Advanced Degrees & Endorsements
The West Michigan Teacher Collaborative is now accepting applications for the Advanced Degrees and Endorsements for 2026.
- Applications and Essays are due by August 29.
- Selected applicants will be interviewed in September through mid-October.
- Selected applicants will receive an official acceptance letter in November.
- Coursework at Grand Valley State University will begin in May 2026.
For Current Teachers
Take your teaching or consulting to the next level with an advanced endorsement degree through a graduate program - at no cost to you.
Current, certified teachers and consultants in elementary through secondary levels are invited to apply for the Teacher Collaborative’s Endorsements & Advanced Degree track. Pursue an endorsement in an area of need in your district through GVSU coursework and West Michigan Teacher Collaborative will pay the tuition.
To be considered, applicants must -
- Be currently licensed and employed in a West Michigan Teacher Collaborative partner school district (in Kent, Muskegon, or Ottawa Area ISD). You must provide proof of current licensure and employment
- Agree to serve as a mentor for West Michigan Teacher Collaborative Residency participants in the future
- Be passionate about the field of education and the opportunities this will provide for your students and community
Endorsements and degrees currently available through GVSU:
- M.Ed. in Literacy Studies: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/English as a Second Language endorsement (NS)
- M.Ed. in Literacy Studies: K-12 Reading Specialist (BR)
- M.Ed. in Special Education: Specific Learning Disabilities (SM)
- M.Ed. in Special Education: Autism Spectrum Disorder (SV)
- M.Ed. in Special Education: Cognitive Impairment (SA)
- M.Ed. in School Counseling: (NT)
- M.Ed. in Literacy Studies Elementary Reading Endorsement (BT)
- M.Ed. in Literacy Studies Secondary Reading Endorsement (BT)