Master’s Degree Programs

Secondary Education master’s degree programs provide coursework and professional experiences for those preparing to become master teachers, teacher-leaders, supervisors, or curriculum specialists. Each program provides coursework in education, with associated work in a specialized subject matter, which is the teacher’s  area of concentration. Typically, the area of concentration derives from the teacher’s ongoing work with middle school or high school students.

Areas of concentration in Secondary Education include the following: Gifted and Talented; English as a Second Language (MEd only); Second Language Teaching; English/Language Arts; Instructional Leadership; Mathematics; Reading; Science; and Social Studies. Three University departments—Art, Management Information Systems, and Music—also participate in master’s degree programs sponsored by Secondary Education. Admission to these fields of study requires approval of the cooperating department. In planning areas of concentration, students work with a faculty advisor and select graduate courses from the University-wide curriculum.

MEd Degree Plan B (36 credits)

The MEd Plan B offers a Portfolio Project Option or Creative Project Option which culminates in the presentation of the project in a final exam setting. Students take a common core of courses from college and department curricula, then courses in areas of concentration in relation to their teaching specialities. The research course for the MEd focuses on issues of application as well as action research. Creative projects are diverse and range from action research to curriculum development. The professional portfolio project provides the context for a personal knowledge base. Although portfolios share certain structural features, each student’s portfolio is unique.

MEd Degree Plan C (40 credits)

The MEd Plan C is a coursework-only program. Students take a common core of courses from college and department curricula, then courses in areas of concentration in relation to their teaching specialities; additional coursework is taken in the area of concentration. At the conclusion of the program, a culminating experience to meet the needs of the student is developed. Options for the experience can be an interview with the advisor, oral comprehensive examination under the supervision of the advisor, written comprehensive examination under the supervision of the advisor, or other culminating experience developed by the student and advisor and approved by the department head.