Master Degree Options
Department of Educational Foundations
Master’s Degree Programs
The Department of Educational Foundations offers students five options in the Master of Education Degree program: Plan A option and a Plan B with four distinct strands.
Plan A: Thesis (30 credit hours)
- Department Core = 12 credits
- EDEF 651—Education and the American Experience
- EDEF 660—Philosophy of Education
- EDEF 669—Introduction to Comparative/International Education
- EDEF 683—Social and Cultural Contexts of Education
- Two electives in area of emphasis and/or cognate = 6 credits
- One Research Methods Course - EDEF 678 or other approved research course.
- One Seminar = 3 credits
- Thesis EDEF 700 = 6 credits (5 credits of directed reading, convertible to 700 thesis, if desired)
- Committee = Chair (full graduate faculty), member (graduate faculty), and outside member (full graduate faculty)
- Culminating Experience = Oral defense of Thesis
Plan B: Non-thesis (30 credit hours)
Strand I—For Field-Based Educators/Project Based Study
- Dept. Core (12 credits)
- One Seminar (3 cr.)
- One Research (3 cr.)
- Electives (6 cr.)
- Directed Reading to be used to carry out a school-based project in the candidate’s school or community. (6 cr.)
- Committee = a Chair and a school-based reader
- Culminating experience = Final project and written abstract approved by committee.
Strand II—An In-Depth Review of an Area of Emphasis or an Issue in Education from a Historical, Philosophical, Social, Comparative, or Policy Perspective.
- Dept. Core (12 credits)
- One Seminar ( 3 cr.)
- Two electives (9 cr.)
- One Research (3 cr)
- Directed Reading for constructing and exploring a related bibliography (6 cr.)
- Committee = Chair, and one committee member (both of graduate faculty)
- Culminating experience = Comprehensive Examination
Strand III —Private School Leadership (Focus on Leadership in the Pacific Basin)
- Fixed sequence of courses (30 cr.)
- Committee = Chair and reader who guide students through the conceptualization and implementation of the Project and writing of the Plan B paper.
- Culminating Experience = Approval of the Project by Chair and reader
Strand IV—Summers Only Master’s in Education (Focus on Leadership in the Asia/Pacific Region)
- Fixed sequence of courses (30 cr.)
- Committee = Chair and reader who guide students through the conceptualization and implementation of the Project and writing of the Plan B paper.
- Culminating Experience = Approval of the Project by Chair and reader
Strand V—Interdisciplinary Master’s in Education
- Fixed sequence of courses (30 cr.)
- Committee = Chair and reader who guide students through the conceptualization and implementation of the Project and writing of the Plan B paper.
- Culminating Experience = Approval of the Project by Chair and reader.