Students admitted to the college's Professional Development School Program at the end of their sophomore year become teacher candidates who have proven their commitment to the profession through self-initiated field experiences and academic performance. Teacher candidates spend the majority of their junior and senior years working and learning in professional development schools, under the shared guidance and expertise of master teachers and college professors. Students document their learning and professional growth through the development of a portfolio which serves as a valuable self-marketing asset. The college's teacher preparation programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. After successfully completing graduation requirements and the National Teacher Examination, graduates are recommended for provisional teaching certificates in the state of Maine.
National accreditation helps pave the way for reciprocal certification in other states.
To ensure current mathematical skills students should take a mathematics course during their senior year of high school. The demand for teachers is growing nationwide, according to U.S. Department of Education projections which indicate growing school enrollments, especially at the high school level, and a large number of current teachers approaching retirement. Rising birth and immigration rates are expected to result in nearly half a million new teaching jobs by 2005. Teacher preparation institutions, such as the University of Maine, which have large arts and sciences divisions offering strong subject matter concentrations and professional education programs will play a major role in meeting this new need for teachers. An approved experience in which the student integrates the components of his or her undergraduate training to perform at a professional level.