Elementary education
Master of education/professional studies
Program
The master of education (M.Ed.)/professional studies program in elementary education is designed for elementary teachers who want to improve their instructional, decision-making, evaluation, and leadership skills.
This graduate-level, practitioner-based program is offered by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).
The program is flexible and can be tailored to accommodate individual needs. With guidance from faculty advisers, students complete at least 30 semester credits of work in the following areas: a core academic program in elementary education, and additional selected education courses.
Courses at the University of Minnesota are offered at a variety of times, including late afternoons. Students can also enroll in classes offered during the summer and at off-campus school sites.
Admission
Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree with a 2.80 minimum grade point average (GPA) from an accredited institution. Applicants must be licensed to teach elementary students and have had teaching experience. Applicants must submit a résumé and a written personal statement describing your career goals and rationale for interest in the M.Ed. program (limit two pages) .
For application instructions, refer to the CEHD Application for Admission to M.Ed./Professional Studies Programs, available at the College’s office of Student Services, 110 Wulling Hall, 86 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-625-6501; e-mail: cehdgrad@umn.edu; or on the Web.
The College reviews applications on an ongoing basis. Application reviews for specific academic terms begin by the following dates. Students are encouraged to submit application materials to Student Services by these dates:
- November 1—spring semester admission
- March 1—summer session admission
- July 1—fall semester admission
Applicants are typically notified of admission decisions four to six weeks after application deadlines.
Transfer credits
A maximum of 12 graduate semester transfer credits may be applied to the M.Ed. program. Credits may include any combination of the following coursework:
- Up to six graduate semester credits from fully accredited institutions other than the University of Minnesota for students enrolled at the University’s Twin Cities campus; up to nine graduate semester credits for students enrolled at the University’s Rochester campus
- Credits completed at the University of Minnesota before admission to the M.Ed. program
Transfer courses must be completed at the graduate level and approved by a faculty adviser and the College. Workshop credits are usually not accepted for transfer to C&I programs. Contact the program’s faculty adviser for more information.
Curriculum
Elementary education (18 credits)
- CI 5155—Contemporary Approaches to Curriculum: Instruction and Assessment (3 cr)
- CI 5187—Practicum: Improvement of Teaching in Elementary
or PreKindergarten Schools (3 cr)
To be taken at end of M.Ed. program; consult with faculty adviser - CI 5415—Literacy Development in the Primary Grades (3 cr)
- or CI 5411—Reading in the Elementary Grades (3 cr)
- or CI 5416—Literacy Development in the Intermediate Grades (3 cr)
- CI 5504—Elementary School Science: Materials and Resources (3 cr)
- CI 5731—Social Studies for the In-Service Elementary/Middle School Teacher (3 cr)
- MTHE 5101—Teaching Elementary School Mathematics (3 cr)
- or MTHE 5355—Mathematics for Diverse Learners (3 cr)
Electives (12 credits)
- Electives are selected in consultation with an adviser. Strongly recommended are courses in literacy, classroom management, teaching children with diverse ethnic backgrounds, educational technologies, music, art, English as a Second Language (ESL), and teaching children with learning difficulties.
Note: For course descriptions and schedules, refer to the University of Minnesota’s Class Schedule.
Registration
Currently admitted degree-seeking or non-degree seeking students may register online for coursework.
Students who want to begin M.Ed. coursework before admission to the M.Ed. program must complete a CEHD First-Time Registration for non-degree seeking Students packet [.pdf]. Packets are also available at the College’s office of Student Services, 110 Wulling Hall, 86 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-625-6501; e-mail: cehdgrad@umn.edu.
For questions about registration, contact Student Services at 612-625-5815.
Core faculty
For more program information, visit the C&I Web site or contact faculty members listed in the following text:
Kathleen Cramer
Ph.D., University of Minnesota Mathematics education
612-624-7312; e-mail: crame013@umn.edu
Deborah Dillon
Ph.D., University of Georgia Literacy education
612-626-8271; e-mail: dillon@umn.edu
Fred Finley
Ph.D., Michigan State University Science education
612-625-2074; e-mail: finle001@umn.edu
Lee Galda
Ph.D., New York University Children's literature
612-625-3310; e-mail: galda001@umn.edu
Lori Helman
Ph.D., University of Nevada, Reno Elementary reading education
612-624-2034; lhelman@umn.edu
Roger Johnson
Ed.D., University of California, Berkeley Science education
612-624-7031; e-mail: johns009@umn.edu
Thomas Post
Ph.D., Indiana University Mathematics education
612-625-0069; e-mail: postx001@umn.edu
Bhaskar Upadhyay
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin Science education
612-625-3286; e-mail: upadh006@umn.edu
Updated May 2008