Upper Iowa University’s Master of Education (M.Ed.) program is designed to increase an educator’s skill set when working with students as well as enhance knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be an effective leader in the educator’s discipline. Classes are taught by individuals who have strong hands-on experience teaching in K-12 and working in higher education. Within the M.Ed. emphases, we offer advanced coursework that targets the needs of those seeking endorsements in Special Education, Early Childhood Education, English as a Second Language, Talented and Gifted, and Reading. We also offer an emphasis in Teacher Leadership. We expect to serve those students who seek to earn certain teaching license endorsements and/or meet the requirements for the Master of Education degree. Students may earn one or more of the following Iowa endorsements:
- Early Childhood (PreK-K)
- Early Childhood Unified (Birth-Grade 3: Inclusive Settings)
- English as a Second Language K-12
- Instructional Strategist I: Mild/Moderate (K-8 and/or 5-12)
- Instructional Strategist II: Behavior Disorders/Learning Disabilities K-12
- Instructional Strategist II: Intellectual Disabilities K-12
- Reading (K-8 and/or 5-12)
- Reading Specialist
- Talented and Gifted
All students who complete endorsements are encouraged to complete the additional graduate work to earn a Master of Education degree in one of the following areas of emphasis:
- Early Childhood
- English as a Second Language
- Instructional Strategist
- Reading
- Talented and Gifted
- Teacher Leadership
To be eligible for admission to the Master of Education program, the applicant must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an institution recognized by its own regional accreditation association and must have earned a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 (A = 4.0) or above.
Program Planning
There are three categories of graduate students - those just seeking a teaching license endorsement, those seeking a graduate certificate and those seeking the Master of Education degree. Candidates in all three categories must follow the degree plan/advising worksheet developed for the individual. The degree plan is developed by the candidate and his/her graduate advisor in a manner consistent with expectations of the graduate program.
Degree Requirements
To be awarded the Master of Education, candidate must earn a minimum of 36 credits in an approved program of study and achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 for all graduate courses. All requirements for the Master of Education degree must be completed within five years from the date of admission to the graduate program.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Candidates successfully completing the Master of Education core and an emphasis in Teacher Leadership, Instructional Strategist, Reading, Early Childhood, English as a Second Language, Talented and Gifted, or Higher Education will be able to:
- Read and evaluate educational research and/or engage in a research project.
- Using the student’s knowledge of different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures, explain how to collaborate effectively with constituents.
- Identify and solve problems in program finance, legal issues, distance learning, curriculum design, methods, or assessment using research.
- Demonstrate effective leadership decision making and analytical skills.
Areas of Emphasis
The Masters of Education is offered in the following areas of emphasis:
- Early Childhood
- ESL (English as a Second Language)
- Instructional Strategist
- Reading
- Talented and Gifted
- Teacher Leadership
Generally, candidates who pursue the Master of Education Instructional Strategist, Reading, Talented and Gifted, Early Childhood and/or ESL sequence of courses seek a teaching license endorsement. These candidates must complete the Iowa State Department of Education approved Upper Iowa University endorsement requirements, successfully complete the Master of Education core requirements and additional coursework in the Teacher Leadership area of emphasis, if necessary, to meet the Master of Education degree credit hour requirements.
For candidates who are seeking a Master of Education degree without adding an endorsement, the following emphasis areas are offered as non-licensure options:
- ESL (English as a Second Language non-licensure)
- Instructional Strategist (non-licensure)
- Talented and Gifted (non-licensure)
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