Master of Education (M.Ed.)

The master of education (M.Ed.) degree is designed for practicing educators to continue building upon professional knowledge and experience. This advanced preparation program is delivered on the University of Portland campus as well as at other approved off-campus sites. All M.Ed candidates complete an 15-hour core of professional knowledge and research courses. On-campus candidates, in consultation with an academic advisor, choose a specialty option in educational leadership, reading, special education, English speakers of Other Languages, initial administrator licensure, or neuroeducator certificate. Off-campus candidates are expected to follow a two-year sequence of courses in the specialty option of educational leadership. Students in the off-campus M.Ed. (except for Guam) must complete a three-hour residency requirement at the University of Portland campus. Most School of Education degree programs are 36 credit hours in length.

Edmonton M.Ed. cohort program approval in Alberta:
This program is offered pursuant to the written approval of the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology effective September 2010 having undergone a quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the Minister. Nevertheless, prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs (for example, acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies, or other educational institutions).

Student Learning Outcomes M.Ed. Core

1. Candidate is a lifelong learner:
   1. Candidates will learn the advantages and methods of sustaining life-long learning;
   2. Candidates will prepare for future professional growth and learning;
   3. Candidates will be able to use basic statistical procedures to analyze example data;
   4. Candidates will be able to locate and evaluate prior research;
   5. candidates demonstrate the ability to make data-driven decisions in the classroom.
2. Candidate is empathetic and respectful:
   1. Candidates will develop a firm understanding of their strengths and those of their cohort colleagues;
   2. Candidates will develop an understanding of major socio-cultural issues affecting education as they are experienced by the primary ethnic and cultural groups;
   3. Candidates will explore barriers to student success (especially cultural, racial and gender barriers).
3. Candidate communicates and works effectively with others:
   1. Candidates make explicit their values, goals and preferred learning/leadership/ teaching styles;
   2. Candidates will be able to complete an APA style introduction, literature review, and methods section;
   3. Candidates will develop an action plan for working with students from varied and minority cultures within their own classrooms;
   4. Candidates will apply knowledge and skills of designing, implementing, and writing classroom and/or school-based research studies by a capstone proposal;
   5. Candidates demonstrate professional written and oral communication skills.
4. Candidate has a broad knowledge about the individuals and world around him/her:
   1. Candidates will develop an understanding of the major theoretical issues that affect cultural diversity and education from the field of education;
   2. Candidates will understand how learners may differ in their cultural approaches to learning;
   3. Candidates will explore barriers to student success (especially cultural, racial and gender barriers).
5. Candidate fuses theory and practice:
   1. Candidates will be able to design a major classroom, school, or community-based research project that addresses the student’s integration of professional knowledge;
   2. Candidates integrate past learnings, research, and professional experiences with best practice and data-driven solutions;
   3. Candidates will integrate current knowledge, relevant research, and past professional experiences with best practice and data driven solutions to the issue addressed in a capstone proposal;
   4. Candidates will apply research skills including selection of appropriate methodologies, data collection, and reflective analysis procedures of capstone project outcomes.