Education

Master of Education

Degree Options

Endicott College offers several options for those wishing to pursue a Masters of Education degree:

Arts and Learning
Elementary Education
Integrative Education (TIES)
Instructional technology
Montessori Education
Program for Teachers in Montessori Schools:
Infant/Toddler, Early Childhood, Elementary Education
International Education
Organizational Management
Reading and Literacy
Special Needs (PreK-8)
Special Needs (5-12)
Sport Management

Overview of Master of Education Programs in Education
Leading to Massachusetts Educator Licensure

The Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Endicott College offers the following Master of Education programs leading to the Massachusetts Education Licensure:

Elementary Education (1-6); Leading to Initial Licensure
Early Childhood (PreK-2)/Elementary Education (1-6) Leading to Professional Licensure
Instructional Technology (all grades); Leading to Initial Licensure
Instructional Technology (all grades); Leading to Professional Licensure
Reading & Literacy (all grades); Leading to Initial Licensure
Reading & Literacy (all grades); Leading to Professional Licensure
Special Needs (PreK-8); Leading to Initial Licensure in Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8)
Special Needs (PreK-8); Leading to Professional Licensure in Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8)
Special needs (5-12); Leading to Initial Licensure in Moderate Disabilities (5-12)
Special Needs (5-12); Leading to Professional Licensure in Moderate Disabilities (5-12)

Candidates may be eligible for obtaining initial licensure in the fields listed above by completing seven post-baccalaureate courses as indicated for each program. In addition, candidates may desire to continue five common courses leading to the Master of Education in Initial Licensure in the respective fields as described above. Candidates must have met all the admission criteria and been accepted in the Master of Education program in order to complete the Initial Licensure part of the program. The additional five common courses leading to a Master of Education are: 1) Innovative Practices in Education ED 580, 2) Technology in Education ED 581, 3) Research Methods ED 582, 4) Understanding the Dynamics of Student Aspirations EDC 570, and 5) Policy, Analysis, Leadership, and the change Process EDC 510.

Candidates holding a Massachusetts Initial License in Early Childhood or Elementary Education or Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8) have the option to complete the Master of Education in Reading & Literacy for their professional licensure requirement.

Students should be advised that the Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE) may change licensure regulations and requirements. Students must contact the DOE for such requirements at http://www.doe.mass.edu/.

Collaborative Learning Using the Cohort Model

Building on Endicott College’s strength as a leading institution in adult learning, the masters programs employ a collaborative, team approach to teaching and learning. Through this sharing and collaborative exchange among the graduate students, the most valuable learning process is possible. The relevance of the programs is not in the study of theory for its own sake, but rather, the benefits arise from linking theory to practice: applied, practical, and experiential teaching and learning. The “cohort model” is one where a group of students begins, progresses through, and completes a course of study together. In the Endicott masters programs, students are admitted in cohort groups of approximately 15-20. This cohort approach creates a rich environment of peer learning and collaboration. Through this process, the cohort model emphasizes and reinforces both team building and teamwork as critical functions of individuals and organizations. Most students can finish a program within 18-20 months. Courses are offered in the evenings, on weekends, and during weeklong sessions in the summer for the convenience of professional adults.

Flexible Locations

Endicott’s post-baccalaureate programs are offered on campus in Beverly and at selected off-site school district locations throughout Eastern Massachusetts to meet the needs of the teachers.

Technological Orientation

Embedded in each of the courses that comprise the masters programs is a technological orientation. On one level, instructors employ the use of Endicott’s state-of-the-art technology facility, the Scangas Center, as well as several “smart classrooms” with Internet resources and multi-media capability in the Van Loan School facility along with a computer lab dedicated to the students at the Van Loan School. On another level, the utilization of many state-of-the-art computer lab facilities and software resources in the various off-site school locations enhances the delivery of curriculum content. In addition, the availability of library resources on campus and through digital communications also connects educators and students to the global community.

Graduate students are provided with student identification cards that make them eligible to use the College Library, computer labs, and the Post Fitness Center. In addition, Gullnet is the Endicott College Learning Management System (LMS) that is utilized by faculty as a supplement to classroom teaching. This feature-rich platform, which has been successfully used in undergraduate and graduate programs, is accessed directly through the Endicott College website homepage at www.endicott.edu.

Admission Requirements

Applications to the Graduate degree programs are evaluated by the Graduate School staff to determine a candidate’s potential in the program to which he or she is applying. Admission to the Graduate Program in Education requires a Bachelor degree, in any field, from an accredited college. To be considered for admission to the graduate study, candidates must submit the following credentials:

Application form and fee;
Statement of professional goals;
Official transcripts of all academic work;
Two letters of recommendation;
Official score report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or a satisfactory score on the Miller Analogy Exam (not required for the Organizational Management program).
All students for whom English is not a first language must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Graduate students seeking Massachusetts Educator Licensure: please refer to individual teaching licensure program for additional admission requirements.
Arts and Learning candidates only: include documentation of artistic involvement/skill, i.e. portfolio, performance history, or written statement explaining artistic interest and involvement.
An admissions interview with the Program Dean/Director is required of all candidates.

Transfer Credits

At the time of matriculation, students may request transfer of not more than six graduate credits completed at other accredited institutions. Only courses relevant to the program of study in which a student has received a grade of “B” or better will be accepted. Courses completed more than five years prior to the student’s acceptance into his or her present program will not be considered for transfer credit.

Comprehensive Examinations for Programs Leading to Massachusetts Educator Licensure

The College has looked carefully at the options of comprehensive examination versus a Master’s thesis or project. The College selected the examination process because provides the greatest strengths to the program during the early stages of development. The decision to utilize comprehensive examinations was based on three factors, namely, that examinations:

provide a clear measure of outcome assessment;
provide a framework to involve many graduate faculty in the assessment process;
provide consistent standards of competency among all students in the program.

For these reasons a procedure on examinations has been set up that provides for the offering of one or two sittings per year. The examination will consist of three components:

Research and Theory
Specialization Content
Societal and Educational Impact

A student must pass all three components.

Examinations are read by the advisor and by one additional graduate faculty or staff member. A review summary and recommendation will be submitted to the Chair of the Graduate Council. The Chair of the Graduate Council consult with the Council on issues related to future examinations. Upon successful completion of the examination, and when course work is completed, the degree will be awarded. Students must have completed all 27 credit hours or be in their last semester to sit for the examination. Students failing the exams are allowed two retakes within a one-year period of time. Failure to successfully complete the examination within that period of time results in dismissal from the program. Students are allowed up to seven years from the date of starting the first class to the date of completing the Master’s degree. Courses more than seven years old are lost under the default clause of Endicott College Handbook for Students.

A student must take and pass the Massachusetts Teacher Tests prior to being eligible to take the Comprehensive Examinations.

Endicott College Test Preparation

Students enrolled in the Education programs at Endicott College will take a number of skills tests and proficiency exams during their programs of study. Additional workshops will be provided to assist students toward successful completion of teacher tests.

A Global Perspective

Capitalizing on Endicott’s international campuses in Bulle, Switzerland, Madrid, Spain, and Mexico City, Mexico, the masters programs incorporate a global perspective in the curriculum such as enhancing classroom activities with diversity and multicultural components and comparisons.

Summary

The fast-paced, changing organizations of the 21st century compel professionals to cultivate skills and knowledge in order to survive and succeed. Through separate and integrated studies, employing the collaborative, cohort model of teaching and learning, Endicott College’s masters programs emphasize the interaction of theory and practice and the successful application of knowledge and competence in the professional domain. Students acquire critical thinking skills that are fundamental to lifelong learning. Endicott College encourages students to explore the coherence of all intellectual pursuits, the relatedness of history and innovation, social progress and traditional values, and classical and contemporary cultures. Each program fosters confidence in professionals as they respond to the challenges they face in the changing field of education and policies are shaped by an understanding of education and research as inclusive and cooperative undertakings.