STAR Program

Contact Us

For questions, contact us at BSUStarProgram@bowiestate.edu.

The Bowie State University STAR (Superb Teachers Achieving Results) Program cultivates highly effective 21st century educators, equipped to excel in communities facing distinct challenges, like social emotional learning, equity and poverty.

The program provides aspiring teachers with a unique opportunity to earn Bowie State’s accredited Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree, with a focus on STEM education and teacher leadership. Offered by the highly respected BSU College of Education, the MAT program is an alternative route to becoming a certified, highly skilled educator in the state of Maryland.

Interested candidates can choose from two pathways:

  • Pathway 1: Applicants with an undergraduate degree in a science- or math-focused discipline can work in a secondary school teaching STEM, specifically in chemistry, mathematics and biology
  • Pathway 2: Applicants with any type of undergraduate degree will be screened to determine their eligibility to teach elementary education, with a STEM focus

Program Benefits

  • Free textbooks and other course materials
  • Free laptop
  • Living stipends
  • Micro-credentialing in teacher leadership
  • Program cohort support

Program Commitments

  • The STAR Program is a full time graduate program with coursework that has various teaching platforms ,e.g. weekends, weekdays, online and evenings.
  • All program participants must commit to teach for three years in a high-poverty school in the District of Columbia, Prince George's County or Dorchester County, after successfully completing the program.

Microcredentials

Select one of the following microcredentials as part of the MAT degree program:

  • STEM (ONLY applicants without a STEM degree who will be in the ELEMENTARY certification pathway)
  • Leading Differentiated Instruction (for SECONDARY certification pathway only)
  • Inclusion, Equity & Access (for SECONDARY certification pathway only)
  • 21st Century Learning (for SECONDARY certification pathway only)
  • Instructional Technology (for SECONDARY certification pathway)

Admission Requirements

  • Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA)
  • Successfully passed the Praxis: Core Academic Skills for Educators examination is preferred (required before the end of the degree program to achieve teacher certification in Maryland)
  • Available to participate in a year long internship over two consecutive semesters, full time-field experience in a designated public school in the District of Columbia, Prince George's County, or Dorchester County