4 +1 Submatriculation Program with Penn GSE

Bryn Mawr College/Haverford College undergraduates may get started on their M.S.Ed. degree as well as the Pennsylvania teaching certificate in early elementary (grades PreK-4), middle level (grades 4-8), or secondary (grades 7-12) education by applying as an undergraduate to “submatriculate” into the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education’s 10-month, Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program (UTAP).

What does submatriculation mean?

Submatriculation means that undergrads are admitted, as early as in their junior or senior year, to the UTAP master’s degree program and are able to take up to two courses that will apply to both the master’s and undergraduate degrees. Submatriculants pay the home school tuition and do not pay Penn GSE tuition while taking the two submatriculant courses. Once the submatriculant graduates and joins the master’s degree cohort, they will pay the customary discounted tuition that other UTAP master’s degree students pay. They will be considered for merit scholarships the spring before they complete their undergraduate degrees. This scholarship will be applied toward their master’s degree tuition, and is awarded by the Penn GSE UTAP faculty without a separate application.

How to apply

The application process to submatriculate into our Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program, MSEd program. (This process is also outlined on the Penn GSE website).

STEP 1: Complete this step to apply to enter the Urban Teaching Apprenticeship (UTAP) submatriculation program as a junior or senior.

1. Apply online and be sure to select the ‘General Admission – Graduate School of Education’ program option.  You will be asked to upload your resume, a personal statement of no more than 750 words, and your unofficial transcripts to this application.
2. Please submit two letters of recommendation via email to: admissions@gse.upenn.edu.  At least one of these letters should come from an academic source.  Letters should be sent directly from the writers’ email addresses.  
3. You must complete the Bryn Mawr intent to sub-matriculate process, outlined here. This is a required step in order for the dual enrollment to be approved through the Quaker consortium. 

STEP 2: To be completed in your final undergraduate semester.  This step will change your status to a graduate student for the following semester.

1. Apply online to officially become a graduate student at Penn GSE.  Make sure that when you select the appropriate GSE program, you choose the program option that is followed by the word “Submatriculant”.  For example, students who are taking classes in the Education Policy program should select the ‘Education Policy, MSEd, Submatriculant’ option.  The only credential you will need to submit with this application is your unofficial transcript.

What are the advantages of submatriculating?

Submatriculants may take up to two graduate-level education courses at Penn that will count as credits towards both their undergraduate degree at BMC/HC and towards a graduate degree at Penn GSE, which makes the graduate program more manageable, in terms of time. The 10-month, full time program is highly structured and scaffolded. It begins each year around July 1st, and the full time students graduate the following May. Student apprentices spend significant time in community based placements in the summer, and then school-based placements in the fall, while taking courses and completing other program-required activities. This makes for a very intense experience, so completing some of the courses while an undergraduate reduces the time constraints considerably. Another advantage is the application itself: The submatriculation application is (1) free; (2) does not require submitting GRE scores; (3) requires only two letters of recommendation instead of the usual three. Another advantage is knowing that the next step is in place while preparing to graduate with the BA/BS degree.

When can I apply?

In your junior year or fall of your senior year.

• For Spring admission, apply by Dec 1.
• For Summer admission, apply by May 1.
• For Fall admission, apply by Aug 1.

Decision notification from Penn GSE comes in three weeks, often sooner.

How long is the program?

The UTAP program is completed over three terms: summer, fall and spring, in that order. Due to the scaffolded nature of the program, it is often the case that a submatriculant will only be able to take just one course. For example, in the spring term, apprentices complete their full time student teaching while taking a field seminar. Taking this course is appropriate only after all required methods and other courses have been completed. Submatriculants should meet with an advisor early to map out their programs. Kate Kinney Grossman, director of the UTAP program, is serving as submatriculation advisor.

Is there financial aid?

Once students have completed their undergraduate degree from BMC/HC, as long as they commit to full-time study, Penn GSE will consider them for any merit-based scholarships. Students are also encouraged to complete the FAFSA using the institutional code of 003378 to be considered for any federal loans. Finally, if, after graduation from Penn GSE, teachers choose to work as a full-time teacher in a Title 1-funded public or private non-profit elementary or secondary school and/or teach in a subject matter shortage area, they may be eligible to have a portion of their Direct and/or Perkins Loans cancelled.

How do I choose courses in my submatriculation year?

When admitted, students are assigned an advisor and a program manager who will work with them to select courses. Up to two courses will count towards the graduate degree. Kate Kinney Grossman is the submatriculation advisor.

Where can I go to receive more information about this program?

You can find additional information on submatriculation at www.gse.upenn.edu/submatriculation. Interested students can also reach out to Maureen Cotterill, Program Manager of the Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program, at maureenc@upenn.edu