253.535.8342
www.plu.edu/~educ
Lynn G. Beck, PhD, Dean, School of Education
C. Douglas Lamoreaux, PhD, Director of Graduate Studies, School of Education
Purpose: The purpose of the graduate program in education is to provide qualified persons with opportunities to develop their skills in teaching and prepare themselves for educational leadership and service roles requiring advanced preparation. The major fields of concentration are designed to provide maximum flexibility in an experience-oriented environment. Graduate concentrations are offered in Classroom Teaching, Residency Certification, Educational Administration, and Literacy Education. Requirements for each concentration are listed separately following this section.
Accreditation: The School of Education is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Coordinating Master's Degree with Continuing and Professional Certification Program: Students holding an Initial or Residency Certificate may coordinate the Master of Arts in Education degree with the requirements for Continuing or Professional Certification. Graduate students pursuing the Continuing or Professional Certificate should discuss their programs with the program coordinator or their advisor in the School of Education. Students intending to work toward a master's degree must complete formal application for admission to the Office of Admissions. Students intending to complete requirements for the Professional Certificate must complete a formal application to the School of Education.
Admission: For regular admission to master's degree programs and to professional certificate programs, applicants must have completed a BA or BS degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and must submit recommendations and test scores from appropriate screening tests. Students may be required to have a personal interview with the director of graduate programs before admission. (See individual concentrations for tests and prerequisites specific to the concentration.) Students admitted provisionally must fulfill the following requirements in order to be granted regular status: completion of 12 hours of graduate course work with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
Examinations: Students must take a comprehensive examination over course work. Comprehensive examinations are arranged by each program's coordinator. An oral examination over course work and/or research may be scheduled at the discretion of the student's advisory committee no later than three weeks before commencement.
Faculty Coordinator: C. Douglas Lamoreaux, PhD
Concentration Objective: Recognizing that all educators in
today's schools, both teachers and administrators, must work together
as education leaders, PLU faculty have designed an innovative program
to enhance the skills of 21st century educators with a focus on
leadership. Project Lead is for practicing educators who are committed
to enhancing their leadership and instructional roles. During the
program, PLU faculty and MA students collaborate in the investigation
of five important themes:
Inquiry and Action, Abiguity and Knowledge
Power, Privilege, and Difference
Advanced Cognition, Development, and Learning
Individuals, Communities, and Organizations
Leadership
These themes guide the creation of a personalized proffessional
project and provide the basis for grappling with important questions
that frame the work of educators in today's classrooms, schools, and
communities. Candidates for the degree will work side by side with
candidates seeking certification as principals. All candidates
completing the program wil be eligible to apply during the initial five
years following the 13-month program for a one-year program leading to
certification as a principal.
Prerequisites: Beyond the general prerequisites, applicants must hold a valid teaching certificate and should ordinarily have successfully completed one year of teaching or related professional experience. A grade point average of at least 3.0 and GRE or other admission test approved by the faculty coordinator and completed in the past five years are required. Students not meeting some of these requirements may be granted provisional status.
Required Courses:
(28 semester hours)
545 Inquiry and Action, Ambiguity and Knowledge (2)
550 Leadership I (1–4)
551 Leadership II (1–4)
552 Leadership III (1–4)
553 Leadership IV (1–4)
586 Sociology of Education (3)
599 Thesis (3 or 4)
Educational Psychology
512 Group Process and the Individual (2)
563 Practicum in Group Process and Leadership
565 Advanced Human Development
Elective Courses:
(4 semester hours)
Candidates may take/transfer in an approved elective.
Principal Certification Program:
The principal/program administrator program educates creative,
energetic, reform-minded administrators for the leadership positions in
Washington schools. Candidates in the certificate only program work
side by side with candidates seeking masters degrees in classroom
teaching and educational leadership. As part of the program all
candidates will investigate five themes:
Inquiry and Action, Abiguity and Knowledge
Power, Privilege, and Difference
Advanced Cognition, Development, and Learning
Individuals, Communities, and Organizations
Leadership
These themes frame the focus of study each semester.
Required Courses:
550 Leadership I (1–4)
551 Leadership II (1–4)
552 Leadership III (1–4)
553 Leadership IV (1–4)
554 Leadership V (1–4)
598 Internship (2)
Director: C. Douglas Lamoreaux, PhD
The MA with Certification Program is designed for qualified candidates who possess a baccalaureate degree in the liberal arts and seek a career of service as teachers. Course work leads to the Master of Arts in Education: Classroom Teaching degree and Washington State Residency Teaching Certificate with endorsements in grades K-8 (Elementary Education) and grades 4-12 (Subject Matter Specific). Candidates complete an internship in grades 5-8.
Full-time students entering the program may expect to complete all requirements in 14 months (full-time student load). A strong emphasis in the program is placed on developing the skills necessary for the integration of curriculum across grade levels with specific attention to the middle level (grades 5-8). The program is distinguished by active and early involvement in the schools and by membership with a cohort group of peers. Students entering the program in the same term will progress through courses and practica together, which allows them to share insights and experiences. Because of the involvement in public school programs, students should be able to take courses and participate in practica during the day.
Concentration Objective: The primary aim of the program is to educate teachers who are ready to assume a variety of roles in 21st-century schools. Faculty work with students to develop understandings and skills for their functions as leaders, inquirers, and curriculum/instructional specialists. Course work in the program is designed around specific themes that serve as a focus for individual and group projects and intersect with the functions of teachers as leaders, inquirers, and curriculum/instructional specialists.
Program Overview: Students enrolled in the MA with Certification Program begin studies in mid-June and complete program requirements the following August. In addition to course work required for the residency certificate, students complete an inquiry project culminating in a thesis as well as comprehensive examinations that allow MA candidates to demonstrate mastery of the program's core values.
The inquiry project, an empirical study grounded in the internship experience, is designed to assist MA candidates in becoming familiar with the purposes, theories, and processes of educational inquiry. The intent is to provide the opportunity for program participants to explore an educational topic in a systematic way in order to enrich their understanding of the topic, and generally, the strengths and limitations of educational inquiry.
An important program component is the completion of a year-long internship in a public school. For the intern experience, students are clustered at sites selected by the university as representative of programs reflecting specific attention to current trends in middle-level education.
Prerequisites: For regular admission, applicants must have completed a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 and official scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or other admission examination approved by the director are required. Applicants are invited to meet with the program director before submitting the completed application in order to clarify questions about the program and admissions procedures.
Admission Procedures: Interested candidates should submit application to PLU's Graduate Studies Programs. Applications are available from the Office of Admissions. Screening of applicants and admission to the incoming class will begin January 31 and continue until the class is full. Enrollment in the MA with Residency Certification Program is limited and admission to the program is competitive. Application and admission procedures include:
Required Courses: Program requirements include successful completion of the following courses:
511 Strategies for Language/Literacy Development (2)
544 Research and Program Evaluation (2)
556 Secondary and Middle School Curriculum (3)
560 Practicum (2)
562 Schools and Society (3)
563 Integrating Seminar (3-4)
564 The Arts, Mind, and Body (2)
565 The Art and Practice of Teaching (6)
568 Internship (6)
599 Thesis (3)
Educational Psychology 560 Communication in the Schools (3)
Educational Psychology 566 Advanced Cognition, Development, and Learning (3)
Educational Psychology 583 Current Issues in Exceptionality (2-4)