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Master of Education

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Program Purpose 

The purpose of the Master of Education degree program is to provide relevant educational opportunities for educators to develop as practitioners and educational leaders.  

Program Description

The M.Ed. is structured into three focus areas for maximum depth, relevance, and flexibility:

  1. Teaching and Learning (TL) – 30 hours
  2. Instructional Leadership (IL) – 30 hours
  3. Teacher Leadership (TLD) – 30 hours

The M.Ed. with a focus in Teaching and Learning (TL) provides opportunities for continuing professional development for the experienced classroom teacher in the areas of curriculum, instruction, and leadership. The TL focus is a non-licensure, fully online program.

The M.Ed. with a focus in Instructional Leadership (IL) provides opportunities for students to develop their knowledge and skills toward becoming leaders in schools and school districts. Students completing the IL focus must successfully pass the state licensure exam to obtain both the M.Ed. degree and state licensure.

The M.Ed. with a focus in Teacher Leadership (TLD) provides opportunities for students to develop their knowledge and skills to prepare for a teacher leadership role (i.e., instructional coach, mentor, department chair, etc.), and/or leverage their existing abilities in their current roles as teacher leaders. The TLD focus is a non-licensure program.

A Collaborative Approach. The M.Ed. program emphasizes teamwork, cooperation, professional support, and sharing of knowledge among students.

Program Delivery and Calendar. The curriculum for each of the three focus areas (TL, IL, and TLD) consists of 30 semester hours. Students complete 12 semester hours of Foundation coursework, 12 semester hours of Focus coursework, and six semester hours of Flex coursework. Students are expected to commit to the rigor and attendance expectations for the intensively scheduled program. Each student is presented his/ her unique calendar for the complete program. Current M.Ed. calendars are available at www.uu.edu/med. 

Each of the three areas of focus is completed during an intensive 12-month program. There are three entry points for each focus area: Summer, Fall, and Spring.

Expected Program Outcomes

Teaching and Learning Focus

This focus is designed to provide a relevant professional development curriculum for classroom teachers who are currently serving as the assigned teacher of record for a group of students. M.Ed. students will confront the triad of roles played by the transformational teacher to be enjoined to the education of the whole learner: Scholars have reason to be superbly confident in their subject; Practitioners specialize in methodology that engages learners; and Relaters develop an abidingly deep understanding of and concern for their students as persons. Students with the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning will:

  1. Enhance their knowledge (as Scholars), skills (as Practitioners) and values (as Relaters) in relation to the major issues facing today’s transformational teachers.
  2. Engage the Christian intellectual tradition and demonstrate service to society.
  3. Apply research skills to current educational problems.
  4. Prepare for leadership roles in their educational settings. 

The objectives are met within the context of a set of standards developed by the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC).

Instructional Leadership Focus

This focus is designed to be a licensure curriculum for school principals and curriculum supervisors. Teachers must have completed a minimum of 2 years of teaching before beginning this degree program. M.Ed. students will confront the triad of roles played by the transformational teacher to be enjoined to the education of the whole learner: Scholars have reason to be superbly confident in their subject; Practitioners specialize in methodology that engages learners; and Relaters develop an abidingly deep understanding of and concern for their students as persons. Students with the M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership will:

  1. Enhance their knowledge (as Scholars), skills (as Practitioners) and values (as Relaters) in relation to the major issues facing today’s practitioners.
  2. Engage the Christian intellectual tradition and demonstrate service to society.
  3. Apply research skills to current educational problems.
  4. Prepare for school leadership roles as principal or curriculum supervisor.

The objectives are met within the context of a set of standards developed by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council of the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Instructional Leadership licensure standards set by the State of Tennessee.

Teacher Leadership Focus

This focus is designed to be a non-licensure curriculum for school- and district-based teacher leaders in formal and informal roles. Teachers must currently serve as the teacher of record for a group of students or the teacher leader of record for a school or district. M.Ed. students will confront the triad of roles played by the transformational teacher to be enjoined to the education of the whole learner: Scholars have reason to be superbly confident in their subject; Practitioners specialize in methodology that engages learners; and Relaters develop an abidingly deep understanding of and concern for their students as persons. Students with the M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership will:

  1. Enhance their knowledge (as Scholars), skills (as Practitioners) and values (as Relaters) in relation to the major issues facing today’s practitioners.
  2. Engage the Christian intellectual tradition and demonstrate service to society.
  3. Apply research skills to current educational problems.
  4. Prepare for or enhance school or district leadership roles as teacher leaders.

The objectives are met within the context of The Teacher Leader Model Standards (TLMS) developed by the Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium. 

Assessment of Outcomes

The Master of Education degree utilizes the following means of assessing the objectives listed above. The emphasis in this assessment is upon a variety of measures and competencies

Assessment Strategy

  1. School Leaders Licensure Assessment (IL only)
  2. Culminating Performance Exhibition (Scholar and Practitioner)
  3. Electronic Dispositions Evaluation (Relater)
  4. Artifacts compiled in the electronic portfolio
  5. Clinical experience, an integral part of most courses
  6. Course work and teacher-devised assessments
  7. Course evaluations by students
  8. End of program questionnaire

Admission Information

Candidates for admission to the M.Ed. program must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree and teaching experience (three years for the Instructional Leadership focus), as more specifically stated in the following admission criteria: 

  1. Teacher Licensure;
  2. A minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate credits combined);
  3. Writing Sample. All candidates, regardless of GPA, must successfully complete the M.Ed. writing sample, demonstrating adequate graduate level writing skills;
  4. An interview with the Director of the M.Ed. program;
  5. Application to Graduate Studies in Education along with the non-refundable application fee;
  6. Official transcript(s) showing all coursework, completion of baccalaureate degree(s), and all graduate credit previously attempted. Even if withdrawal occurred prior to earning credits and even if those credits do not apply to the current degree being sought, official transcripts must be sent from each institution. Send transcripts directly to the Office of Graduate Studies in Education;
  7. Recommendation forms (provided) from 4 persons: One must be completed by the applicant’s current principal or supervisor; two must be completed by fellow teachers/colleagues; and one by a character/ personal reference (non-family member);
  8. Certificate of Immunization.

In addition to the criteria above, candidates for admission to the Instructional Leadership focus must submit the following:

  1. Professional Resume;
  2. Copy of most recent state-approved performance appraisal;
  3. Verification of Experience form completed by applicant’s school system documenting at least 2 years of teaching experience;
  4. Recommendation form completed by the Director of the school system where the applicant is employed;
  5. Interview with Instructional Leadership Screening Committee. The candidate is interviewed by an admission screening committee comprised of university and public school personnel who will make a recommendation to the Dean and Graduate Admission Committee concerning admission to the Instructional Leadership program.

Conditional Admission. Persons not qualifying for Admission may be granted Conditional Admission after successfully completing a Writing Sample and upon the recommendation of the Graduate Education Admissions Committee and the Dean of the College of Education and Human Studies. Conditionally admitted students may be granted admission after completing 9 graduate hours of (minimum) 3.00 grade average work at Union and a recommendation from the Dean. Failure to be fully admitted to the M.Ed. program after 9 hours of coursework will result in termination from the program. A student may appeal termination through the regular appeals process outlined in the Campus Life Handbook. 

Transfer Credit into the M.Ed. Degree Program

Up to nine semester hours of graduate credit from a regionally accredited college or university may be transferred into the degree program at the time the student is admitted to the degree program, provided the grades received in those courses were B or higher. Work transferred into the program must have been completed within five years prior to admission to the program. Transfer of credit after the student has been admitted to the degree program (transient credit) will be acceptable provided

  1. The total semester hours of transfer credit does not exceed nine hours,
  2. The grade received in the course is B or higher, and
  3. Written approval of the course being taken has been obtained from the Dean of the School of Education prior to taking the course.

A maximum of six hours of workshop/short course/video course credit may be transferred.

Graduation Requirements

For graduation from the M.Ed. degree program, the student will:

  1. Successfully complete the 30 semester hours of required course work.
  2. Demonstrate a minimum GPA of 3.0 cumulative for the program.
  3. Successfully complete the Performance Exhibition.

In addition to the above criteria, students completing the Instructional Leadership Licensure focus must:

  1. Successfully complete the required Practicums.
  2. Take and PASS the Praxis II SLLA exam in order to complete the M.Ed. Instructional Leadership program. Students completing the Instructional Leadership focus must successfully pass the state licensure exam to obtain both the M.Ed. degree and state licensure.

Financial Information

The following payment plans are available:

  1. Full payment may be made for the program of 30 semester hours.
  2. The University accepts payment via Self-Service, in person, or by phone or mail. Debit or credit card payments are subject to a convenience fee of 2.5%. Payment plans are available if needed, and may be established through the Office of Business and Financial Services.
  3. Monthly payments may be made by using the FACTS Plan, an automatic debit from your bank account.
Tuition $575/semester hour
Application Fee $25
IL Portfolio fee (when applicable) $150 
Practicum Fee (IL) $200
General Student Fee $26/hour

All financial information is subject to change without notice.

Financial Assistance

Financial aid information for graduate students is available on our website at www.uu.edu/financialaid. Generally, graduate students may be eligible for Federal Direct student loans or private alternative student loans, depending on the program of study and the eligibility of the borrower. Union University is also approved by the Department for Veterans Affairs to offer educational benefits to veterans, reservists, and dependents of veterans who qualify for Veterans Benefits. Any person who qualifies for VA Benefits should check with the Office of Student Financial Planning as soon as possible after acceptance into a graduate program.

 

Master of Education with Teaching and Learning Focus—30 hours

Master of Education with Instructional Leadership Focus—30 hours

Master of Education with Teacher Leadership Focus—30 hours