The teaching license and the academic degree are two separate outcomes of the professional program, and there are two separate completion processes for each. Degree requirements are set by the University of Minnesota and students must comply with those policies and procedures.
Undergraduate students must complete their degrees before applying for licensure. Some graduate students may be recommended for licensure after completing program requirements but before finishing their M.Ed.
Undergraduate B.S. Degree
Follow the Graduation Checklist from OneStop. Remember: you must have a completed undergraduate degree for your license to be issued.
Graduate M.Ed. Degree
The M.Ed. degree is conferred by the University of Minnesota and is independent of the license. Requirements for the degree may be slightly different than the requirements for the license; however, our teacher education programs include a curriculum that allows you to pursue both concurrently.
Credit Requirements
All M.Ed. students must complete at least 30 graduate-level semester credits to qualify for the degree; some programs may require more than 30 credits. Graduate credits at the University of Minnesota are designated as 5xxx level or above. A limited number of 4xxx-level courses may be applied to M.Ed. programs; however, this is not common.
GPA Requirements
Students must maintain a 2.80 grade point average (GPA) and all coursework must be graded C- or above in their M.Ed. program. All GPA requirements for student teaching, internships, and graduation are computed using University of Minnesota Twin Cities coursework only.
Transfer Coursework/Shared Credit
Policies about prior coursework vary by program. Undergraduate-level credits may not be applied toward the M.Ed. degree; however, undergraduate credits may be applied to the license requirements. This policy applies to any courses completed as part of a B.A. or B.S. program, or coursework designated as undergraduate level by the institution (e.g., 1xxx- to 4xxx-level coursework).
With adviser approval, students may apply graduate-level coursework completed at an accredited institution other than the University of Minnesota toward their M.Ed. program.
Students in the M.Ed. program who have taken coursework toward a different graduate degree (e.g., M.A., M.S., and Ph.D.) may apply, with approval, up to 8 graduate credits toward the M.Ed. degree.
Applying for Graduation
Students seeking to graduate from their M.Ed. program must complete the following steps:
- Complete all program requirements (courses may be in progress at the time you submit your Application for Degree, but must be completed for your degree to clear).
- Submit the online GPAS
- Complete the online Application for Degree form through MyU within the designated time frame for your intended graduation month.
The GPAS and degree application is located through your MyU portal. The GPAS and degree application and must be submitted no later than the first business day of the month you intend to graduate. After final grades are posted to the transcript, the Graduate Student Services & Progress Office staff review records, verifies successful completion of program requirements, and clear degrees for graduation. If there are any outstanding requirements, the staff will notify you via email. It typically takes 4-6 weeks for your degree to be posted to your transcript once it’s been cleared.
M.Ed. Award of Recognition Scholarship
Students who have completed the initial license portion of their program within the past five years and are in the process of completing additional coursework needed for the M.Ed. degree are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
Check here for more information.
Commencement Ceremony
CEHD hosts a commencement ceremony each spring semester. The ceremony is traditionally held in mid-May; invitations are emailed to students in March. Graduates who have completed degree requirements within the last year (any time after the last ceremony) are welcome to participate.