Secondary Education, M.Ed.

General Program Information

Graduate School Contact:

Fiona Goodyear; goodyear@etsu.edu; 423-439-6148

Norma Hogan, Ed.D., Graduate Coordinator

902 West Maple Street
Box 70684
(423) 439-8372
e-mail: macraen@etsu.edu

Rhona Hurwitz, Chair, Curriculum and Instruction

401A Warf-Pickel
Box 70684
(423) 439-7598
e-mail: hurwitz@etsu.edu

Faculty:

H. Lee Daniels; Rosalind Gann; Aimee Govett; Rhona Hurwitz; Lori Meier; Elizabeth Jane Melendez; Elizabeth Ralston; Jack Rhoton; Chi-Che Tai.

The major purpose of this degree is to improve the quality of teaching at the secondary level by broadening the background of teachers in the various areas of study and preparing teachers as action researchers. The departments in which courses are normally taken are: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, Foreign Languages, Geography, Health Education, History, Mathematics, Psychology, Sociology, and Theatre.

Students who wish to complete a concentration in one of the disciplines normally taught at the secondary school level, as part of a Master of Education degree, must already hold a professional teaching certificate or equivalent. Individuals without the teaching certificate will be considered for admission if their career goals are consistent with the programs of study. If the applicant does not have an acceptable background but desires to complete a specific content area, these deficiencies may be removed by completing courses for undergraduate credit.

Students planning to complete this program must complete 22 credits of professional development courses and 15 credits in an appropriate discipline, representing the student’s greatest interest. The Master of Education in Secondary Education degree requires a minimum of 37 credit-hours to complete. Professional development courses may be completed concurrently with content area courses. Elective courses and content area courses taken prior to completing the professional development courses should be held to a minimum. After completing twelve (12) credit-hours of professional development courses, the student should complete candidacy and committee papers with the approval of the initial advisor. The student’s program should be planned with the advisor prior to selecting courses. The students completing the M.Ed. Secondary Education program are required to present a Professional Level Teaching Portfolio as part of the oral examination.

Program Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to graduate programs in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction must first meet general requirements of the Graduate School. In addition, the following specific admission criteria apply:

1. A candidate who has an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for all work completed is eligible for admission. The candidate must also submit three letters of recommendation.
2. A candidate who has an undergraduate GPA of less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale may be granted admission by either of the following two procedures:
   1. Obtain a minimum of 2,400 points based on the following formula:
      1. The sum of the GRE aptitude scores (V+Q+A);
      2. GPA x 500; and
      3. The total of (i) and (ii).
         Scores on the GRE Analytical Writing section (AW) will be substituted for the old Analytical (A) scores using a scaled transfer.
   2. Participating in an interview with the appropriate admission committee. The candidate will be responsible for providing the admission committee with information for consideration in admission decisions. Factors to be considered include teaching experience; scores on standardized tests; GPA during the entire undergraduate experience, during the last two years of undergraduate school, and in the major; performance in graduate courses taken; recommendations of supervisors and colleagues; quality of undergraduate school(s) attended; oral communication skills; and skill in writing, which will be determined in part by the candidate’s extemporaneous writing during the interview process.

Course Requirements

(Except Classroom Technology Concentration)

Total Hours Required for Degree: 37 Credit Hours

Note:

The courses listed under the content specialization have been recommended by the respective departments as appropriate courses for secondary education. See the appropriate content section of this catalog or contact your advisor for specifics. However, substitutions may be recommended based on the unique background of individual candidates. Students may work out a specific program of study in consultation with an advisor. However, students should be aware that many courses in the content specialization and professional core have prerequisites.

See Curriculum and Instruction (CUAI), Educational Foundations (EDFN), and media (MEDA) sections of this catalog for these course descriptions .