Program Purpose
The purpose of the Graduate Program in Education is to provide advanced study in a Christian environment to meet the needs of professional educators.
Objectives
The graduate student will:
- develop the ability to gather and reflect on information relevant to the educational setting.
- apply specialized knowledge and skills constructively in collaboration with others in the educational setting.
- articulate Christian approaches to ethical and social issues inherent in the education setting.
- prepare for leadership roles in the educational setting.
- meet selected Ohio licensure requirements for educators.
Candidate Proficiencies
Malone Teacher Education and the Graduate Program in Education seek to prepare educators who are proficient in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are envisioned by and in accordance with the mission of the University. The School of Education serves as the primary unit for all the state-approved teacher education programs. The mission of the unit, in collaboration with the liberal arts faculty and PreK-12 educational partners, is to provide a biblically based education which prepares knowledgeable, reflective, collaborative educators committed to serving others in order that all individuals may learn and develop to their fullest potential and interact with each other and their environment with respect, compassion, and fairness.
The Teacher Education Program prepares candidates who are committed to serving collaboratively and reflect the following proficiencies:
- Demonstrate ways in which a Christian worldview informs educational practice.
- Apply sound principles of teaching, learning, and advocacy.
- Master the content for which they have educational responsibility.
- Demonstrate competence in the process of planning developmentally appropriate practices.
- Exhibit effective techniques which promote learning for all students regardless of race, culture, gender, creed, or ability.
- Identify organizational and behavioral management strategies that create an educational environment conductive to effective learning and growth.
- Evaluate and support student learning and growth by utilizing varied assessments to inform instruction and interventions.
- Display professionalism and ownership of professional growth.
- Use technology as a tool for instruction, communication, collaboration, and creativity.
- Collaborate with family, teachers, community, and other stakeholders in student learning and growth.
- Initiate and sustain conversation in an organized, clear, and confident manner, using standard English, in written and oral form.
- Exhibit dispositions for educators committed to serving together by:
- Providing service,
- Practicing fairness,
- Promoting stewardship,
- Believing all students can learn and grow.
Program Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs)
In addition to the twelve candidate proficiencies listed above which apply to all programs, each individual program has specific Program Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs) as listed below:
- Curriculum and Instruction
- C&I candidates will identify curricular needs and plan, implement, and evaluate curricular initiatives to address curricular needs.
- C&I candidates will identify and apply research-based practices for student learning.
- Intervention Specialist
- IS candidates will describe how exceptionalities can interact with domains of human development and identify curricular and instructional modifications based on these variations.
- IS candidates will demonstrate skills in communication and collaboration to support the learning of students with disabilities.
- Reading
- Reading candidates will demonstrate the ability to design interventions aligned with reading assessment data.
- Reading candidates will use individualized strategies to enhance language development and teach communication skills to individuals with language differences.
- Educational Leadership/Principal License
- Principal candidates will develop a School Improvement Plan to identify and address educational, behavioral, curricular and other needs in an identified school district.
- Principal candidates will develop a Positive Behavior Support Plan to be implemented in an identified school district.
Assessment
The Graduate Program in Education employs a comprehensive assessment plan that includes multiple methods to assess individual programs, candidate progress within the program, and the graduate education programs as a whole. Embedded in key courses are assignments and field/clinical learning experiences aligned with program specific standards and Malone Teacher Education Program candidate proficiencies which provide assessment data. These key assessments may be required to be submitted through Tk20. The complete assessment plan is available in the School of Education and Human Development.
Admission Requirements
Regular Admission
An applicant must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with at least a minimum cumulative gpa of 3.00 and must have or have had a valid teaching license, a copy of which must be submitted. A teaching license is not required for Graduate Licensure programs or School Counseling.
Additionally, for a student applying to a Graduate Licensure Programs, the following additional items must be submitted:
- A professional résumé with an objective statement that aligns to the applicant’s program goals
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score.
Conditional Admission
Applicants with a cumulative gpa of 2.5-2.99 may be considered for conditional admission. Individuals granted this status will be granted Regular Admission upon successful completion of 12 semester hours with the required minimum gpa of 3.00.
Non-Degree Admission
Individuals who are not seeking a graduate degree at this time but wish to pursue personal/professional goals may seek admission for non-degree status through the graduate program. To change from non-degree status to degree-seeking status at a later time, the requirements for regular admission must be met.
If applicable, course work taken with non-degree status may transfer to the degree program. EDUC 575 (workshops) may constitute a maximum of three elective hours toward the degree. Please see Academic Policies for time limits information.
Licensure Areas
The Graduate Education Program has been approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education to offer licenses or endorsements in the areas listed below. Consult the appropriate course of study for requirements:
- Administrative Specialist License
- Intervention Specialist (Initial Teaching) License
- Intervention Specialist: Mild/Moderate License
- Principal License
- Reading Endorsement
- Gifted Endorsement
- TESOL Endorsement
Note: Candidates for graduate licensure programs are required to earn a minimum grade of C (2.0) for all EDUC and SPED courses and may repeat a course only once.
Exit Requirement
The Master of Arts in Education degree and the Master of Science in Educational Leadership degree require each candidate to complete a research project. The graduate candidate in education may choose to complete EDUC 696 Graduate Research Project (1 semester hour credit). In lieu of the graduate research project, candidates may elect to complete National Board Certification (2 semester hours credit) through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to satisfy this requirement.
Graduation Checklist
Candidates admitted to the master’s program are to use the following checklist as a guide:
- Application for admission to the Graduate Program in Education
- An interview with the Program Director
- Written notification of acceptance for admission
- Completion of all course work and requirements for M.A.Ed. or M.S.E.L.
- Application for Graduation
- Complete the Application for Graduation provided by the Office of the Registrar.
- Return the completed form to the Office of the Registrar by January 30 for candidates who plan to complete degree requirements by the end of a spring semester or a summer session, or September 30 for candidates who plan to complete degree requirements by the end of a fall semester.
Programs of Study
