Master OF Education Degree In Secondary Education

Introduction

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) program is designed for persons who desire to improve their competencies as educators. It provides teachers with opportunities to acquire additional knowledge in professional education and in their teaching specialties. With individual graduate advisors and many options, the program is tailored to meet individual needs. The program requires a minimum of 36 semester credits (Plan B) or 40 semester credits (Plan C) of coursework.

For those educators whose long-range plans include a career of excellence in professional classroom teaching, Secondary Education offers courses dealing with topics of practical interest. Direct classroom application is the major focus of courses in classroom management, measurement and evaluation, curriculum development, and advanced teaching methods.

The M.Ed. program is organized so that each student takes a foundation of core courses and a program of supporting coursework with an underlying purpose and clear rationale. Supporting courses are selected to improve knowledge in a subject specialty such as math, science, social studies, or English as well in areas such as business education, music, and art; also, other areas of emphasis (middle school; reading; gifted and talented) may be elected. Finally, coursework linked to the Administrative/Supervisory Certificate may be part of the master’s degree, provided that one is admitted to the A/SC program. http://www.coe.usu.edu/coe/asc/

In order for Secondary Education faculty to develop a close working relationship with each M.Ed. student, the department has a 12 credit(Logan) residency requirement. Most teachers meet this requirement by taking the department’s “short courses” during the summer months. The remainder of the degree may be taken at USU extension centers of by electronic distance delivery. It is important to note that no more than 12 semester graduate credits taken prior to acceptance into a graduate program may be counted toward the master's degree.

Each M.Ed. Plan B student is expected to develop a Master’s Project or a Portfolio related to his or her area of concentration and designed to achieve professional goals. At the conclusion of the program, the Master’s Project or Portfolio is central to the oral examination under the supervision of the student’s chairperson and committee which each student is required to pass before being awarded the Master of Education degree. The M.Ed. Plan C option consists of additional coursework in the area of concentration. At the conclusion of the program, a culminating experience is developed by the advisor to meet the needs of the student from the following options: a) culminating interview with the advisor; b) oral comprehensive examination under the supervision of the advisor; c) written comprehensive examination under the supervision of the advisor; or d) other culminating experience developed by the student and advisor and approved by the department head.

Program Overview

College Core Requirements Plan B and Plan C (8 Credits)

• Educ 6410 Educational Foundations (2)
• Educ 6550 Research for Classroom Teachers (3)
• Educ 6710 Diversity in Education (3)

These requirements prepare teachers to become more knowledgeable and skilled in the following areas:

• social and philosophical foundations of education
• education research, including the ability to locate, understand, evaluate, and adapt research findings to curriculum and instruction issues
• multiculturalism and the needs of exceptional learners

Department Core Requirements Plan B (15 Credits)

• ElEd/ScEd 6040 Assessment in Education (3)
• ElEd/ScEd 6150 Foundations of Curriculum (3) OR
• ElEd/ScEd 6610 Curriculum, Methods, & Assessment for Middle Grades (3)
• ElEd/ScEd 6190 Theories of Teaching & Learning (3)
• ElEd/ScEd 6380 Understanding/Supporting Adolescent Literacy Development (3)
• ScEd 6960 Master’s Project (3)

Department Core Requirements Plan C (15 Credits)

• ElEd/ScEd 6040 Assessment in Education (3)
• ElEd/ScEd 6150 Foundations of Curriculum (3)
• ElEd/ScEd 6190 Theories of Teaching & Learning (3)
• ElEd/ScEd 6380 Understanding/Supporting Adolescent Literacy Development (3)
• ElEd/ScEd 6770 ESOL Instructional Strategies in Content Area (3)

Department core requirements address the following areas of professional competence:

• measurement and evaluation
• curriculum foundation (or middle school curriculum)
• principles of teaching and learning
• processes of literacy instruction

Supporting Coursework (13 Credits/Plan B or 17 Credits/Plan C)

Each program of supporting coursework should have an underlying purpose and rationale that is defensible to the student, to the student’s supervisory committee, and to the USU School of Graduate Studies. Traditionally, the supporting coursework is designed to improve the student's knowledge in her/his subject matter specialty. However, other appropriate areas of emphasis in the supporting coursework may also be elected. Students should note that credit earned under ElEd/ScEd 5000, commonly reserved for in-service workshops, cannot be applied toward the M.Ed. degree.

Final Exam

Each M.Ed. Plan B student is required to pass an oral exam to be taken at the end of his/her program. Typically, half of the exam is devoted to a presentation/discussion of the student's Master’s Project or Portfolio; the other half of the exam focuses upon information that every master teacher should know. Guidelines for preparing for this part of the exam are presented to each student upon acceptance into the program so that the student may work toward the acquisition of this knowledge while proceeding through the program. If a student fails the oral exam, he/she may retake the exam once.

Each M.Ed. Plan C student is required to pass a culminating experience which is developed by the student’s advisor to meet the needs of the student from the following options: a) culminating interview with the advisor; b) oral comprehensive examination under the supervision of the advisor; c) written comprehensive examination under the supervision of the advisor; or d) other culminating experience developed by the student and advisor and approved by the department head.

Moving Through The Program

The following guidelines are designed to help you remain aware of program requirements and the sequence in which those requirements are to be met. Refer also to the USU General Catalog/Graduate Regulations.

One Semester After Admission

Meet with your chairperson/advisor to plan a proposed Program of Study (Plan B or Plan C) and to develop a rationale for supporting coursework. Your rationale should relate to your teaching assignment or your desired area of emphasis. Plan B: Set up your graduate committee with the assistance of your chairperson, who will submit a Supervisory Committee Assignment form. Your graduate committee consists of three faculty members: your chairperson, usually a member of the Department of Secondary Education; a faculty member from your teaching specialty area or area of emphasis; and a third faculty member who may or may not be in the Department of Secondary Education. A minimum of two months is required between submission of the Program of Study form and scheduling of the final oral examination. To avoid problems, it is recommended that the project be submitted four months prior to the scheduled oral examination or graduation. Plan C: The Completion of Requirements form must be turned in at the beginning of the semester you are completing.

Each Semester You Take Courses

If your courseswork deviates from your approved program, obtain permission from your chairperson/advisor before proceeding with registration. Check at the end of each semester to determine if your grades have been posted correctly; if errors appear, notify the appropriate instructor(s) so that mistakes can be eliminated.

Report any change of address or telephone number to the department secretary (435) 797-2221, and ask that the information be sent on to the School of Graduate Studies.

Each Semester you Don’t Take Courses

See Continuous Graduate Registration, and follow the procedures.

M.Ed. (Plan B)

As a part of the department Plan B requirements, each student is required to complete an acceptable Master’s Project. This project, in most cases, will be a creative endeavor which enhances the student's ability to be an expert, well-prepared teacher. Examples of master's projects may include:

• an action research project or a curriculum improvement/evaluation project
• a product development project (development, field test, and evaluation of instructional materials)
• the organization and conducting of an advanced seminar or workshop; or inservice education project
• the development of advanced teaching skills (e.g., a model of teaching or new set of competencies)
• demonstration of content expertise (e.g., a music recital, a gallery showing of the candidate's works of art, the presentation of a play or reading of original poetry)
• an in-depth review of literature on a topic of interest
• the development of software, CD-ROM, or instructional modules
• a Portfolio Project based on program course work
• other projects approved by the student's committee

As noted, the Master’s Project should be related to the improvement of teaching skills or curriculum, and be approved by the student's committee prior to being carried out. A Portfolio Project, organized around the department’s 12 Principles, must be begun early in the program to be acceptable.

Those projects involving a performance, demonstration, display, etc. must be accompanied by a well-written report which is usually the basis for about half the oral exam. The written report of the completed project must be delivered to the members of the student’s graduate committee a minimum of 10 days prior to the oral exam.

Preparation for your Plan B Master’s Project begins in discussions with your chairperson. If you plan on doing a portfolio project, it is important to begin it after taking your first courses. More traditional Master’s Projects are usually carried out near the end of a program after taking research coursework (especially Educ 6550). For master’s projects that may be acceptable, see Types of M.Ed. Projects Plan B.

Follow these steps in developing the Master’s Project:

• Consult early in your program with your chairperson about ideas for the Master’s Project. Portfolio Projects must be initiated early in order to be acceptable.
• Enroll in Educ 6550 early in the program; this course will assist you in developing an appropriate project proposal.
• Develop your project proposal as early as possible in the program and have it reviewed by your chairperson.
• Submit the proposal, after approval by the chairperson, to the members of the committee for approval. Students cannot proceed with their projects until the proposal is approved.
• Register for ScEd 6960, Master's Project, and carry out your project. (Stay in contact with your chairperson while you are carrying out your project; let him/her know how you are progressing; use your chairperson as a resource.)
• Prepare a written report appropriate for the project and submit it for review to the chairperson; upon his/her recommendation, submit the report to the other committee members at least ten days prior to the oral examination.

Oral Examination and Final Details

With the chairperson and committee approval, schedule the oral examination. Oral examinations are not given during the last two weeks of any semester, except summer. Students must be registered for at least 3 credits during the semester in which they take the oral examination. (Remember–your Program of Study form must be submitted at least two months before the anticipated examination date.)

Half of the oral exam consists of a presentation/discussion of the master’s project or portfolio; the other half focuses upon information related to the core courses and the supporting coursework. The project is not considered completed until it has been successfully presented as a part of the oral examination. The examination and the project are graded on a pass/fail basis. If the student fails the oral examination, he or she may retake the exam one time only.

A copy of the approved written report with the signatures of chairperson/committee members is required to be on file in the office of the Department of Secondary Education.

M.Ed. (Plan C)

Notify and meet with your advisor at the beginning of the semester you plan to complete your degree. Your advisor will complete and submit a Completion of Requirements form to the School of Graduate Studies which is required at the beginning of the semester that you plan to complete.

At the conclusion of the program, a culminating experience is developed by the advisor to meet the needs of the student from the following options: a) culminating interview with the advisor; b) oral comprehensive examination under the supervision of the advisor; c) written comprehensive examination under the supervision of the advisor; or d) other culminating experience developed by the student and advisor and approved by the department head.

Letter of Completion (Plan B and Plan C)

It is the responsibility of the chairperson/advisor to see that a Letter of Completion is sent from the Department of Secondary Education to the School of Graduate Studies once a student has completed all requirements. Please check with the department secretary to see that the letter is sent for your program.

Graduation

Graduation deadlines published by the Utah State University School of Graduate Studies are strictly enforced. Students should be certain to obtain a copy of these deadlines from the Graduate School for the year in which they intend to complete their degree, and plan their programs, projects, and oral examination accordingly. Telephone (435) 797-1189
for deadline information.

A Final Reminder

The foregoing information is designed to assist you in completing your degree program in the most efficient and satisfying way possible. Stay in close contact with your chairperson/advisor during your time in the program.