Education, M.A.

The College of Education  graduate program in Education is designed to enhance and facilitate the professional development of in-service classroom teachers at all levels. The program enables candidates to improve their effectiveness as teachers by increasing their knowledge and skill in their chosen area of teaching, preparing them to assume leadership roles within their school systems, taking responsibility for their continued professional development, and developing the skills that enable them to solve significant problems of practice. By relating theory to practice, the program emphasizes developing reflective practitioners committed to lifelong learning and to those who hold their students to high expectations. The MA in Education provides specialization experiences in the following sequences: Computer Education, Curriculum and Instruction, English as a Second Language/Bilingual Teacher Education, Mathematics Education, and Science Education.

Teacher Licensure

Completion of the degree program does not lead to licensure in the State of Illinois.

Program Requirements

After meeting the university admission requirements, in order to continue in the program, candidates must, before completing nine hours of course work which includes EDUC-6100  and EDUC-8244 , submit to the College of Education a supplemental application packet containing:

• transcripts showing a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in all undergraduate work attempted and all grades in graduate course work at a “B” or better; and
• scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), including a score of “4” or higher on the Writing Subtest.

After the candidate has completed EDUC-6100  and EDUC-8244 , the faculty will review this information and recommend that the candidate be permitted to continue in the program, continue in the program conditionally, or be dismissed from the program. To receive a recommendation to continue, the candidate must earn a grade of “B” or better in EDUC-6100  and EDUC-8244 , and both must be taken at Governors State University. Candidates who score a “1” or “2” on the GRE Writing Subtest will not be permitted to continue in the M.A. in Education program.

Conditional Continuation

The faculty may permit a candidate to progress conditionally. In such cases, faculty review of the applicant’s record will have identified evidence that the candidate will likely be successful in the M.A. in Education program. If the candidate’s GRE Writing Subtest score is a “3”, he or she may be permitted to continue conditionally if:

• within one calendar year, he or she retakes the GRE and scores above a “3”; and
• within one calendar year, he/she maintains a “B” or better grade point average (based on a four-point scale) in all core or required courses and a grade of “C” or better in all courses taken for the M.A. in Education program. Core or required courses are listed elsewhere in the catalog.

The status of all candidates permitted to progress conditionally is reviewed by the faculty each term, and candidates are informed in writing of the conditions necessary for them to be transferred to good standing status. When conditions are met, candidates are informed in writing of the transfer to good standing status. A candidate may not be admitted to the culminating project without achieving good standing status.

Admission to Candidacy

To continue in the program the candidate must be accepted as a candidate for the M.A. in Education degree after completing EDUC-6100 , EDUC-8244 , EDUC-8105  , and one additional course listed on the student’s approved study plan. Candidates must submit to the Division of Education Graduate Advising Office an application for candidacy in the term that they expect to have completed the courses required for candidacy: September 30 for fall term, January 31 for spring term, or May 31 for summer term. Application forms are available via the student portal of the GSU website - College of Education Graduate Programs.

To qualify for candidacy, a student must:

1. have completed undergraduate prerequisites for all courses on the study plan;
2. have completed all course work applicable to the degree with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, with a grade of “B” or better in EDUC-6100  and EDUC-8244  and with a grade of “C” or better in all other courses;
3. submit an acceptable word-processed essay not to exceed 300 words;
4. display, or be judged as developing, the dispositions expected of a graduate student as listed in the section Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals ; and
5. be recommended for candidacy by the M.A. in Education program faculty.

Further information about candidacy is available in the M.A. in Education Student Handbook accessible via the student portal on the GSU website.

Students admitted to candidacy will be assigned to a faculty advisor. Students not admitted to candidacy will be dropped from the program and will not be permitted to register for courses at Governors State University until they have changed their major to a major outside the Division of Education.

Student Progress

A detailed statement of the standards and processes followed by the education faculty in assessing student progress is available in the M.A. in Education Student Handbook.

Student Handbook

The M.A. in Education Student Handbook referred to in this catalog is available via the student portal of the GSU website.