Teacher Preparation Program

Message From The Director

Welcome to the Global Educators Cohort Program website. The College of Education at Michigan State University recognizes the need to prepare future educators for a rapidly changing classroom environment. New teachers can expect to enter classrooms that are increasingly culturally diverse, whose students not only need a strong foundation in core academic subjects, but also need to acquire the knowledge, skills and points of view necessary to interact successfully across a variety of cultural groups as well as grapple with issues and problems whose causes and foundation are more complex than ever before, that cross local, national, and international boundaries, and whose solutions require new approaches to problem-solving.

To meet the challenge of preparing future educators for personal and professional success in the global context of the 21st century, the College of Education (COE) at Michigan State University has launched The Global Educators Cohort Program (GECP). The GECP is a specialized teacher preparation program focused on global and international perspectives. Cohort participants enjoy all the benefits of a nationally ranked teacher preparation program but also have the opportunity to study, socialize, and engage in hands-on, practical learning activities with a small group of fellow students. GECP students enjoy many advantages, such as individualized mentorship by faculty, practicing teachers, and administrators with expertise and experience in global and international education; opportunities to participate in special seminars, undergraduate research opportunities, and special, smaller, faculty-led, course sections designed specifically for members of GECP.

GECP students learn to teach in a wide range of settings both in US K-12 classrooms and abroad. GECP graduates are prepared to bring the world to their students and educate for global citizenship in both elementary and secondary settings in all subject areas. Students in our program pursue teaching certification in a variety of areas; majors that GECP students have pursued include: all elementary majors, special education, music education, physical education, as well as secondary biology, history, social studies and Spanish.

As you explore our website, you will have a chance to learn more about our program, meet some of our GECP students and graduates, and get information about how you can apply to be a part of GECP. I hope you will find our site useful. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly if any of your questions are not answered here. We are excited about and proud of this unique and exciting new program!

Best,
Margo Glew

Freshman Year

• Semester One
  • TE 250 (global): Human Diversity, Power, and Opportunity in Social Institutions (3 cr)
• Semester Two
  • TE 150 (global): Reflections on Learning (3cr)

Sophomore Year

• Semester One
  • TE 352 (global): Immigrant Language and Culture (3cr)
• Semester Two
  • TE 291A: Special Topics in Global Education (1cr)

Other Program Requirements

• Required
  • Global Experience (e.g. Study Abroad)
• Optional (but encouraged):
  • Extra/Co-curricular global learning opportunities
  • General education with (I) designation
  • Language study
  • Global focus/specialization in your academic major

Apply to MSU

When:

Senior Year of High School – on

Obtain admission to Michigan State University and indicate your intention to complete a teacher certificate in elementary or secondary education. Information on financial aid for students can be found on the Office of Financial Aid homepage.

Apply to the Global Educators Cohort Program

When:

After Acceptance to MSU Submit a supplemental application to the Global Educators Cohort Program.

GECP Application

Send your completed application and application essay to:

MSU College of Education
attn. Robin Lenkart
Erickson Hall
620 Farm Lane
Room 134
East Lansing, MI 48824

Application Review

When:

2-4 Weeks After Submitting a Completed Application

Student essay, grade point average, SAT or ACT scores, high school work and work activities, and written communication skills will be considered in the selection process.

The application review committee reviews applications on a rolling basis. Applicants can expect to hear from the application review committee within 2-4 weeks of submission of an application.

Teacher Preparation

The Global Educators Cohort Program is a specialized program within the teacher preparation program at Michigan State University. GECP students must therefore complete the same requirements as any Teacher Education student at Michigan State University. GECP simply provides added special emphasis in international/global themes.

When you complete GECP, you will graduate from Michigan State University with a degree in Teacher Education and you will be eligible for teacher certification both in Michigan and, often with little or no extra requirements, in many other U.S. States.

For details on the teacher preparation program at Michigan State University, including program requirements, visit the teacher preparation program website.