Master of Education (M.Ed.)

The Grace College graduate education program is designed to assist teachers to become moral professionals and expand their influence in their classrooms, in their schools, and in their communities. This program is based on the assumption that highly qualified teachers must continue to learn and improve their own practice and that teachers must remain active in planning their own development.

Requirements

Core Courses

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Course assignments will apply directly to your classroom and school. You will study with professors who are knowledgeable in instruction, assessment, diversity and technology. Cognate areas will provide you with opportunities to develop specialized knowledge and skill. Cognate areas include literacy, special education, leadership, and a track for Christian school teachers, or you may select a generalist area that allows you to design your own cognate area.

Candidates begin the program with a course that introduces them to current issues in education, after which they formulate a professional development plan. The program ends with a professional capstone course in which candidates present a portfolio that documents their professional growth during the program. Professional development plans address the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Courses and course assignments assist candidates in meeting the objectives of the professional development plans, which teachers must submit to the Indiana Professional Standards Board for license renewal. Candidates also develop knowledge and skills needed to apply for National Board Certification. After completing the M.Ed. program, candidates will be equipped to serve in a variety of leadership roles in their schools.

The M.Ed. program affords the candidate a choice of cognate areas:

  1. The Literacy option will equip teachers to assess students’ abilities in reading and writing, to use instructional strategies that will enhance student learning in the language arts, and to promote basic interpersonal communication and academic language proficiency.
  2. The Special Education cognate will help current special education teachers gain additional knowledge and skills. General education teachers could also complete this cognate area to improve their ability to work with special needs students in their classrooms.
  3. The Leadership cognate option prepares teachers to provide moral leadership in their schools. Teachers will be prepared to serve as committee chairs, curriculum team leaders, academic department chairs, mentors to novice teachers, and in other leadership roles in their classrooms and schools.
  4. The Christian School Certification cognate will allow teachers working in Christian schools to become better equipped to carry out their unique mission.
  5. The Generalist option will allow individuals who are transferring graduate credit to apply those courses to a cognate area if the courses do not replace core course requirements. The Generalist option will also allow a candidate to design an individualized cognate area by selecting courses and seminars around a theme or area of interest.