Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning, M.Ed.

Degree: Master of Education (M.Ed.)

The Master of Education program provides advanced study to certified teachers* or teacher candidates who have completed a bachelor’s degree. The program builds on the College of Education’s conceptual framework, to prepare educators to become competent and caring professionals who are able to work effectively with diverse populations.

*Licensed or certified in the State of Tennessee or a United States equivalent.

Specifically, the goals are to provide advanced study in the following areas:

• Curriculum and Instruction

Concentrations

• Curriculum Planning (licensed teachers only)
• Educational Technology (non-licensure option)
• Music (non-licensure option)
• Reading Specialist (endorsement only)
• Secondary School Instruction (includes Music Education)
• Teaching English Language Learners (endorsement or non-licensure option)

• Elementary Education
• Special Education

Concentration

• Mild/Moderate

• Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning

Student Learning Outcomes:

Graduates will:

1. Become reflective, caring, competent, and culturally responsive practitioners who are able to work with diverse populations using research based interventions.
2. Generate new knowledge through scholarly research and communication.
3. Apply relevant theory, philosophy, research, policies,legislation, and best practice to their professional goals.
4. Demonstrate growth in knowledge of content, differentiated interventions, and developmentally appropriate pedagogy.
5. Become collaborators with learners, parents, the community,and other professionals.
6. Uphold the ethical standards, values, and attitudes of the education profession

Major: Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning

The mission of this Regents Online Degree Program (RODP) Master’s Degree program in Education is to provide advanced professional preparation in the area of reading and language arts for licensed practicing teachers. Further, this entirely online program is based on the assumption that all course content and learning experiences will be based on the student’s work as a classroom teacher. All courses include assignments that teachers carry out in their own classrooms.

The RODP Master’s Degree program is aligned with National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) core propositions. The program is built around a core of proficiencies that are consistent across most National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certificates. In addition, it includes coursework focused on pedagogical content proficiencies related to teaching Reading-Language Arts. This design allows teachers to receive advanced professional preparation consistent with NBPTS principles and is supportive of achieving NBPTS certification in Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts. Since the core is aligned with NBPTS generalist certificates, this program also supports teachers who seek NBPTS certification in any of the generalist areas as well. This design is flexible in that it allows other NBPTS certification areas to be included by changing the pedagogical content focus.

For more information about this program, refer to the RODP Web site at www.tn.regentsdegrees.org.

Admission Requirements

Unconditional admission to the program requires the applicant to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university, an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale, and satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Millers Analogies (MAT). The GRE or MAT result is used in the evaluation of the academic qualifications of all graduate applicants. *Note: International students must meet fulfill admissions requirements to be accepted into Department programs.

Applicants should refer to the follow ranges to determine the minimum score, based on their GPA of record:

Conditional admission may be gained with a lower grade point average, but the GRE or MAT score must be correspondingly higher based on the above weightings. Applicants with less than a 2.5 undergraduate GPA must submit test scores at the time of application; applicants with a GPA of 2.5 or above may submit test scores in the first semester of attendance, but it is preferable that they submit test scores at the time of original application. The student must remove conditional status by fulfilling required score on graduate exam (GRE or MAT) and earning at least a B (3.0) average in the first nine hours of graduate courses. Failure to achieve this will result in withdrawal from the program. A student with a lower GRE/MAT score does not qualify for conditional admission regardless of a GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the Master in Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning degree, and initial certification, must take a minimum of thirty-six (36) semester hours of course work. Candidates must successfully complete a capstone, action research project.