TAMU's M.Ed. Graduate Secondary Certification Program

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Aubrey Rieder is a Former English Aggie who decided to participate in TAMU's M.Ed. Graduate Secondary Certification Program! We asked her all about her decision to further her education. Here's what she had to say about the program: 

 Why do you want to further your education?

I love learning! It’s an important reason why I’ve decided to go into teaching. Continuing my own education will make sure I’m equipped with the tools to be the most effective teacher possible, while I can continue being a student myself.

 How did you decide what school to attend?

For me, the decision to continue studying at Texas A&M was an easy one. I had initially started studying Interdisciplinary Studies here and switched my first semester into English, where I was told about the post-bacc program. It’ll easy to make the transition, since I already took the necessary prerequisites for the program… and I’m an Aggie through and through! I also didn’t mind the idea of a non-thesis program.


Was it difficult to make the choice between grad school and immediately starting your career?

Because the program will also jump start my career, it was an easy decision. The program will help me earn my certification, and it requires a year-long teaching internship, which will allow me to have my own classroom. By the time that academic year is over, I’ll have the M.Ed. and get my first year of teaching out of the way. The program is awesome since I get to continue my schooling and will have a great support system for the first year of my career.

What do you expect to learn from graduate school?

I expect to learn much more in-depth learning theories as well as practice classroom skills.

Is the application process stressful? Do you have any advice for students looking to apply to grad school?

Because I had been planning to apply for this program (and it’s the only program I applied to,) I didn’t find the process to be particularly stressful.Other students: start considering grad school early! It’s never too early to start looking at your options, and even if you start your application and change your mind, you’re not required to submit it. Also, before you even start applying, talk to your advisor and the advisors/directors for the programs you’re considering. They might have extremely important advice!

What factors helped you make your decision?

There were a few things that drew me to this particular program. One is that it directly builds off what I’ve been doing in undergrad, since my education classes are prereqs. I also like that it can be done primarily online, which will allow me to start substituting before I get my own classroom to gain more experience… and I can save money by living at home. The TLAC department has awesome faculty, and I know that they care about their Master’s students. Because the program is unfunded, I did have to worry about pricing, but A&M is pretty decently priced and is a great school in general.

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