Make a difference!

Become an expert educator for Detroit school children and their families.

• Earn your elementary teaching certificate and master's degree in 12 months in our teacher residency program.
• Serve in hand-picked Detroit schools to learn from masterful mentor teachers putting into practice the best that is known about teaching in urban settings.
• Study with outstanding course instructors at Wayne State University.
• Learn alongside a cohort of teaching colleagues who are as excited as you are to become an effective urban educator.
• Work with Detroit families and caregivers as partners in education.

Program information

• About us

  Wayne State University launched TeachDETROIT in 2015, designed to prepare teachers to work in Detroit schools. TeachDETROIT joins the ranks of other urban teacher residency programs around the country including programs in Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, and Philadelphia. TeachDETROIT students with a bachelor's degree can earn a master's degree in teaching along with a teaching certificate in one year. An undergraduate track is also available for applicants still working on their bachelor's degree.

• Admission process and program requirements

  Application process

  1. Apply To Wayne State University at wayne.edu/admissions.
  2. For applicants holding a bachelor's degree, select “Masters” > “Early and Elementary Education-MAT." Under Concentration, select “Teaching Major 3-6.”
  3. Indicate in your personal statement that you are applying to TeachDETROIT. Your personal statement does not need to be long.

  Please contact TeachDETROIT@wayne.edu if you are applying for the undergraduate track.

  Certification

  To obtain your teaching certificate, you will need to complete all program requirements and pass the relevant teacher licensure exams. Please visit Michigan Test for Teacher Certification for more information.

  Professional Licensure Program Disclosure

  The University has determined that the curriculum of the initial teacher certification and endorsement programs at Wayne State University in the College of Education, leading to a credential as a certified teacher, meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in all states. However, there may be specific state requirements beyond the reciprocity agreement.

• Financial aid and scholarships

  Apply for scholarships by April 1. There are small scholarships often available from private donors to TeachDETROIT.

  In addition, there are multiple loans and loan forgiveness programs for teachers. Please visit: 4 Loan Forgiveness Programs for Teachers, the Michigan Department of Education’s Student Loan Repayment Program, and the student teaching stipend which awards $9600 during your student teaching semester. Make sure to check out TEACH Grants.

• Core commitments and learning to work in Detroit Schools

  Wayne State University TeachDETROIT residents learn to teach in exciting, hands-on methods courses in university-led programs in Detroit Schools.

  The TeachDETROIT program is structured around the following core commitments:

  • Culturally relevant, inclusive teaching
  • Clinical partnerships
  • Strengths-based pedagogy
  • Urban teacher residency model
• TeachDETROIT curriculum

  For students with a bachelor’s degree, the required courses are:

  ELE 6010 Detroit School Partnerships with Families and Communities
  ELE 6205 Literacy Foundations
  ELE 6215 Literacy Methods I
  ELE 6225 Literacy Methods II
  ELE 6380 Mathematics Methods
  ELE 6600 Social Studies Methods
  TED 6210 Foundations II: Intersections of Culture, Language, Identity & Schooling
  TED 6220 Foundations III: Foundations of Inclusive Schooling
  TED 5150 Analysis of Elementary Teaching
  TED 5780 Directed Teaching and Conference

  For undergraduate students: TeachDETROIT also has a route for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Including these required courses and the university’s general education requirements, students need 120 credits to obtain their bachelor’s degree and elementary teaching certificate.

  Graduates of TeachDETROIT can take four additional courses to obtain an early childhood endorsement.

• Program costs

  Students who already have a bachelor's degree will take 31 credit hours to complete the program. Tuition rates vary depending on residency, etc. See the Wayne State University Tuition and Fee calculator.

• Licensure examinations

  No examinations are required for admission, but passing the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification is required to receive a teaching certificate in the State of Michigan. TeachDETROIT provides resources for preparing to take the MTTC, and we advise program participants to speak with an advisor about the best timing for taking the MTTC. For more information, please see Michigan Test for Teacher Certification.

• Schools and community partners

  Field experience: TeachDETROIT interns are in schools four mornings a week, 12-25 hours each week, and take classes in the afternoons/evenings. Our school partners have included Coleman A. Young Elementary School, Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy, Munger Elementary-Middle School, Carleton Elementary and Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  TeachDETROIT interns are placed with outstanding mentor teachers in Detroit schools. Our program aims to weave together the wisdom of school practitioners with the strong knowledge base of researchers. We also take advantage of the offerings in the city of Detroit by meeting for social events in the city’s museums, concert venues, coffee shops and community centers.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. We are here for you. 

TeachDETROIT Team
Email TeachDETROIT@wayne.edu