Master of arts degree (Plan A or Plan B)

The department offers a master of arts (M.A.) degree in education, curriculum and instruction (Plan A or Plan B) with nine tracks:

• art education
• elementary education
• family, youth, and community (FYC)
• learning technologies
• literacy education (with sub-areas in children’s and adolescent literature, critical literacies, English education, language arts, and reading education)
• mathematics education
• science education
• second languages and cultures education (with sub-areas in ESL, foreign language education, and immersion education)
• social studies education

On a student's transcript both the name of the major and the designated track appear. For example: Education, Curriculum, and Instruction: mathematics education.

Requirements and procedures for the M.A. Plan B program

The information in this handbook describes how Graduate School requirements are applied in Curriculum and Instruction – please refer to the Graduate School Web site, www.grad.umn.edu/, for more detailed information on requirements and procedures.

A checklist for M.A. requirements and procedures is included at the end of this section for students’ use in tracking their progress.

NOTE: All department forms and links to Graduate School forms are available at www.cehd.umn.edu/ci/ and are in hard copy in the graduate studies office (125 Peik).

Coursework

The M.A. degree requires a minimum of 30 semester credits, consisting of a minimum of 14 credits in the major field (including research credits) and 6 credits in one or more related fields outside the major. Students may pursue either an official minor (outside of C&I) or a related field comprised of courses (minimum of 6 credits) taken within and/or outside C&I. The programs culminate in an extensive research (Plan B) project and final oral exam.

Major coursework
A minimum of 14 semester credits is required in the major field, that is the designated track or program area within C&I. Each of the M.A. program areas listed above has a different set of course requirements. The specific requirements for each area along with separate program planning forms are available online. Students must work closely with the assigned adviser to plan the program.

Research
All M.A. students in the department are required to take the one-credit course, WCFE 8915—Ethics and Responsible Research. Proposed alternatives to the course must be pre-approved by the adviser and DGS. In addition, all students take an 8000-level independent study course for the Plan B project. The number of credits required for the Plan B work varies depending upon the program area. Some program areas also require additional research credits (e.g., CI 5177—Practical Research). See M.A. Plan B research course list for a list of required courses.

Minor or related field coursework
A minimum of six semester credits is required for a minor or related field.

According to the Graduate School, a traditional minor includes work in a single field related to the major, but taken outside the department that houses the major field. Competency in the selected minor is expected and may be assessed as part of the final examination. For an official minor you must meet minor requirements as outlined in the program of choice, and the DGS for the minor program must sign all Graduate School forms. Official minors appear on the diploma and transcript. Students in C&I have completed minors in, for example, psychology, mathematics, studio arts, or Hispanic linguistics. Students have also completed freestanding minors (those not housed in a particular academic department), such as the minor in literacy and rhetorical studies.

A related field is less formal and more flexible than a minor. It should be composed of a coherent pattern of courses, possibly embracing several disciplines. The final examination may include content from the related field, but students are not expected to have significant competency in the field like those who choose to include a traditional minor as part of their program. Because C&I is a department that encompasses a variety of academic disciplines (represented by tracks or program areas), students may take courses within C&I to constitute or form a part of the related field. For example, a student emphasizing learning technologies may have a related field comprised of CI courses in English education and others in a related area, such as English or rhetoric.

Filing the degree program

M.A. degree programs include a list of the coursework for the degree as well as the recommended faculty members who will constitute the M.A. examining committee. The Graduate School asks that M.A. programs be submitted or filed after approximately 10 credits have been taken. The M.A. program is first reviewed by the DGS and, if approved, is then forwarded to the Graduate School for final approval. A letter from the DGS is sent to the student at the time the program has been forwarded to the Graduate School for final approval. On occasion the DGS returns the program to students with questions and/or a list of stipulated revisions and students need to resubmit the program for review.

To file the M.A. program, students must submit two forms to the DGS for approval: (1) the C&I Departmental M.A. Program Planning Form, and (2) the Graduate School’s Degree Program Transmittal Form.

C&I M.A. Program Planning Form — This form should be used to plan your program with your adviser(s). The form is divided into the three areas in which coursework is required — the major, research, and the minor or related field. Under each of these areas on the planning form you must list the courses you have taken or plan to take to complete the program, number of credits for each course, and the term in which the course was taken or estimated term it will be taken. You may list CI or MTHE courses and courses taken in other departments under each area. All courses taken independently (directed studies, problems, readings) must be described thoroughly so that their content is understood by the DGS. Please attach descriptions or copies of previously completed directed study proposal forms.

The cover page of the planning form is used to list your proposed committee members for the final examination process. It needs to be signed by your adviser to confirm approval of the degree program as planned and to confirm that all proposed committee members have been notified and have agreed to serve on your committee. This committee consists of two representatives from the major field and one from the minor (outside C&I) or a related field (may be from outside or within C&I). Committee members cannot represent more than one field simultaneously. See committee examples for further information.

Graduate School Degree Program Transmittal Form — Complete this form after you’ve finished the C&I M.A. Program Planning Form. On this form you must:

• list the courses you have taken or plan to take to complete the program,
• list the term in which the course was taken or the estimated term it will be taken,
• indicate whether they are “major” or “other” program courses,
• list the number of credits for each course (either semester or quarter in appropriate column),
• total the number of credits in each category and give a final total (in semesters – see conversion chart in previous section).

“Major courses” are all CI (or MTHE) courses related to the designated program area or track. “Other program courses” are those taken outside of the department and/or to constitute the minor or related field. Therefore, CI courses taken to constitute a related field will also be marked as “other program” courses on this form. It is important that you prepare the form neatly and carefully so that all of the information provided is accurate and legible. The second page of this form requires the signature of your adviser, the director of graduate studies (DGS) in C&I, and the director of graduate studies of the minor program, if you are declaring an official minor. The adviser’s signature should be obtained prior to submitting the program forms to the DGS for review. A sample of this form can be found in the back of this handbook. It can also be downloaded from the Graduate School Web site at www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/masters.html.

Making changes to the approved program

Once approved by the Graduate School, the program must be fulfilled in every detail to meet graduation requirements. Changes that are found necessary or desirable must be requested by petition and require adviser and DGS signatures. Petitions may be found on line at www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/masters.html.

Plan B project(s)

Students must demonstrate familiarity with the tools of research or scholarship in their major field, the ability to work independently, and the ability to present the results of their investigation effectively, by completing at least one Plan B project. The graduate faculty in each major field may require as many as three such projects. Requirements vary depending upon the M.A. program area, but the Plan B is usually a research project that involves the development of a research question, thorough review of the literature on the topic, data collection and analysis, and write-up. The Plan B project(s) should involve a combined total of at least approximately 120 hours (the equivalent of three full-time weeks) of work, though time required varies depending upon the number of credits required for the project in specific program areas. The project(s) should reflect work done in both the major area as well as the related field or minor.

As students near completion of the M.A. coursework, they work closely with the adviser to devise a plan for the final Plan B project. Students register for an individualized course (course numbers vary and appear on the departmental M.A. planning forms) during the semester they anticipate finishing the Plan B project. Once the adviser agrees that the Plan B project is ready to be shared with remaining committee members, the student distributes copies to examining committee members. The final Plan B project is given to committee members well in advance of the oral examination (two-three weeks). The final copy is not submitted to the Graduate School, but most students present members of the committee with a bound copy.

Human subjects approval

Most students in C&I complete Plan B projects that involve work with students, teachers or other school personnel, i.e., human subjects. Students must complete and submit an application to the University’s Internal Review Board (IRB) prior to conducting the study. Depending upon the nature of the study, IRB approval may take several weeks or months, so students are advised to plan ahead and apply early in the research process. Detailed instructions and applications are available at www.research.umn.edu/subjects/.

Final examination

The Graduate School requires a final examination for Plan B candidates. In the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, this exam is oral and is based primarily on the Plan B project(s), though may include any work fundamental to the major and related or minor fields. Students should make the Plan B project(s) available to the examining committee for its review well in advance of the final examination (at least two-three weeks).

The final oral is conducted as a closed examination, attended by only the student and all examining committee members, and usually lasts 1 – 1 1/2 hours (the absence of any member results in an invalid examination). The adviser or chair of the student’s examining committee coordinates the examination.

Scheduling the final exam
Students are responsible for scheduling the final oral examination with committee members at least one week prior to the exam. Students must secure a location for the closed exam (usually a room in Peik Hall – see office staff in 125 Peik for assistance).

Final examination report
The results of the examination are reported on a form the student must obtain from the Graduate School, 316 Johnston Hall, or by requesting a graduation packet (www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/grad_packet/) before the examination is held. This form will be released only if the student has a degree program form approved by the Graduate School and has maintained active status (see registration requirements). A majority vote of the committee, all members present and voting, is required to pass the examination. A student who fails the examination may be terminated from the graduate program or may be allowed, on unanimous recommendation of the examining committee, to retake the examination, providing the reexamination is conducted by the original examining committee.

Once the exam is completed, the student needs to submit the examination report to the Graduate School in 316 Johnston Hall. A copy of the examination report should also be given to the C&I graduate studies assistant in 125 Peik, and students and advisers are encouraged to retain a copy for their records.

Graduation and commencement

Clearance for graduation
Degrees are awarded at the end of each month. To qualify for graduation for a particular month, a student must submit the Application for Degree form on or before the first workday of that month and must complete the examination and all other requirements (including necessary forms and fees) by the last workday of that month. Graduation instructions and necessary forms are found at www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/masters.html.

Commencement ceremony
Two Graduate School commencement ceremonies are held each year — in late spring and late fall. Graduates are encouraged, but not required, to attend. To make sure their names appear in the commencement ceremony program, students must submit the commencement attendance form by the deadline specified in the Graduate School section of the Class Schedule. Commencement information can be found at www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/masters.html.

Checklist for M.A. requirements and procedures

All departmental forms are available in the Graduate Studies office in 125 Peik or on the Web at www.cehd.umn.edu/ci/. Graduate School forms are available outside of 316 Johnston Hall or on the Web at www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/masters.html, and most are also available in the C&I Graduate Studies office in 125 Peik.

Revised Fall 2002