Master of Education

Degree Options

Endicott College offers 11 options for those wishing to pursue a Master of Education degree.

The following programs lead to Massachusetts Educator Licensure:

Elementary Education
Early Childhood
Reading and Literacy
Special Needs (Pre-K–8)
Special Needs (5–12)

The following programs DO NOT lead to Massachusetts Educator Licensure:

Arts and Learning
Integrative Education (TIES)
Montessori Education
Program for Teachers in Montessori Schools
International Education
Organizational Management
Sport Management

Master of Education Admission Requirements

Applications to 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 a graduate program in Education requires a Bachelor degree, in any field, from an accredited college. To be considered for admission to graduate study, candidates must submit the following credentials:
•    Application form and $50.00 application fee;
•    Statement of professional goals;
•    Official transcripts of all academic work;
•    Two letters of recommendation;
•    Official score on either the Miller Analogies Test or GRE; preferable 50th percentile or higher.
Not required for T.I.E.S. and International Education.
•    All students for whom English is not a first language must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); 79 is minimum score for iBT; 550 for pen and paper test
•    Program candidates seeking Massachusetts Educator Licensure must submit evidence of passing scores on the Communication and Literacy Test (MTEL).
•    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 admission interview with the program dean/director is required of all candidates.

International Transcript Review

Internationally educated applicants whose educational documents are in a foreign language are required to have their credentials translated into English. Endicott reserves the right to require that internationally educated applicants have their credentials evaluated by an approved external agency. This agency will certify the validity of the documents and determine if and how the potential transfer credits apply within the United States educational system.

Transfer of 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.

M.Ed. Programs Leading to Massachusetts Educator Licensure

An Overview

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

• Elementary Education (1–6); leading to Initial Licensure

• Elementary Education (1–6) and Early Childhood (PreK-2) leading to Professional Licensure

• Reading and Literacy (all grades); leading to Initial Licensure and Professional Licensure in Early Childhood or elementary Education or Moderate Disabilities

• Reading and Literacy (all grades); leading to Professional Licensure

• Special Needs (Pre-K–8); leading to Initial Licensure in Moderate Disabilities (Pre-K–8)

• Special Needs (Pre-K–8); leading to Professional Licensure in Moderate Disabilities (Pre-K–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. Additional courses leading to a Master of Education may include: 1) ED 580 Innovative Practices in Education, 2) ED 581 Technology in Education: An Integrated Approach, 3) ED 582 Research Methods, 4) EDC 570 Understanding the Dynamics of Student Aspirations, and 5) EDC 510 Policy Analysis, Leadership, and the Change Process.

Candidates holding a Massachusetts Initial License in Early Childhood or Elementary Education or Moderate Disabilities (Pre-K–8) have the option to complete the Master of Education in Reading and Literacy for their Professional Licensure requirement.

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

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 it 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 do the following:

• 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 a 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 Dean of the Graduate School. Upon successful completion of the examination, and when course work is completed, the degree will be awarded. An M.Ed. candidate who has completed the practicum experience, or is completing it during the current semester, who also has no more than 2 courses remaining to complete program requirements, is eligible to sit for the comprehensive 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.