City Teaching Alliance
SMU's Master of Education (M.Ed.) with Teacher Preparation Program, offered in partnership with City Teaching Alliance, provides aspiring educators with an opportunity to earn a graduate degree while preparing for a career in teaching. Beginning in fall 2027, incoming City Teaching Alliance participants can pursue their M.Ed. through SMU's Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. The program combines graduate-level coursework with professional preparation to support participants as they develop the knowledge and skills needed to teach in their local school communities.
This opportunity is available to City Teaching Alliance participants in Maryland, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia and the Greater Washington, D.C., areas. can complete their SMU coursework fully online while continuing their preparation in the communities they serve. Participants may pursue one of four areas of study: elementary education, secondary English language arts, secondary mathematics or special education. The program is designed to prepare educators for the classroom while providing a foundation for continued professional growth and career advancement in education.
Program structure
As a City Teaching Alliance Fellow simultaneously pursuing an M.Ed with Teacher Preparation at SMU, you will begin your coursework in the fall, taking a heavier course load in your first year, while you are immersed in a mentor teacher's classroom, applying what you’re learning in coursework, directly to the K-12 classroom. Coursework continues through the summer and into your first semester as the teacher of record (in Fellow Year 2). You complete your 36 hours of coursework after that first semester as the teacher of record. While the coursework is complete, you continue to be supported with one-on-one coaching through the City Teaching Alliance program.
The coursework for each of the four programs of studies is structured as follows:
| Summer | Fall | Spring | |
| Fellow Year 1 | * | Three 3-credit methods courses | Two 3-credit methods courses Two 3-credit residency courses |
| Fellow Year 2 |
* Two 3-credit methods courses |
One 3-credit methods course Two 3-credit training courses |
* City Teaching Alliance Certification & Licensure: Preparation Coursework / Training
Programs of study
All students take core coursework along with certification area-specific coursework to complete a 36-credit-hour degree.
| CORE COURSEWORK | |
|
EDU 6390 Content Instruction and Assessment for Multilingual Students EDU 6356 Foundations of Special Education EDU 6304 Learning Environment and Professionalism EDU 6302 Design and Assessment for Learning EDU 6306- Student Teaching I EDU 6307- Student Teaching II |
|
| CERTIFICATION AREA-SPECIFIC COURSEWORK | |
|
EC-6 Standard EDU 6329 Teaching Math in Elementary School EDU 6309 Foundations of Science Education EDU 6327 Learning to Read and Write EDU 6363 Reading and Writing to Learn EDU 6310 Foundations of Social Studies Education EDU 6308 Foundations of Math Education |
Special Education EDU 6360 Behavioral Interventions in the Classroom EDU 6346 Instructional Strategies for Intensive Interventions EDU 6359 Collaboration with Families and Colleagues EDU 6327 Learning to Read and Write EDU 6363 Reading and Writing to Learn EDU 6308 Foundations of Math Education OR EDU 6329 Teaching Math in Elementary School |
|
Secondary ELAR EDU 6305 Differentiated Instruction for ELA/SS EDU 6327 Learning to Read and Write EDU 6369 Culturally Responsive Teaching EDU 6363 Reading and Writing to Learn Elective 1 Elective 2 |
Secondary Math EDU 6308 Foundations of Math Education EDU 6369 Culturally Responsive Teaching EDU 6301 Differentiated Instruction for Secondary Math/Science Teachers EDU 63XX Math for Secondary Mathematics Teaching EDU 6329 Teaching Math in Elementary School Elective 1 |
About City Teaching Alliance
City Teaching Alliance is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying, preparing and retaining educators who are committed to improving student outcomes. Through its teacher preparation model, the organization supports aspiring teachers as they gain classroom experience, develop their instructional skills and build careers in education.
Since its founding, City Teaching Alliance has prepared and supported more than 2,700 educators across more than 500 schools, reaching over 400,000 students. Its partnership with SMU Simmons expands access to graduate education for incoming participants across its regional programs, connecting practical classroom preparation with advanced academic study.
To learn more about City Teaching Alliance, including program participation and application information, visit cityteachingalliance.org