Education
Washington University's Department of Education offers an in-service master's degree program designed to produce inquiry oriented teachers. We offer three strands of study; the first two strands are for certified teachers, and the third is for in-service teachers who are uncertified. Educators enrolled in the program will assess their skills, chart their own growth and plan a course of study which will enhance their own professional development and growth.
Admission
Admission to the M.A.Ed. Instructional Process program is open on a selective basis to practicing educators with strong credentials. It is expected that applicants will have at least a "B" average in their undergraduate course work. The applicant must submit the following:
- A completed Graduate School application with personal essay
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts of all college course work
- Miller Analogies Test or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores
Applications for the M.A.Ed.-IP may be obtained from either the Department of Education, 314-935-6707, or University College, 314-935-6700. The University College GRE code is 2833.
The Department of Education admission committee considers the application and makes a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School who makes admission decisions. Any students wishing to enroll for courses prior to admission may be able to do so with permission from the Washington University Department of Education. However, a student may enroll for only one semester as an unclassified student and must seek admission during that semester. Students enrolled in the ED 6000 Hands-on Science course work are considered exceptions to this policy. However, even these students should realize that enrollment does not imply admission to this program. Normally, ED 6000 course work will be accepted toward the science education strand upon acceptance of the student into this program.
There is no guarantee that any course work taken prior to admission will be applicable to M.A.Ed.-IP unless prior permission of the Washington University Department of Education has been obtained. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences policy states that course work from other institutions will not be considered for transfer until after the graduate student has been admitted and completed 12 credit hours of course work within his/her program. After completion of 12 credit hours here the student may petition the Dean to accept transfer course work. No more than 6 credit hours may be transferred into the master's degree program.
Program of Study
The M.A.Ed.-IP degree program offers three options or strands of study:
- professional development
- elementary/middle school science education
- innovative certification.
All three strands require students to study their own educational practice through the development of a professional portfolio.
Required courses
Every M.A.Ed.--IP student must complete 12 credit hours of required core courses; this includes 3-7 credits of portfolio work plus 9 credit hours of other required course work described below. The balance of the credits required to obtain the M.A.Ed.-IP are composed of work within one of the three strands described. Requirements may differ for those in the Innovative Teacher Certification Strand.
The portfolio process frames the entire master's degree program for all students. The program begins with a required two credit hour introduction to portfolio course (ED 513). Throughout the program all students must attend the one credit hour continuing portfolio class (ED 515). Finally, the program culminates in a one credit hour final portfolio presentation (ED 516). The maximum credit for portfolio course work is 7 hours. If a student enrolls for more than five semesters, he/she can either audit the continuing portfolio class or can take the class for credit that will not apply to the degree.
Portfolio coursework:
- Ed 513 Creating a Portfolio (Fall course - 2 units)
- Ed 461 Introduction to Educational Tests & Measurements (Fall course - 3 units)
- Ed 4312 Tools of Inquiry (Spring course - 3 credits; 1 hour counts towards portfolio work)
- Ed 515 Continuing the Portfolio Process (Fall/Spring course - 1 credit)
- Ed 516 MAEd Portfolio Presentation (Fall/Spring course - 1 unit)
- Ed 557
Strands of Study
Each student must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours within one strand of study.
Strand 1: Professional Development: 15 credit hours
If you select this strand of study you will design your own course of study driven by the needs identified by your reflection and planning as part of the portfolio process. Possible courses include:
- Ed 406 Theoretical Foundations, Approaches, & Methods in Teaching English as a Second Language
- Ed 4662 Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language
- Ed 597 Adult Learning Strategies and Practices, National Board Certification/Missouri PBTE skills preparation
- Ed 4021 Leadership Skills for Women Administrators
- Ed 457 Education and Personality Development
- Ed 5521 Counseling Skills for non-Counselors
- Ed 598 Topics in Adult Learning and Instruction
Students in this strand may also elect to do graduate level course work in their content field. University College offers especially strong graduate courses in American cultural studies, biology, writing, English literature, history and international affairs.
Strand 2: Elementary/Middle Science Education: 18 credit hours
The 18 credit hours must be selected from the following courses:
- Bio 4001 Teaching the Science of Nature I (must be taken under the Biology course number)
- Bio 4002 Teaching the Science of Nature II (must be taken under the Biology course number)
- Ed 6001 Hands-on Science K-8: Physical Sciences, Electricity & Magnetism
- Ed 6002 Hands-on Science K-8: Life Science, Form and Function
- Ed 6003 Hands-on Science K-8: Physical Sciences, Motion
- Ed 6004 Hands-On Science K-8: Life Sciences, Genetics
- Ed 6005 Scientific Inquiry for the Classroom Teacher
- Ed 6009 Matter and Energy
- Ed 6010 Mathematics Concepts
- Ed 6011 Sound and Light
- Ed 6012 Earth and Planetary Science
Strand 3: Innovative Teacher Certification: 30-54 credit hours
This strand is for those seeking teacher certification for elementary, middle, or high school. Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree and a current teaching position in a K-12 school as an uncertified teacher. The course work will vary based on the level of certification sought and the subject area course work that needs to be completed. This will be determined by Washington University after a review of transcripts and PRAXIS scores. Detailed outlines of the certification and masters degree requirements for each level are available upon request from the Department of Education.
Registration and Program Completion
Registration for University College courses usually begins approximately one month before the start of each term and may be completed on-line, or in person at the University College office, January Hall Room 20. Students may only enroll as an unclassified student for one semester while applying, and must obtain Washington University Department of Education permission prior to enrollment. Tuition is payable in full at the time of registration and may be paid by cash, check or credit card.
Continuation in the Program is contingent upon satisfactory performance in all courses. A 3.0 (B) grade point average is required to graduate. The degree is awarded by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. You must file an "Intent to Graduate Form" no later than the beginning of the semester of intended graduation.
Requirements for M.A.Ed. Instructional Process Portfolio
The portfolio will serve as a formative and summative demonstration of what the teachers enrolled in our M.A.Ed. program know and are able to do. Thus the portfolio should show both professional growth over time and attainment of the level of performance expected of persons who complete our masters degree program. At program completion students will be expected to demonstrate certain skills and knowledge deemed important by our faculty.
The course work and experiences in our master's degree program have been designed to present knowledge about and encourage development of these skills and knowledge, but it is the student's responsibility to chart his/her growth in these areas over time. It is expected that rubrics defining that body of skills and knowledge will develop over time as a variety of students complete this experience; however at a minimum the portfolio should include artifacts that demonstrate the following:
1. Demonstration of the ability to design and implement systematic inquiry in the classroom/educational setting. This could take the form of a qualitative or quantitative study designed for either Ed 503 or Ed 5282 or for any other course or project.
2. Demonstration of the ability of the educator to reflect on his/her own practice through video and written analyses or through student work, analysis of planning, etc.
3. Demonstration of the ability to conceptualize and communicate (orally and in writing), well reasoned and supported positions. This might be demonstrated through an action research report, through other course assignments or through proposals to school districts or other agencies.
4. Demonstration of the ability of the educator to continually assess their own progress and to chart future directions for growth. This might be shown in the reflections pieces that accompany the portfolio and/or in the student's professional development plan.
5. Demonstration of the ability to identify, evaluate and use the most current and respected educational knowledge bases to inform educational practice. The student's educational practice should always be informed by the thinking of other people in the field. Information from the core courses Ed 503, 5282 and 557 should help the student understand how to do this and once having that information the student should be able to demonstrate use in any number of ways in the portfolio.
6. Demonstration of knowledge of policy initiatives and policy implications for personal practice and schooling in general. Ed 557, Contemporary Issues, will speak directly to these issues and from that knowledge base students should be able to incorporate their own beliefs into their personal educational philosophy statement and/or demonstrate how their own philosophy affects their professional actions.
7. Demonstration of the ability to develop and refine a personal education philosophy statement and reflection on how that philosophy informs both educational practice and professional development planning.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to consider state and national standards in educational practices.
To obtain registration materials contact:
Department of Education
Campus Box 1183
Washington University
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
Phone (314) 935-6707
Website: Department of Education
E-mail: K. Shelton, kshelton@artsci.wustl.edu, Student Services Secretary
or
University College
Campus Box 1085
Washington University
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
Phone (314) 935-6700
Website: University College
E-mail: ucollege@artsci.wustl.edu
