Master's of Education
Program Highlights & Benefits
Design your graduate studies to fit your interests and goals
Format and course schedule designed for working educators
Innovative curriculum and teaching methods
Basic computer skills required, user friendly format
For
Current teachers interested in advancing their career in areas related to culturally relevant teacher leadership. Students can select one endorsement area and pair it with the core to earn a full master’s degree, but also have the option to choose flexible courses from a variety of endorsement areas. A minimum of 33 credit hours is required to earn a full Master’s of Education.
What You Learn
Throughout the 15 credits in the Master’s of Education Core courses, students will:
- develop the attitudes, dispositions, and skills needed to lead in multicultural educational settings
- examine theoretical and historical issues that affect the culture and climate of schools and that require school leaders to be culturally competent, relevant, and responsive
- explore and examine their individual leadership styles and will understand processes of school improvement and second order change
- analyze and use data to better understand student achievement and school environment
- explore a variety of strategies and models for creating a collaborative culture and will develop the effective communication skills required of teacher leaders, instructional coaches and mentors
- use data, gap analysis, and action planning to prioritize professional development needs
- apply adult learning theory and Universal Design for Learning to plan and implement professional development for classroom teachers
- understand the major legal and policy issues that are affecting schools in the 21st century
- create organized and planned partnership programs that foster an environment which encourages families and community stakeholders to become actively involved and contribute to students’ academic success
- apply the legal, economic, and social implications of major policy initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels and how to advocate for students’ and other stakeholders’ needs within policy frameworks
- explore the strengths and limitations of and apply various research designs in education to improve PK-12 student achievement
How You Learn
Fully Online: You will log into Blackboard to complete assignments, participate in online discussions, and complete group activities. Some activities may include chats, discussion boards, recorded and/or live webinars, and various web links for viewing.
Career Outcomes
Upon completion of the Culturally Responsive Teacher Leadership core courses (15 credits), along with completion of the selected endorsement coursework, students will have earned a Master’s of Education. Students completing the program improve their effectiveness in the classroom, become teacher leaders within their own classrooms, and advance their career based on the selected endorsement.
Prerequisites
Students applying to this program must hold a baccalaureate degree earned from a regionally accredited institution, a validated minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (Students below 3.0 will be considered for provisional acceptance), and a current or pending license to teach in the state of Iowa.
Jacobson Fellowship
Graduate students in the Master’s of Education program may be eligible for the Jacobson Fellowship, a scholarship of $400 per semester for a student is enrolled in 3 credits or $800 for a student is enrolled in 6 or more credits per semester. Recipients must be accepted into the program, have earned an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 and must be nominated/recommended by a school administrator. Renewal for a second year requires a 3.0 GPA in the master’s program. The nomination deadline is May 1. Submit an online nomination form.
Degree Requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
| Culturally Responsive Educational Leadership | 3 | |
| Improving Collaborative Culture Through Instructional Coaching, Modeling, and Mentoring | 3 | |
| Empowering the Community Through Education | 3 | |
| Educational Policy & Law | 3 | |
| Research in Education | 3 | |
| + 18 graduate level credits in Education | ||
| Total Credit Hours: | 33 |
Please Note:
This is not an official schedule and your cohort may take these courses in a different order.
