Teacher Education FAQs | Colorado Mesa University

Undergraduate FAQ

Graduate FAQ

Early Childhood Special Education (Birth through age 8)
Elementary (K - 6th grade)
Secondary (7 - 12th grade)
- Content areas in Math, Social Studies, English, Science, and Spanish
K-12:
- Content areas in Art, Music, and Physical Education

Visit our undergraduate programs page to learn more about the programs we offer.

Throughout your time in the Teacher Education Program, you'll have access to a strong network of support designed to help you succeed academically, professionally, and personally.

As a teacher candidate, you will be assigned an IRIS advisor (Team Black!) with specialized knowledge of the education program to assist you with course planning and degree requirements. You will also work closely with a Program Coordinator from the Center for Teacher Education (faculty advisor for elementary, secondary, etc.), who will help guide you through program milestones, field experiences, and student teaching requirements.

During your field experiences and student teaching placement, you will be paired with a mentor teacher who will model effective teaching practices, provide guidance, and offer constructive feedback as you develop your skills in the classroom. Placement decisions are made collaboratively with school districts and administrators while the Teacher Ecucation Department also takes your interests and goals into consideration.

In addition to your mentor teacher, you will be assigned a university supervisor during student teaching. Supervisors regularly check in with both you and your mentor teacher in the classroom, observe your progress, provide meaningful feedback, and evaluate your growth throughout the experience. Their support helps ensure you are prepared and confident as you transition from teacher candidate to professional educator.

From your first education courses through student teaching and graduation, you will be surrounded by professionals dedicated to your success and development as a future teacher.

We encourage all students interested in one of our undergraduate teacher education programs to connect with an IRIS advisor (Team Black!) or schedule a meeting with the Program Coordinator for their intended teaching area (elementary, secondary, early childhood, etc.) as early as possible. Teacher education courses follow a carefully designed sequence that builds knowledge and experience over time, culminating in a full-time student teaching internship during the final semester of the program.

Your journey will begin with introductory education courses, followed by an application to the Teacher Education Program.

As you progress through the program, you will participate in classroom observations that provide opportunities to witness effective instruction, classroom management, and student engagement in authentic educational environments.Later, you will apply for student teaching and be placed in a school where you can put what you've learned into practice under the guidance of experienced educators.

As you near program completion, you will apply for educator licensure. Licensure requirements include successful completion of your degree and teacher education program, as well as passing the required content examinations.

Specific application requirements and timelines for admission to the Teacher Education Program and student teaching may vary by program area. For the most accurate guidance and personalized support, we encourage you to connect with your Program Coordinator early and often throughout your teacher education journey.

Throughout the Teacher Education Program, students gain extensive experience in a variety of classroom settings before beginning their student teaching placement.

After completing their observation placements, students apply for student teaching. Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Early Childhood Special Education majors participate in a two-semester placement in the same classroom. During the first semester, known as the pre-internship, students spend two days each week in their assigned classroom, observing their mentor teacher and gradually taking on instructional responsibilities through co-teaching. During the second semester, the full-time internship, students progressively assume responsibility for planning and teaching lessons, eventually taking the lead in the classroom while working alongside their mentor teacher.

K–12 Art students complete a pre-internship semester in an elementary classroom followed by a full-time internship in a secondary setting. K–12 Music and Physical Education students complete a full-time internship semester that includes experiences at both the elementary and secondary levels.

Regardless of major, teacher candidates spend significant time in diverse classroom environments, allowing them to develop the skills, confidence, and practical experience needed for a successful transition into the teaching profession.

Student teaching placements are made primarily within School District 51 and Montrose County and must be completed in the state of Colorado. While placements may be arranged in other Colorado locations, assignments outside of District 51 are not guaranteed and are subject to availability and program approval.

Yes, there are tests required on the path to becoming a teacher. There is the Praxis CORE Writing exam that is required for admission to the program, and there is also content-specific testing for each discipline. Our Admission Testing and Licensure Resources pages contain specifics on what tests you need and how to register for them.

The Praxis CORE will be completed and passed before you start any 300 level courses.

The licensure (content) tests will be taken before you begin pre-internship and will be passed by the time you start internship.

Colorado Mesa University’s teacher preparation program has been awarded an “A” grade in the National Council on Teacher Quality’s 2026 Teacher Prep Review, highlighting its leadership in equipping future educators with the knowledge and skills to teach the five core components of reading grounded in decades of research, along with an A+ in mathematics.

Our intensive Initial Teacher Licensure Graduate Program is available in elementary, secondary or K-12 Physical Education licensure to students holding a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. The intensive cohort begins each year in May and runs for 12 months. Some students may have leveling courses to complete prior to their admission into the intensive ITL program. Learn more at our ITL Program page.

Teachers with a current Colorado teaching license (Bachelor's but no Master's Degree):

Educational Leadership/Principal Licensure (EDLD): MAEd and Principal Licensure (36 credits)
Exceptional Learner/Special Education (EDSE): MAEd and SPED endorsement (36 credits)

Teachers with a current Colorado teaching license (Have a Master's Degree):

Educational Leadership/Principal Licensure: Graduate Certificate and Principal Endorsement (24 credits)
Exceptional Learner/Special Education: Graduate Certificate and SPED Endorsement (24 credits)

The EDLD and EDSE programs both require that the candidate have a current Colorado teaching license. International students are generally not eligible for these programs, but please contact CTE with specific questions.

You are not a teacher but hold a Bachelor's degree OR you are a teacher and just want the Master's degree without added endorsements:

MAEd Teaching and Leadership (30 credits)

Our Graduate programs are designed to work with a teacher's schedule, so the short answer is YES! All of the programs have intensive summer classes (both in-person and online) and fall/spring classes are either fully online or held in-person on weekends.

The Initial Teacher Licensure program is a bit different because there is a student teaching component that places the student in a classroom setting. The fall semester is 3 full days per week in the classroom placement, while the spring semester is 5 full days in the classroom placement. For this reason, working is not generally recommended during the ITL program unless you have a very alternative work schedule.

Yes, but a student can only transfer 9 credits and the classes cannot be from a finished degree or be a core class.

The Teacher Education graduate programs are built for Colorado classroom teachers, and accommodate a working teacher's schedule. Therefore, Teacher Ed graduate programs often require students to hold a professional Colorado teaching license and/or may not meet F1 visa requirements as courses are offered online or in blended formats.

The MAEd Teaching and Leadership Program (EDTL) is the best option for international students due to the lack of a student teaching placement or internship, which both require a Colorado field-placement background check or a Colorado teaching license.

Please see the International Graduate Students Admission site for more information.

In short, no. None of our programs are entirely online, but many are designed to fit with a teacher's schedule by offering a hybrid model.

The coursework for the ITL Elementary program is now offered primarily online, and may accommodate placement for student teaching throughout Colorado. Field hours are completed in-person at an area school. Students must hold a bachelor's degree to be eligible for the ITL program.

Our Leadership and Exceptional Learner graduate programs are delivered in a mix of online and blended course offerings, which are geared to strike a balance between accommodating professional working schedules, providing in-person instruction, and facilitating cohort and network building. These programs are not fully online.

General Teacher Education FAQs

While CMU Teacher Ed graduates have successfully obtained licensure and employment in many states and our programs are guided by national standards, our programs are designed to meet the requirements for licensure in the state of Colorado. Educator and principal licensure requirements vary by state. Graduates of Colorado Mesa University’s teacher education programs who seek a license in the United States outside of Colorado will have to apply to that state for review. See out State Licensing Resources for Teachers page for links to licensure requirements in other states.