The Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP) leads to a Bachelor’s degree in elementary or special education.

The Masters of Art and Teaching (MAT) leads to initial certification in either elementary or secondary education.

Both the TAP and the MAT programs are embedded within your day and do not require that you attend classes in person. You will have support meetings with your professor, more often in the beginning as you get used to the process.

You will be supported by an experienced teacher-mentor from your organization and a professor from the higher education partner. This is a competency-based program. This means that you will move on from course to course after demonstrating that you understand the content. Much like an online course, you will have access to an online platform that will review each competency, including knowledge-building activities. Ultimately, you will demonstrate your understanding of the subject matter by uploading a portfolio artifact. The professor will then evaluate your portfolio and determine if you have met the competency. If you have, you move onto the next. If there is more to learn, you simply review and resubmit. There is no failure.

If you are interested in this program, please review the degree-specific information below to learn more, including your next steps. 

Wherever you are on your education journey, there is a place for you on this pathway.

Don’t have any degrees or college credits? No worries! For those that have not completed an Associate’s Degree, and might have any number of college credits (or none), we are working with HACC to provide a pathway to an Associate’s Degree. This will include a portfolio review to determine what coursework has been satisfied by your prior experiences.

This program provides practicing paraprofessionals (with an associate’s degree)* the opportunity to earn college credit, which can lead to a fully-accredited bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and ultimately teacher licensure in Pennsylvania. For most programs, participants will complete 20 skills-based courses (60 credit hours) while working in a classroom. This learn-by-doing program is designed for current paraprofessionals with regular access to students. Participants will be required to create artifacts from their classroom practice and upload them to the BloomBoard platform for assessment.

The program can be completed in two years at no cost for paraprofessionals working for the Capital Area Intermediate Unit. If you work for another organization, ask your employer's Human Resources Department about the availability of this program.

* If you have 60 credits or fewer, a transcript review could allow you to qualify for the Teacher Apprenticeship Program to earn your bachelor's degree. You will need to send official transcripts from previous higher education institutions to our university partners during the application process. Do NOT send official transcripts to CAPT.

Designed for educators currently teaching with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than education, this program provides the opportunity for them to earn a master’s degree in an education-related field leading to an initial teaching certification all while working in a classroom. This learn-by-doing program is designed for current paraprofessionals or those with an emergency teaching permit and who have regular access to students. Participants will be required to create artifacts from their classroom practice and upload them to the BloomBoard platform for assessment.

The program can be completed in 12-18 months at no cost for educators currently working for the Capital Area Intermediate Unit. If you work for another organization, ask your employer's Human Resources Department about the availability of this program.