Course offerings
The Master of Science in Education curriculum consists of seven three-credit core courses that all students take together, plus six credits in an area of concentration taken during the second summer of the program. Following are the core course descriptions plus a listing of some of the summer concentration courses that have been offered in response to MSE students’ needs.
Year 1: Improvement of Classroom Teaching
Summer courses
EDUC 511 Critical Issues in Education
EDUC 512 Technology, Computers and Education
These initial summer courses are intended to introduce the teacher to the graduate program, the nature of graduate coursework and the scholarly study of education. Study will begin with an examination of the contemporary state of education with a focus upon recent research efforts critical of schools, teachers and teaching. Critical issues in education will be examined to both better understand contemporary classroom practice and to investigate research-based responses to classroom issues. After developing a foundation of common understanding, teachers will employ selected classroom applications of instructional technology while developing a facility with educational research methods. During this summer coursework, teachers will draw upon their classroom experience to locate a specific issue/topic/question on which to focus their attention during the fall and spring semesters of the program's first year.
Fall course
EDUC 521 Dilemmas and Decision Making in the Classroom
The first fall semester of coursework will utilize the Wisconsin Standards as a framework for investigation of classroom practices. (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction [DPI] has adopted these standards and encourages their use in the assessment of teacher education programs). Because teachers now have a common understanding of major issues in education, the teacher is better prepared to begin the systematic study of classrooms and teaching. This semester of coursework is intended to help teachers understand, develop and apply specific skills, informed by research and on-going assessment to improve instruction and learning in the classroom.
Spring course
EDUC 531 Transformative Self-Assessment
Through carefully guided reflections and mentoring, veteran teachers will engage in self-assessment of their teaching experience. Using the Wisconsin Teacher Education Standards as a guideline, participants will evaluate their areas of strength and areas in need of development and how to address needs in their teaching experience.
Year 2: Teachers as Agents of Change
Summer concentration courses
The Master of Science in Education program offers concentration courses including various courses held at St. Norbert College. We are opening each of these courses to all interested K-12 teachers and other educators. Each course is three graduate credits. Teachers may pursue other course work in selected academic areas based on their needs and interests. Some possible concentrations are:
- Adaptive Education
- Content (physical science, history, mathematics, etc.)
- Early Childhood
- Environmental Science
- Instructional Technology
- Multicultural Education
- Reading / Literacy / Language Arts
- Social Studies (including Economics and Geography)
- Theology
Fall course
EDUC 621 Research and Inquiry for Educational Reform
Teachers will read and analyze research, including case studies, on recent reform initiatives and the change process in schools. Teachers will investigate the history of school reform in their school district and engage in stakeholder analysis in order to identify factors that may promote or inhibit systemic change. Finally, teachers will design an advocacy project and a comprehensive strategy for facilitating systemic change in their school or school district.
Spring course
EDUC 631 Advocacy in Education
Teachers will design and implement an advocacy project. This course has two goals: one, to meet the expectations of an advocacy project in design, scholarly merit and impact on a researched critical issue in education: two, to plan the dissemination of the project, that is, demonstrate leadership through advocacy of an educational issue. The development of this project is a culmination of scholarly and experiential knowledge so as to influence reform in the schools.
Spring/summer course
EDUC 690 Program Capstone Summative Assessment
This capstone course for the program provides the opportunity for students to advocate, or go public, with their research-based projects. The summative assessment occurs as the students present their work in the public arena, evaluated by other educators from the wider community. The students also self-assess the impact their project has on schools, teaching and learning.
