The Master of Arts in Education program has been a vital part of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus since 1989. The program consists of 32 credits, 22 required and 10 elective. Delivery of the program is course-based, engaging the adult learner in a rigorous and relevant learning environment. The courses focus on providing students with the skills and knowledge to become better teachers and leaders in their buildings and districts. Students are exposed to current, effective pedagogy designed to enhance their current educational practices.
Program Outcomes
Graduates of the Master of Arts in Education program are expected to be able to:
- Know all aspects of child development that affect the learning process.
- Demonstrate appreciation for diversity and the ability to deal with diversity in all its forms in the classroom and in the community.
- Use a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of an ever more diverse and changing student population.
- Create a positive and productive learning environment for all students with whom they are working.
- Communicate effectively in a variety of modes.
- Plan instruction that productively meets the needs of all the students for whom they are responsible.
- Align curriculum design, assessment methods and instructional strategies.
- Exhibit a commitment to lifelong learning and see it as a critical attribute to being a productive classroom teacher and professional.
- Work productively in a collaborative fashion, develop positive working relationships with a wide variety of people and understand the ethical implications of their actions.
- Cope with the changes inevitable in our society and world and assist their students in doing the same.
- Demonstrate knowledge of designated graduation standards and have the ability to provide instruction to their students to support them in their efforts to achieve the standards.
Program Structure
The core of the program consists of eight required courses which total 22 semester credits. The remaining 10 credits may be earned in a variety of ways. In most cases cohorts select electives from a large variety of courses designed specifically for the Master of Arts in Education. Students are allowed to take electives from several other master's level programs such as Educational Administration, Counseling and Psychological Services, Developmental Disabilities and Human Development. Students also have the option to do an Independent Study.
A maximum of six semester credits earned prior to admission at Saint Mary's University may be accepted as transfer credits upon the recommendation of the program director/site coordinator and the approval of the academic dean.
Program Delivery
Classes are scheduled at locations in and near the seven county Metro area as well as on our Minneapolis campus. Cohorts of approximately 15 people each attend classes at facilities near their workplace. Students appreciate the convenience of an educational structure that brings the classroom to where they are. We have also delivered our program in a number of locations outside the Metro area including: Worthington, St. James, Fairmont, Cosmos, Windom, New Ulm, Mankato, St. Cloud, Brainerd, Little Falls, Alexandria, Long Prairie, Melrose, Willmar, Granite Falls, Mora and Princeton.
The philosophy, structure, and content of the Master of Arts in Education program is different from those that employ a learning communities model.
Summative Activity
Prior to graduation, students are required to write a summary paper in consultation with their advisor. They present their paper to a faculty committee which provides them with an opportunity to substantiate their academic work and to demonstrate how they have integrated their course work with their professional careers as educators.
Degree Requirements
Required Courses 22 cr.
Required Summative Activity 0 cr.
Elective Courses 10 cr.
Total 32 cr.
Required Courses: 22 cr.
EDUC604 Curriculum Design 3 cr.
EDUC605 Effective Teaching Techniques 3 cr.
EDUC607 Communication Skills 3 cr.
EDUC613 Ethics in Education 3 cr.
EDUC617 Educational Research 3 cr.
EDUC618 Summary Paper Preparation (P/NC) 1 cr.
EDUC640 Teacher and the Law 3 cr.
EDUC642 Topics and Trends in Education 3 cr.
Elective Courses: 10 cr.
EDUC603 Leadership Skills for Educators 3 cr.
EDUC608 Student Management 3 cr.
EDUC620 Active Listening 1 cr.
EDUC633 Child Abuse and Neglect 1 cr.
EDUC635 Psychological Development of Children 3 cr.
EDUC637 Integrating Technology in the Curriculum 3 cr.
EDUC638 Program Design for Gifted and Talented Education 3 cr.
EDUC639 Program Design for Special Education 3 cr.
EDUC645 Creativity 3 cr.
EDUC646 Strategies for the Mixed Ability Classroom 1 cr.
EDUC654 Brain-Based Learning 3 cr.
EDUC656 Media Literacy 2 cr.
EDUC657 Implications of Culture and Style for Learning and Teaching 3 cr.
EDUC658 Children's and Adolescents' Literature 3 cr.
EDUC667 Teaching Strategies for the Gifted and Diverse Classroom 1 cr.
EDUC672 Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom 1 cr.
|
