Master of Education MED

Upper Iowa University’s Master of Education (M.Ed.) program is designed to enhance educators’ abilities to work effectively with students while developing the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to become effective leaders within their respective educational disciplines. Courses are delivered by faculty with extensive hands-on experience in both K–12 and higher education environments, ensuring that instruction is grounded in practical application as well as theory. The M.Ed. program offers several areas of emphasis that include advanced coursework tailored to educators seeking Iowa teaching license endorsements. These emphases include Special Education, Early Childhood Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), Talented and Gifted (TAG), Reading, and Teacher Leadership.

The program is intended to serve educators who are pursuing endorsement credentials, the Master of Education degree, or both. Candidates are required to complete the Iowa Department of Education–approved endorsement coursework offered through Upper Iowa University, fulfill the M.Ed. core requirements, and, if needed, take additional coursework in the Teacher Leadership emphasis to meet the credit hour requirements for the 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
Instructional Strategist I and II: All K-12
Reading (K-8 and/or 5-12)
Reading Specialist
Talented and Gifted

Areas of Emphasis

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

Students not pursuing Iowa endorsements may choose to earn a Master of Education degree in a non-licensure emphasis area. The available non-licensure emphasis areas include the following:

Early Childhood Non-Licensure
English as a Second Language Non-Licensure
Instructional Strategist Non-Licensure
Reading Non-Licensure
Talented and Gifted Non-Licensure

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, candidates 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

Learners successfully completing the Master of Education program with an emphasis in Teacher Leadership, Special Education, Reading, Early Childhood, English as a Second Language, or Talented and Gifted, will address the following Program Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to read and evaluate educational research and apply through written projects.
Using knowledge of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures, students will explain how they would collaborate effectively with a variety of constituents.
Students will apply their knowledge to solve problems related to educational assessment, curriculum, and instruction.
Students will develop effective leadership decision making and analytical skills.

Early Childhood

To be awarded the Master of Education Early Childhood emphasis, the candidate must earn a minimum of 36 approved graduate credit hours that include the following courses/requirements:

English as a Second Language

To be awarded the Master of Education ESL emphasis, the candidate must earn a minimum of 36 approved graduate credit hours that include the following courses/requirements:

Instructional Strategist

To be awarded the Master of Education, Instructional Strategist I emphasis, the candidate must earn a minimum of 36 approved graduate credit hours that include the following courses/requirements:

Reading

To be awarded the Master of Education, Reading emphasis, the candidate must earn a minimum of 36 approved graduate credit hours that include the following courses/requirements:

Talented and Gifted (TAG)

To be awarded the Master of Education, Talented and Gifted (TAG) emphasis, the candidate must earn a minimum of 36 approved graduate credit hours that include the following courses/requirements:

Teacher Leadership

To be awarded the Master of Education, Teacher Leadership emphasis, the candidate must earn a minimum of 36 approved graduate credit hours that include the following courses:

Teacher Leadership Emphasis

Other Resources (Professional Development)

One-credit, online, and self-paced graduate-level professional development courses:

EDGD 503 - 2 Classroom Management by Robert Marzano
EDGD 503 - 3 Better Conversations by Jim Knight
EDGD 503 - 4 Mindset by Carol Dweck
EDGD 503 - 5 Collaborative Leadership by Peter Dewitt
EDGD 501 - 7 Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomlinson

Happy Teacher Professional Development Partnership

Happy Teacher Professional Development is a private company that partners with Upper Iowa University to offer professional development courses for teacher license renewal or salary advancement with optional graduate level credit. Courses are self-paced over the span of a month, and each 3-credit course carries the equivalent of 45 hours of content and coursework. The courses are research-based, current, relevant, and relate to a variety of topics within the field of education.

Teaching Channel with Learners Edge

Learners Edge is a national, private company that partners with Upper Iowa University to offer relevant, applicable continuing education for graduate credit. Learners Edge offers 100+ online courses that are rigorous and align with the Quality Matters framework - and the Learners Edge Professional Learning Model. Courses are self-paced, and each 3-credit course carries the equivalent of 45 hours of content and coursework. The majority of courses are built around seminal texts that are a balance of research and applicability and written by major authors in the field of education. Courses include high-quality tutorial videos, multi-media clips, and research-based articles to supplement course texts. Only 12 credits may transfer into the MEd program as graduate electives. If individuals want to pursue a MEd at UIU, they must follow the MEd admission requirements.