Upon successful completion of this degree and submission of passing scores for the appropriate licensing tests, you will be recommended for initial teacher licensure to the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board (HTSB) to teach two areas: one in a secondary (6-12) content area (English, Hawaiian Language, Mathematics, Science or Social Studies) and one in special education mild/moderate, while also obtaining a Masterʻs degree.

Once completing an initial teacher licensure program, graduates are eligible to apply for a state license through the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, which will allow the licensee to teach in public and charter schools in the State of Hawaii.

Hawai’i also participates in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement which facilitates the mobility of educators among the states that are members of NASDTEC. UHM recommends you contact the office of certification in any state to which you may be relocating to get the most current information. See the NASDTEC website for more information.

Applicants must have:

• An undergraduate degree awarded by an accredited college or university in a field other than educational licensure program.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 (GPAs of at least 2.7 will be considered only after those who meet the minimum requirement)
• Prior teaching experience is not required.

Pre-requisite Course (MEdT Dual Secondary/SPED only):

• B or better in SPED 304 (may be taken in summer after application has been submitted)

SPED 304 Spring 2024 offerings:

• Mānoa (in-person): CRN 82010
• Outreach (online): CRN 3474 or 3475

Need to take courses but not yet currently enrolled at UHM? Submit a free application through our UHM Outreach College to take these courses. Tips for registering are found here: Outreach Registration Instructions

The program is offered as a 2-year, full-time hybrid (online and face-to-face) program. There will be no more than four face-to-face weekend meetings each semester.

The program will provide a travel stipend to candidates participating in the statewide option for each face-to-face meeting. Candidates are expected to arrange and pay for travel to and from neighbor islands with this partial stipend subsidy.

The hybrid statewide cohort will meet for class online in the evenings from 4:30pm – 7:00pm (3x/week max) with three face-to-face weekend sessions each semester. The program will provide a partial stipend subsidy for neighbor island candidates traveling to weekend face-to-face meetings. All MEdT candidates attend a mandatory orientation in early August.

MEdT candidates pay general graduate tuition. The approximate cost of tuition for 46 credits is $30,000. See the UH Manoa Outreach College website for the current graduate tuition rate: https://www.outreach.hawaii.edu/admissions-and-aid/tuition-and-fees/

DOE STIPENDS: For candidates in the Dual Secondary/SPED cohort, a 31-credit tuition stipend may be available to fund in-state or out-of-state candidates who agree to teach as a special education teacher in a Hawaii DOE school for a minimum of 3 years after program completion.

• Upon yearly renewal of funds, this funding opportunity will automatically be offered to all admitted program candidates. The stipend is given each semester directly to the student while enrolled, therefore stipend is considered taxable and may impact financial aid award.
• Prior to accepting stipend, Non-U.S. citizens need to inquire with the Hawaii DOE to determine eligibility for employment upon graduation.

FEDERAL TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS: SPED teachers at Title I schools can qualify for up to $17,500.00 in loan forgiveness.

For more information about applying for financial aid, visit the Financial Aid website: https://www.hawaii.edu/fas/get_started/.

See the following sites for additional funding information:

• College of Education Scholarships
• UH Manoa Financial Aid Office
• Kūlana Kumu Scholarship
  • Kamehameha Schools scholarship for candidates who reflect the prestige and value of our kumu in transmitting knowledge to the next generation of aloha ʻāina leaders. Kūlana Kumu applicants are asked to share their commitment to Hawaiian education via an essay. The award is for $12,000 for each school year (up to 3 years total) beginning in the Fall of 2022.

To earn their degree, MEdT candidates are required to complete 46 credits of MEdT and professional specialization courses as well as a Plan B paper or project. Candidates entering the program are expected to have completed an undergraduate program of study that provided depth and breadth of knowledge in mathematics, science, social studies or English/ language arts needed to succeed as a secondary or elementary classroom teacher. Deficits in the content areas may require additional coursework.

The MEdT program consists of the following:

• Core Courses (31 credits) –  With a focus on inquiry, the core coursework (Professional Studies, Field Observations, Student Teaching & Internship) involves one field course and one seminar each semester. This combination of coursework and structured time in partner schools gives MEdT candidates opportunities to integrate theory and practice.
• Professional Specialization (15 credits) – The professional specialization coursework differs based on cohort and content area. These courses are meant to help candidates further develop their knowledge of teaching in their content area and their strengths as teacher leaders.
• A Plan B Paper/Project

Please see the following program sheet for more information:

• MEdT Dual Secondary/SPED Licensure Program Sheet