Home / Academics / Find a Program / Master Apprenticeship Program + Initial Teacher Licensure | Ursuline - Liberal Arts College in OH
Take an accelerated route to teaching at the master's level.
Ready to take the next step? Apply online and receive a decision within two weeks.
Are you ready to make a professional pivot to educate the next generation? The Master Apprenticeship Program (MAP) is an intensive program in which you earn a Master of Arts in Education and are eligible for state teacher licensure.
Our MAP candidates come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are engineers who have decided that they would like to become math teachers. Others are attorneys, environmental scientists, college professors, artists, historians and corporate level managers who have a desire to share their knowledge with students. We also have candidates who have recently earned a bachelor’s degree or who have obtained a degree but have not been in the workforce for several years and have determined that now is the time to make this important change in their lives.
Our philosophy focuses on personalizing your needs as a MAP candidate and aligning those needs with area school districts. Classroom instructors and mentor teachers are certified/ licensed, experienced and highly qualified master teachers who provide you with a unique educational experience.
What sets the MAP program apart from other programs is the entire school year spent on site in local schools.
Two options are available to fit your busy lifestyle and other responsibilities.
The one-year MAP program begins each May (summer semester) with foundational methods courses and then immerses you in the classroom during the school year (fall and spring semesters). In 11 months, you earn a Master of Arts in Education and are eligible for state licensure.
MAP begins with a 10-week summer session on the Ursuline campus during which you’ll take foundational courses in education, diversity, human development, and curriculum.
The apprenticeship portion of the program consists of placement in one or more classrooms where you’ll work with your mentor teacher and students throughout the academic year.
Prefer to keep working while you participate in the MAP program? Ursuline now offers a flexible part-time option where students take classes over a 24-month span, making it easier to balance professional and personal commitments. Courses meet one evening per week and are supported by thoughtfully designed online coursework that allows you to engage with materials on your own schedule. This format provides the structure of regular, in-person instruction while still offering the convenience of hybrid learning.
After completing the required coursework, you’ll finish the program with a full semester of student teaching, gaining hands-on experience in real classrooms and building strong relationships with mentor teachers and school partners. This part-time pathway is especially ideal for substitute teachers, paraprofessionals and other school-based employees who want to continue working while earning their degree and licensure. It also benefits career changers or adult learners who need a predictable, manageable class and work schedule while taking meaningful steps toward becoming a licensed educator.
Our instructors and mentor teachers are certified, experienced, and highly qualified master teachers who provide you with a unique educational experience (the master teacher working with the apprentice). Our goal is to help you to achieve your dream of making a difference in the lives of children.
The cohort-based model fosters collaboration and a sense of community as students move through courses in teaching reading, language arts, science, mathematics, social studies and more. Instruction emphasizes universally designed and evidence-based practices, preparing graduates to differentiate instruction, implement accommodations, analyze assessment data and create inclusive learning environments that support every child—including students with disabilities and those with varied academic or behavioral needs.
Candidates receive their internship placements for the fall semester in August. Once the mentors are assigned, the candidate will contact his or her mentor teacher to ascertain the mentor’s needs regarding the start of school. Whenever possible, the mentors assigned are based on the candidates’ professional goals.
Placements also take into account the affective needs of the candidate. When candidates are admitted to the program, they are not guaranteed any specific grade level or placement site.
Our MAP students have been placed in a variety of schools in the greater Cleveland area including but not limited to:
Agnon School
Beachwood City Schools
Bedford City Schools
Breakthrough Charter Schools
Brunswick City Schools
Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools
Chardon Local Schools
Cleveland Catholic Schools
Cleveland Heights/University Heights Schools
Gilmour Academy
Hudson City Schools
Mayfield City Schools
Mentor Public Schools
Nordonia City Schools
Shaker Heights Schools
Solon City Schools
South Euclid/Lyndhurst City Schools
University School
Warrensville Heights City Schools
West Geauga Local Schools
Wickliffe City Schools
Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools
Graduates leave the program ready to create equitable, supportive classrooms and to nurture the foundations of lifelong learning for all young learners.
The new Primary Education & Primary Intervention Specialist dual licensure program equips future teachers to meet the needs of all learners from preschool through grade five. During the MAP program, you will complete rigorous coursework and extensive, inclusive field experiences that prepare you for two teaching licenses: Primary Education (PreK–5) and Primary Intervention Specialist (PreK–5). This dual credential makes graduates highly versatile and marketable, opening doors to a wider range of career opportunities in both general and special education settings, including co-teaching roles, intervention and support positions, and leadership opportunities in inclusive education.
Throughout the program, you’ll engage in a continuum of hands-on classroom experiences supported by both general and special education teachers in partner schools. These placements begin early allowing students to build their confidence in teaching, apply theory to practice, and form strong professional relationships with teachers, children and families.
MAP is a master's program for those who have earned a bachelor's degree already. If you're starting at the undergraduate level, our 4+1 Education program bridges into MAP seamlessly.
The teaching profession remains a rewarding, worthwhile and respected career. In today’s changing world, opportunities exist for teachers who are well prepared, flexible and adaptable. There is a demand for teachers in the far Midwest, West, and South, as well as opportunities closer to home. Our graduates secure jobs in public, parochial, private and charter institutions.
Our MAP students have been placed in a variety of schools in the greater Cleveland area, including:
Students applying for admission must meet the general requirements for graduate admission and the specific requirements of the MAP program noted below:
College transcripts are evaluated to ensure that pre-program licensure requirements are met. If candidates have not completed prerequisites when their transcripts are audited for admission, all prerequisite coursework must be completed with a B or better.
