Master of Education (MEd.) Program Requirements
Faculty
- Melanie Agnew, Dean
Peggy Cain, Program Director
View Master of Education Courses Admission to the Master of Education Program
The Master of Education (M.Ed.) is a flexible degree enabling educators and future educators to develop their expertise in an area of interest. Students develop skills in the methods of teaching and deepen their understanding of crucial “why” questions in educational practice. Students research an area of interest through action research or a qualitative research project in order to improve their own practice as educators and contribute to the wider field of education.
Philosophy Statement
The Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree program at Westminster College is committed to improving education through meaningful inquiry and innovative exploration of the connections between educational practice, values, and local/national/global contexts for learning. We emphasize a strong foundation in theory and active and engaged learning that incorporates students’ experiences.
The standards of the curriculum reflect the School of Education’s commitment to provide a well-rounded education congruent with the needs of master teachers and other instructional professionals. These standards include:
Pedagogy: Students will design, facilitate, and assess learning while demonstrating knowledge of relevant theoretical foundations and the interactions of individual, group, and societal contexts for teaching and learning.
Research: Students will plan projects, search relevant professional databases, collect data through interviews and other applicable methods, analyze data, and complete and disseminate findings.
Critical thinking: Students will comprehensively explore issues, ideas, artifacts, events, and other positions, before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion.
Creativity: Students will combine or synthesize new ideas, practices, or expertise in original ways that are characterized by innovation, divergent thinking, and risk taking.
Collaboration: Students will will demonstrate self-awareness, understanding of effective group dynamics, and project management skills.
Communication: Students will communicate ideas to audiences in oral, visual, and written forms to establish knowledge, to increase understanding, or to advocate for a particular position.
Global Responsibility: Students will (a) employ practices informed by social responsibility across the spectrum of differences and (b) demonstrate knowledge of and evaluate solutions for, educational challenges affecting local, regional, and global communities.
Program Description
Those teaching adults or administering educational programs for adults may earn an Adult Learning Certificate. This coursework can emphasize higher education, corporate training and workplace learning, continuing professional education, educational policy-making, and other related areas.
Trauma, Resilience, and Restorative Justice track is valuable for any education-related professional who seeks to understand the impacts of trauma on people and how institutions can utilize restorative practices to create effective and healing learning environments.
Licensed K-12 educators can enhance their teaching effectiveness with an endorsement:
- Teaching English as a Second Language Endorsement
- Special Education second license (K-12 Mild-moderate)
Coursework for all endorsements and certificates taken for graduate credit counts toward an M.Ed.
Note: Should the Utah State Board of Education change its requirements for teaching endorsements, the Master of Education requirements will change accordingly.
Classes in the M.Ed. program provide active, hands-on opportunities to learn and connect course work to students’ teaching or work settings.
Program Requirements
A minimum of 32 credit hours is required for graduation. A maximum of nine credit hours of graduate-level transcripted credit may be accepted from another accredited college or university. The accepted coursework must fall within the guidelines of Westminster’s Graduate Program in Education.
Although a minimum of 32 credit hours is required, students may desire, or need to complete, additional hours to enhance their graduate degree. Planning this graduate degree program is the responsibility of students in collaboration with their advisors.
Certain Master of Business Administration courses may meet graduate education program requirements. Students should consult with their education advisors for specific information and refer to the MBA sections of this catalog for course descriptions.
Retention in the Program
School of Education courses may only be repeated once.
The student must:
- Design and file an acceptable program plan with the Director of the Master of Education program.
- Maintain a grade point average of 3.00. Courses in which a grade of C- or lower is awarded do not count toward graduation requirements. A grade of C- or lower in two courses will result in dismissal from the program. School of Education courses may only be repeated once; a grade of C- or lower on the retake will result in dismissal from the program. All courses must be taken for a letter grade.
- Complete the program within six years, or begin to lose credit for courses older than six years.
Graduation Requirements
Candidates for graduation should apply to the Registrar’s Office approximately two regular semesters prior to planned completion of graduation requirements. Applications for December graduation are due in March and applications for May and August graduation are due in September. Please see the Academic Calendar for more specific dates. Candidates are notified of remaining degree requirements within four weeks after applying for graduation.
To be eligible for a master’s degree or graduate certificate, students must satisfy the following conditions:
- Meet all credit hour and other course requirements.
- Maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above.
- Be enrolled at Westminster College during the semester in which they wish to graduate.
- Maintain good academic standing.
- Earn a grade of C or higher in all graduate courses.
Note: Only graduate-level coursework may be applied toward degree or certificate requirements. The final responsibility for being informed about, and adhering to, graduation requirements rests with the student.
Program Structure
Students have multiple curricular options in the M.Ed. program. Graduation requires a minimum of 32 credit hours for any option.
Master of Education
Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I. Core Course |
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II. Elective Courses |
21 |
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III. Project | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Total Hours for the Master of Education | 32 |
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Endorsement with Master of Education
Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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II. Core Course | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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III. Elective Course | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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IV. Project | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Total Hours for the Teaching English as a Second Language Endorsement with Master of Education | 32 |
Recommended Plan of Study for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Endorsement with Master of Education
Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Semester | |
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Year 1 | MED 620 MED 621 |
MED 622 MED 623 |
MED 650 Elective |
Year 2 | MED 679 Elective MED 625 |
MED 680 MED 610 |
Special Education Endorsement (Mild/Moderate) with Master of Education
View Special Education Courses
Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I. Special Education Endorsement (SPED) | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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II. Core Course | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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III. Project | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Total Hours for the Special Education Endorsement with Master of Education | 35 |
Recommended Plan of Study for Special Education Endorsement with Master of Education
Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Semester | |
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Year 1 | SPED 503 | SPED 508 SPED 535 |
SPED 577 |
Year 2 | SPED 585 SPED 540 |
SPED 527 SPED 590 MED 610 |
MED 650 |
Year 3 | MED 679 | MED 680 |
Adult Learning Certificate followed by completion of Master of Education
Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I. Adult Learning Certificate (ALC) | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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II. Elective Courses | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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III. Project | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Total Hours for the Adult Learning Certificate followed by completion of Master of Education | 32 |
Recommended Plan of Study for Adult Learning Certificate followed by completion of Master of Education
Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Semester | |
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Year 1 | MED 613 MACL 622 |
MED 634 MED 670 |
MED 667 MED 6501 elective |
Year 2 | MED 6791 elective | MED 6801 elective |
Trauma, Resilience, and Restorative Justice followed by completion of Master of Education
Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I. Trauma and Restorative Justice Core | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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II. Elective Courses | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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III. Project | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Total Hours for the Trauma, Resilience and Restorative Justice followed by completion of Master of Education | 32 |