Cumberland University is proud to offer its Master of Arts in Education degree program. There are four tracks available depending on a candidate's career goals. Three tracks are designed for candidates interested in courses on Teaching & Learning, and one Track is for candidates interested in Educational Leadership. Most tracks can be completed in 36 semester-hours. The three Teaching & Learning Tracks are:

Track I - targeted towards currently licensed teachers;
Track II* - for candidates seeking initial teacher licensure and who intend to student teach through the program; and
Track III - for candidates who are teaching on a Transitional License.

*To earn initial licensure through this program, candidates may be required to take additional undergraduate courses to meet state licensure requirements, to be determined by a transcript analysis. Most undergraduate classes are held on campus and are usually day classes. Field Experiences in P-12 schools are required, and candidates must demonstrate competency in their subject area by passing a Praxis II content area exam. Track II candidates may student teach after all of their course requirements are satisfied. Click here or navigate to the "MAE Teacher Licensure Program" page of this website for more information on initial Teacher Licensure and Student Teaching in Track II.

NOTE: Though coursework in the three tracks above is primarily delivered on-line, Field Experiences are required in many courses that will necessitate visiting schools during school hours for observations and instructional activity. To see the list of field experiences required by different courses, click here, or navigate to the "MAE Field Experiences and Student Teaching page" for more information.

The Educational Leadership Track provides the coursework component for the administrator's license and includes on-line and in-class courses. Students already possessing a master's degree may complete 18 hours of specified coursework for the administrator's license (Praxis tests and a teacher's license also required).

• On-line component may require discussion boards and chat room participation
• Both programs require an on-campus orientation, plus one campus visit at the end of each semester for finals
• Both programs utilize study teams
• Textbooks may be purchased through our bookstore or through other sites
• There are final exams each semester, plus a comprehensive exam in the last semester
• Will qualify teachers for the master’s pay supplement in Tennessee
• Financial assistance available to students in both programs

You will need to come to campus for the first orientation session, then come back for final exams at the end of the semester, when you will also begin your next two courses.

You can get directions to campus by going to www.mapquest.com. (Please keep in mind that there is often interstate roadwork in Nashville, which can cause delays.) Once you arrive on our small, beautiful campus, you can't miss Memorial Hall, the "clock tower" building. This is where you will report for registration. If you've ordered books through the bookstore, you may pick them up on in the University bookstore, which is located upstairs in the atrium of Labry Hall.

We believe you'll fall in love with our campus! If you want to bring your family along for the ride, they might enjoy shopping the antique stores on the nearby town square or at the Prime Outlets mall by the interstate. And Cedars of Lebanon State Park is only about ten miles away.