Master of Education Degree Program
» Program Courses and Options
» Course Description
» M.Ed. Committee
» M.Ed. Assessment
Overview
Minot State University’s Master of Education degree focuses
on improving knowledge and skills relative to teaching and
learning. The program concentrates on: 1) examining current
trends in curriculum and instruction, 2) developing breadth
and depth in knowledge and understanding of the teaching
and learning process, 3) developing skills necessary to do action
research, and 4) enhancing the knowledge base in the content
area of choice.
This degree is set up to allow any discipline within the Teacher Education Unit at Minot State to offer a concentration, or to allow education related vocations to access graduate studies. Each student will be required to set up a program of study with the director of the M.Ed. program or with the chair of the recognized discipline offering the concentration.
The program consists of a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit with a common core of 16 semester hours that all M.Ed. candidates must take. The elective component may reflect a particular concentration or it may be a combination of graduate course work acceptable to the director of the M.Ed. program in which case there will be no mention of a particular discipline on the degree.
Mission and Goals of the M.Ed. Program
The objectives of this program are: to develop skills of
scholarship and research; to increase professional competence
in instructional strategies and curriculum development; and to
develop perceptions of the characteristics and unique needs of
the students in P-12 schools.
The Master of Education degree seeks to prepare candidates who effectively enhance student learning and demonstrate the high level of knowledge, skills, abilities and commitments reflected in the following National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)/North Dakota Program Approval Standards Outcomes.
Master of Education Program
The Master of Education degree is designed around the
Teacher Education Unit’s ARK Conceptual Framework,
including Action, Reflection and Knowledge and reflects
the TEU’s focus on current cognitive science research. The
program outcomes for the M.Ed. are aligned with the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards and North Dakota
Program Approval Standards for Advanced Programs for
Teachers. Expectations of candidates in the program include:
- Outcome 1a: Candidates will demonstrate the ability to match instructional strategies to student needs
- Outcome 1b: Candidates will use multiple instructional strategies
- Outcome 2a: Candidates will demonstrate appropriate pedagogy for the discipline/s they teach
- Outcome 2b: Candidates will demonstrate mastery of disciplinary subjects
- Outcome 3a: Candidates develop appropriate informal and formal assessment techniques
- Outcome 3b: Candidates will describe a range of assessment approaches
- Outcome 3c: Candidates will compare and contrast a variety of management models
- Outcome 4a: Candidates will critique their professional practice
- Outcome 4b: Candidates will formulate plans for changes in professional practice, based on experience, professional literature and research, and then reflect on and evaluate those changes in relation to student learning
- Outcome 4c: Candidates will collaborate with professionals to design a relevant thesis or culminating project in the field
- Outcome 4d: Candidates will apply appropriate research methodologies to educational questions and issues
- Outcome 5a: Candidates collaborate with professionals in the field
- Outcome 5b: Candidates will analyze the relationships between schools and society
- Outcome 5c: Candidates will describe processes by which positive relationships may be developed with families and with the larger community
- Outcome 6a: Candidates will use current, appropriate technologies
- Outcome 6b: Candidates will analyze best practice in relation to technology use as related to student learning
Admission Standards
Candidates seeking admission to the Master of Education
program must complete the admission requirements of the
Graduate School and have an overall GPA of 2.75, or 3.0 on
the last 60 hours of course work. In addition, admission will be
based upon the following:
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree in education or related area.
- A minimum of two years experience in education or a related area.
Admission decisions are made by the appropriate department for those pursuing a specific concentration, and are approved by the Director of the Master of Education program. Admission decisions for those not pursuing a specific concentration are made by the Director of the Masters of Education program.
Retention Policy
Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to remain in
the M.Ed. program.
Academic Honesty
Cheating at the graduate level will result in disciplinary action. A
committee of education faculty will meet to review each case on an
individual basis. Students may be required to repeat work, accept a
lower grade for the course, or be dropped from the program.
Thesis and Project Options
Graduate students in the M.Ed. program may elect to complete
either a thesis or a project. Those choosing the thesis option (ED
599) must satisfy the general requirements for a thesis outlined in
the Minot State University Graduate Catalog. Graduate students
wishing to pursue the project option must register for ED 598
or the appropriate course within their concentration area. The
graduate student will learn the techniques of action research and
will apply those skills in an action research project. A written
report, acceptable to a graduate faculty committee, describing
the project will complete the requirements. Project reports have
a seven chapter format; this format should be obtained from the
Director of the M.Ed. Program. Both theses and projects will
be guided by, and eventually approved by, a graduate committee
consisting of two faculty members from the chosen concentration
and two faculty members from the education core faculty.