Daystar Program
This program is designed primarily for Day Campus students who are new freshmen. (Freshman-level transfer students with only liberal arts and sciences college credit also may apply.)
DAYSTAR is a four-year + program that allows students to earn a Bachelor of Arts in a content area (i.e. Biology, Math, History, etc.) PLUS a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. Students graduating from this program will be certified to teach in Missouri at the elementary, middle or secondary school level.
Education courses are taught in the summer (five summers total) while academic content courses and internships are taught in the fall and spring. Students obtain substantial practical teaching experience with exposure to the classroom every semester.
New students admitted to this program will receive a DAYSTAR tuition grant to cover tuition costs for courses taken the first summer following high-school graduation. Also, students can receive a "forgivable loan" for tuition assistance for subsequent summer sessions. (The loan is "forgiven" upon completion of this program.)
Admission to Columbia College allows initial entry into the program. Entry to the teacher certification program occurs upon completion of the bachelor's degree. Admission to the MAT program is required to complete certification. To be certified, students must have a minimum ACT score of 22, a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, passing scores on all sections of the CBASE and a passing score on the Praxis II examination.
DAYSTAR students will graduate from Columbia College knowing they have successfully completed one of the most challenging and innovative teaching programs in the nation while earning both a bachelor's and a master's degree in little more than four years.
DAYSTAR is an adapted Holmes-group model of teacher education which:
- Emphasizes academic content over pedagogy at the undergraduate level
- Substantively increases opportunities for practical experience in clinical placements (students will participate in a clinical experience during each semester of enrollment, including summer placements)
- Provides for specific study of, and clinical experience with, special needs students
- Requires demonstrated content (ACT, CBASE and PRAXIS) and clinical (Field Placement) competence prior to being admitted to the certification sequence
- Focuses on pedagogy at the graduate level, culminating with a professional degree in education
Certification available in the following areas:
- Elementary Education (Grades 1-6)
- Middle-Level (Grades 5-9)
- Secondary Education (Grades 9-12)
- Art (Grades K-12) (Checklist coming soon)
- Special Education (Grades K-12) (Checklist coming soon)
View general requirements and information about the Teacher Certification Program.
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