MEd: Secondary Education

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Reading Emphasis

The Masters in Secondary Education, General emphasis program, is appropriate for secondary teachers, specialists, department chairpersons, and those who work in informal learning or international educational settings. Candidates choose concentration areas that will support their personal growth and development as an educational leader. It is important that both students and advisors plan ahead to insure courses in concentration areas are taken when they are offered in the schedule. Programs must be planned with the academic advisor and meet the approval of the faculty advisor, adhering to the College of Education and UMSL Graduate School policies.

Concentration area choices will appear at the end of the M.Ed. transcript. 

General Curricular Program for SEC ED areas

The M.Ed. in Secondary Education consists of 15 required hours (5 courses) plus student choice of two 9 hour concentrations from the list below. The general program option requirements are met by (a) completing three required foundation courses (9 hrs.) toward the beginning of the M.Ed. program, (b) completing the coursework for two choice concentration areas (18 hrs.), and (c) completing the two exit research capstone classes (6 hrs.) for a total of 33 hours.

Most concentration areas indicate 0-3 REQUIRED courses; a list of course CHOICE selections are then provided as a menu to choose your remaining hours for that concentration. In addition, an Elective Concentration allows students, with advisor sign-off, to construct an individualized set of target courses for 1 of their 2 concentration areas. Transfer graduate credit from another institution could also fit into this concentration choice. Finally, those who want to take 9 graduate hours in an academic content area may use the Discipline Content Area Concentration to integrate this advanced work into their M.Ed. program.

Students who wish to focus intensively (18 hrs) in one area of expertise may choose a concentration that has two sequential Concentration blocks I & II. Emphasis areas offered in SEC ED include Reading, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Teaching of Writing, and Middle Level Education. Reading and TESOL require signing up for two 9 hour sequenced concentrations (Literacy I and II and TESOL I and II, respectively) and may require additional coursework for licensure, as noted. For a C & I emphasis, students just select the C & I concentration and an additional choice concentration.  

Required 15 hours of M.Ed. core courses plus two 9-Hour Concentrations
 

Students seeking a professional Masters in Education Degree choose two 9-hour concentrations in consultation with their advisors that will enhance teacher leadership capacity in practice. The following 9-hour concentrations include an interdepartmental range of concentration areas that can support a candidate’s development of a broad range of skills, knowledge, and dispositions.

 
3) 9 hour Concentration Choices

a.) Curriculum and Instruction Concentration
b.) Literacy Concentrations I and II (Certificates in Reading and Writing available) 
c.) Special Education Concentration 
d.) Social Justice Issues Concentration (College of Education Social Justice Certificate available)
e.) Leadership in Education Concentration 
f.) Supporting Language Learners: TESOL Concentrations I and II (DESE TESOL endorsement available) 
g.) STEM Concentration 
h.) Discipline Content Area Concentration
i.) Elective Concentration

Curriculum and Instruction:

In order for all students to optimally achieve, teachers must develop integrated, standards based, innovative curriculum delivered as engaging instruction that equips students to develop the knowledge and skills for a global society. This concentration explores common issues in curriculum design and implementation. Educators will create curriculum and design instruction for their own educational settings.

Literacy Concentrations I and II: 9 hours Each

Concentration I is designed for educators who want a deeper understanding of reading and writing processes across the lifespan. This area emphasizes the preparation of leaders in a wide range of school and community settings, including literacy coaches or grade-level leaders. Concentration I emphasizes cutting-edge theory, research and instructional practices in literacy education. Concentration II, for those wanting a Literacy endorsement, applies these understandings through a variety of readings, writings and experiences, both in Clinical and online settings. There are two choices for Concentration II: Writing and Reading. Students who complete Concentrations I and II in Literacy can apply these courses to a K-12 DESE Reading Certificate or the UMSL Graduate Certificate in the Teaching of Writing, but additional coursework may be required.

Literacy Concentration I:

Concentration II: Choice A:

Courses to complete the Reading Certification emphasis

The M.Ed. program with Emphasis in Reading (literacy) is designed to enable candidates to further their competencies as teachers of reading, writing, and the other communication arts. The program also prepares them for positions as literacy coaches, reading specialists, curriculum specialists in communication arts and reading areas, consultants in areas of communication arts, and/or for further graduate study. Concentration II enables a student to earn a master’s degree in education with credit towards an Emphasis in Reading as per requirements laid out by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for special reading certification in Missouri. Students must complete the required 15 hours of M.Ed. courses, an educational psychology course, plus 18 hours of literacy courses.

Concentration II: Choice B:

Courses to complete the Graduate Certificate in the Teaching of Writing

Admission
Applicants who wish to earn a Graduate Certificate in the Teaching of Writing must apply for admission to the certificate program. Applicants must have a 2.75 GPA in undergraduate coursework to be admitted. A background in K-12 or adult education is desirable.
 

Special Education:

For educators who are not receiving a degree in Special Education, but would like to expand their understanding of Special Education law and the needs of students with cross-categorical disabilities and those with Autism Spectrum Disorders, this concentration offers coursework on the characteristics and effective strategies for teaching students with varied abilities in educational settings. Those interested in the M.Ed. in Special Education or the Graduate Certificate in Autism and Developmental Disabilities should choose concentrations in those designated programs under the Masters in Special Education.

Social Justice Issues:

Educators need to challenge themselves to understand the variety of assets diverse students and their families bring to educational contexts. An interdisciplinary group of courses is offered for this concentration that invite personal growth and academic knowledge in the area of social justice. An emphasis on engagement and action permeates the course activities.
With completion of TCH ED 6010, TCH ED 6020 and TCH ED 6910 and these 9 hours, students will meet the requirements for the Social Justice in Education Certificate. Applicants who wish to earn a Graduate Certificate in Social Justice in Education must apply for admission to the certificate program.

Leadership in Education:

Organizations need leaders who understand the complexities of systems and working with diverse staff and families within situated communities in a dynamic and changing educational environment. Leadership skills can be taught and nurtured. This Leadership in Education concentration allows educators in various roles and career levels to apply principles of leadership to creating effective communities of practice.

Supporting Language Learners: TESOL Concentrations I and II: 9 hours each

This concentration is designed for those who want to better understand Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) processes. Courses emphasize the theoretical foundations of Second Language Acquisition and TESOL and their practical application to practice. Concentration I is open to all Masters in Education students.
In order to get a Missouri TESOL endorsement, complete BOTH Concentration I and Concentration II (18 hours). The graduate certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is intended for individuals with a bachelor’s degree who would like to advance their knowledge about language learning in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms. The program is a combination of theory and practice, covering the key concepts, issues and innovative strategies required to apply this knowledge. Students may seek this Graduate Certificate simultaneously with the M.Ed. in Secondary Education with a specialization in TESOL.
Admission
Applicants who wish to earn a Graduate Certificate in TESOL must apply for admission to the certificate program and to the Graduate School at the UM-St. Louis as a non-degree student or as a master’s or doctoral student. Applicants must have a 2.75 GPA in undergraduate coursework to be admitted. A background in K-12 or adult education is desirable.
Requirements
Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to remain in the certificate program. The DESE endorsement is awarded after completion of Concentrations I and II. A program of study, or M-1, should be filed in the first one-third of the program. Students should file the Intent to Complete a Graduate Certificate form at the beginning of their last semester. The Graduate Certificate in TESOL requires 18 credit hours of course work, including an entry course.

TESOL Concentration I:

TESOL Concentration II:

STEM Concentration:

Many challenges remain in the attraction and preparation of youth for the careers in fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Those who teach in these areas need to continually work toward developing and implementing relevant curricula and develop new instructional strategies as well as revise and upgrade current methodology. The STEM Concentration focuses on professional development with respect to instructional research and best practices for all involved in enhancing STEM literacy.

Discipline Content Area Concentration:

Educators recognize the importance of staying current in their field of teaching. This Discipline Content Concentration allows for 9 hours of graduate level credit in a content area related to one’s field of practice. This includes graduate credit in areas such as history, English, math, science, foreign language, health and PE, and art and music. Courses for this concentration need to be approved by advisors before they are included on the M-1 program form.

Elective Concentration:

To insure maximum flexibility in course selection to meet the individual needs of professional educator’s development, this concentration represents an opportunity to select three unique courses from the various concentration areas in an eclectic and personalized way. Choices to include in this concentration need to be approved by advisors and signed off on by the program director.

The M.Ed. program with Emphasis in Reading (literacy) is designed to enable candidates to further their competencies as teachers of reading, writing and other communication arts. The program also prepares them for positions as literacy coaches, reading specialists, curriculum specialist in communication arts and reading areas, consultants in areas of communication arts, and/or for further graduate study. The following program enables the student to earn a M.Ed. with an Emphasis in Reading while fulfilling the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s requirements for special reading certification in Missouri. A course in reading in the content area is required for secondary certification. If this has not been taken as an undergraduate, it must be selected as an elective in the program for a Masters in Secondary Education with a Reading Emphasis. The minimum required and recommended courses are as follows:

Note: Only one 4000 level course can be applied to the M.Ed.