Graduate Programs

Faculty Areas of Specialization

Master's Degrees

Education Specialist Degree

Doctoral Degrees


 


Faculty Areas of Specialization

Master's Degrees

Natalie Phillips, Sylvia Read, Natalie Merrill, and Lisa Larkin, May 1, 2009

To apply for a Master’s Degree please visit the School of Graduate School’s website: http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/ Under Prospective Graduate Students there is a link to apply. Everything is submitted electronically including your letters of recommendation.

Master's degree programs in Elementary Education provide candidates with the freedom to design programs which meet their individual needs and interests. For candidates whose long-range goals include the possibility of pursuing a doctorate, the MS and MA (Plan A) thesis programs provide excellent opportunities to acquire research skills. Requirements for the MS/MA include two years, or its equivalent, of an acceptable foreign language(s), and 36 credits of approved graduate courses. MS/MA programs (Plan A must be completed on campus only).

The Master of Education Degree program is designed for persons who desire to engage in a graduate program that will help them improve their competencies as educators. This includes school personnel as well as individuals who are involved in education-related activities in industry and/or other settings. The M.Ed. degree (Elem Ed Plan B) (Sec Ed Plan B) is not a research-oriented degree, and the emphasis is upon improving the educational philosophy and/or instructional skills of the candidate. The program requires a minimum of 36 credits in a pre-planned program designed to improve the teaching skills of the candidate. A thesis is not required, but all candidates must complete a Creative Project. The M.Ed. may be completed by on- or off-campus students. An M.Ed. degree program (Elem Ed Plan C) (Sec Ed Plan C) is another option for students both on and off campus. The basic elements of a Plan C option include completion of 40 credits of approved graduate courses, and completion of an Exit Paper and an Oral Review.

Admission Requirements for Master's Degree Programs

  • Completed application for admission
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent
  • Standard teaching certificate (early childhood or elementary for elementary master's; secondary for secondary master's)
  • Transcripts of all college/university credits
  • GPA of 3.0 (B) or higher during most recent 60 semester hours
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE), verbal (40th percentile) and quantitative (40th percentile) portions, OR Miller Analogies Exam, minimum score 40th percentile
  • Three favorable letters of recommendation
  • One year of successful teaching experience (at appropriate grade level for program)
  • Recommendation by department screening committee

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Maximum credit allowed before admission - 12
  • Workshop Credits - 8
  • Transfer Credit - normally 6, but up to 12 with prior approval
  • P/F grades will be accepted only for seminars, special problems, interdisciplinary workshops, thesis or dissertation research & continuing graduate advisement
  • Maximum age of coursework applied toward master's degree is 8 years; toward doctoral degree is 8 years.

ADMISSION DEADLINES:

  • March 15 for Summer Semester, June 15 for Fall Semester, October 15 for Spring Semester

Education Specialist (EdS) Degree

The EdS is a 36-42 credit post-masters degree designed to enable experienced educators to specialize and improve their professional competence in specific areas or fields. The EdS degree meets the advanced study needs of persons seeking leadership roles in public education, junior colleges, and small private and state colleges. The course work requirements extend competencies for individuals serving in such positions as program developers, trainers, curriculum specialists, supervisors, instructional leaders, and college instructors. The EdS is also related to certification needs of some educational leaders. Areas of emphasis in the Department of Elementary Education are: Early Childhood; Instructional Leadership; Supervision and Leadership; Schooling, Culture, and Society; and Reading and Writing. The EdS is especially appropriate for those individuals who wish preparation beyond the master's degree level, but who are not interested in doctoral work with its greater emphasis on developing proficiencies in conducting independent research.

Successful admission into and completion of the 42-credit emphasis program in Supervision and Leadership also earns the EdS recipient an Administrative/Supervisory Certificate. For more information on the ASC see: http://www.cehs.usu.edu/asc/index.php

A distance EdS, delivered to various cohort sites throughout the state of Utah, is also available. A new cohort of distance EdS students is admitted every two years on even-numbered years (e.g., 2008, 2010).

Admission Requirements:

To be evaluated against established criteria, students must submit to the School of Graduate Studies at Utah State University an electronic application for admission (http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/) Requirements for admission include:

  • Official copies of both undergraduate and graduate credits from all colleges or universities attended. An average grade of B (3.0) or better is required during the last 60 semester credits.
  • Three letters of recommendation (required). At least two of these letters should come from individuals who can evaluate the student’s academic abilities. All letters should address the student’s potential for successful graduate study.
  • Documentation of a master’s degree related to the area of specialization.
  • An official report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) including both the Verbal and Quantitative subtests. Scores at or above the 40th percentile are required on both of these subtests.
  • Evidence of writing ability as requested by the department of specialization.
  • A statement of specific reasons for wanting to enroll in the Educational Specialist degree.
  • An up-to-date vita (resume) documenting at least two years of successful teaching experience or equivalent.

 

Admission Deadline

On-campus EdS applications are reviewed March 15 for Summer Semester, June 15 for Fall Semester, October 15 for Spring Semester. The admission deadline for the Distance EdS Cohort Program is March 15th of even-numbered years.

Program of Study and Comprehensive Examinations

A committee chair and two committee members approve a student's Ed.S. program of study and provide advice and counsel to the student as needed. They are also responsible for the construction, administration, and evaluation of the comprehensive examination that is taken by the student during the last semester of course work. A student must register for this written examination at the beginning of the semester in which it is to be taken. The comprehensive examination includes questions that require the student to integrate and synthesize information from the required core, research, and emphasis courses in the Ed.S. program. Successful completion of the examination is required in order for a committee to recommend a student for graduation.

EdS and EdD/PhD Relationship

For USU students who wish to transfer from the Ed.S. program to a related doctoral program, or vice versa, credits earned from one program do not automatically transfer to the other. The student interested in a transfer from one post-masters degree program to another must make a request for program transfer through his or her major advisor. Upon the advisor's recommendation, the appropriate program admission's committee will then make a determination regarding the acceptance of such a transfer. Transfer between programs will require adherence to the new program's requirements. It is important to note that the comprehensive examination completed for the EdS will not substitute for the doctoral comprehensive examination, given that the doctorate requires more extensive course work.

Forms

Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Education Degrees

The School of Teacher Education and Leadership administers an interdepartmental program leading to a doctoral degree (PhD or EdD) in Curriculum and Instruction. These degrees are designed for educators who wish to prepare to become curriculum specialists, coordinators, or supervisors in public or private school systems or state departments of public instruction, and for those preparing to teach at the college or university level in a teacher preparation area.

For more information click here

Admission Requirements - Doctoral Degree Program

  • Completed application for admission
  • Transcripts of all college/university credits
  • Three favorable letters of recommendation
  • Evidence of two years of teaching experience
  • Evidence of a 3.0 (B) GPA (last two years of undergraduate and graduate credit)

Evidence of minimum entrance examination standards:

  • GRE: Verbal (minimum 40%-tile)
  • GRE: Quantitative (minimum 40%-tile)
  • Recommendation by C & I screening committee

For further information on the doctoral program, contact:
Deborah Byrnes, Professor
School of Teacher Education and Leadership
2805 Old Main Hill
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322-2805
(435) 797-0396