and content in order to fully prepare you to succeed.

Capstone Project:

For this Culminating Experience, you will produce a capstone project, the topic of which is focused on your program content area. Grounded in your own interests, knowledge of the program content and a detailed synthesis of the related research literature, the successful capstone project focuses on identification of a real-world problem of interest in your program field and devising an innovative solution to address the issue. Capstone projects are completed within program coursework—either 1 or 2 Capstone Courses (depending on the specific program) are part of your degree plan. You must achieve a “B or better” on your Capstone Project/Capstone course(s) to fulfill this Culminating Experience requirement.

Thesis Project:

For this Culminating Experience, you will produce and orally defend a substantial research paper (i.e., a thesis), the topic of which is related to your program content area. The successful completion of the thesis paper may be found in its critical and creative synthesis, articulation of a fresh perspective on the work of others or trends in the field, or the identification of new, research-based questions/data that shed light on existing problems or issues within your content area. Thesis projects are completed within program coursework—Thesis I and Thesis 2 are part of your degree plan. You must successfully defend your thesis project to your faculty thesis committee, format your Thesis paper according to Graduate School Guidelines and have your Thesis paper accepted and published by the Graduate School to fulfill this Culminating Experience requirement.

 

 

How do I apply to graduate from my program?

At the beginning of your last semester, a department staff member will send you the link to the graduation application.  You fill in and submit this form online at the beginning of your graduation semester. Meanwhile, the department conducts an audit of your courses to ensure you have successfully completed the required credits hours on your degree plan and that you meet the GPA requirement (3.0). Additionally, faculty  work with you to complete your Culminating Experience (and in the case of Thesis which has steps outside of  receiving a course grade, meet all the additional Graduate School requirements for publishing your Thesis). Then, you smile, relax a little and prepare for your graduation celebration!

 

 

How will I receive program information?

It is the Teacher Education Department’s policy that all communication (i.e., in courses with professors; from department staff regarding enrollment, graduation and other administration issues) as well as UTEP’s Graduate School to provide all electronic communication via email to your UTEP email. We do not send emails to personal email addresses. Therefore, it is always a good idea to check your UTEP email often. Additionally, if something is time sensitive or for one-on-one advisement purposes, department faculty or staff may call your personal phone or arrange meetings over Zoom.

 

 

Who do I contact if I have questions or need help?

We are here to help! Depending on your specific need or question, please reach out to the following:

  • If you have questions about content for a course you are enrolled in, you should contact the faculty instructor directly. Contact information for your professor (including office hours) will be provided in your course syllabus. Additionally, you will be able to email your instructor through your online course site in Blackboard (all courses, regardless of format, are assigned a course site in Blackboard). In general, you can expect a response from your instructor within 24-48 hours (usually much sooner). If needed, your instructor may arrange a phone or video chat meeting.
  • If you have questions or concerns about Financial Aid, you should contact the UTEP Financial Aid office at financial@utep.edu or (915) 747-5204
  • For technical support regarding your course site in Blackboard or any other applications used within your course, you can contact the UTEP student helpdesk at helpdesk@utep.edu or 915-747-HELP (4357). The UTEP technology support web address is /technologysupport/.
  • If you have any general academic/career questions, you should reach out to your assigned program faculty advisor.
  • If you have questions regarding course registration or trouble enrolling in courses, please contact Mr. Margarito Navarro at .
  • If you have general administrative questions or questions related to graduation, please contact our Master’ Program Coordinator, Ms. Padilla at vpadilla5@utep.edu.
  • For any concerns not specified above, you may always reach out for general departmental support at tedgrad@utep.edu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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College of Education
Education Building, Room 601
500 W University
El Paso, Texas 79902

E: ted@utep.edu
P: (915) 747-5426