Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Education - Teacher as Leader, M.A.


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John Huss, Ed.D., Graduate Program Director

Purpose

The Teacher as Leader Program is designed to foster an educational culture in which instruction and learning are informed by research and continuous data collection and analysis, while embracing the NKU themes of diversity, technology, and civic engagement.

The program requires 30 credit hours of graduate-level coursework earned beyond the bachelor’s degree and initial teacher certification. Kentucky Teacher Performance Standards are met through an action research project and other program experiences.

Contact Information

Teacher Education Graduate Office - MEP 263C

gradedu@nku.edu or 859-572-1567

Admission Requirements and Process

All admission requirements should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Education in the Lucas Administrative Center, AC 302, before the application deadline (available on the Office of Graduate Education web page). Applicants whose admission requirements are not complete by the application deadline will be considered for admission if space is available.

To be eligible for admission applicants must submit:

  1. Official Transcripts: Submit official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework. One transcript must show conferral of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Students who have attended NKU are not required to submit official transcripts for NKU coursework.
  2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores: Submit official scores for the Graduate Record Examination (general test) taken within the past five years. The GRE requirement is waived for applicants who have an undergraduate grade point of 3.0 or higher, and for applicants who have already earned a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  3. Supplemental application
  4. Teaching Certificate: Submit a copy of current teaching certificate or out-of-state equivalent. New teachers in Kentucky may submit a Kentucky Statement of Eligibility.
  5. Teacher as Leader Admission Agreement: Print, sign, and submit the Teacher as Leader Admission Agreement to the Office of Graduate Education. The agreement form is available at http://inside.nku.edu/graduate/admission-process.html.

 

International students or students whose native language is not English should contact the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) to inquire about policies regarding official transcript evaluations and English proficiency. Transcript evaluations and/or TOEFL scores may be required for admission to the Teacher as Leader program. ISSS may be reached by telephone at 859-572-6517 or by email at isss@nku.edu.

Preference will be given to applicants with an undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 or higher, and GRE scores of 139 or higher in Quantitative Reasoning, 150 or higher in Verbal Reasoning, and 3.5 or higher in Analytical Writing. Applicants who meet two or more of these requirements will be considered, but may be required to take additional coursework.

Applicants who took the GRE exam before August 1, 2011 which had a score scale ranging from 200-800 will be accepted in the program based on GRE scores of the same percentile rank according to the concordance table published by Educational Testing Service.

Application Review 

Only complete application files will be reviewed. Admission will be offered to the number of applicants sufficient to meet enrollment limits. Applicants whose application files are not complete before the priority deadline may only be considered for admission if enrollment limits have not yet been met.   

Admission decisions are not made based on single admission criteria (e.g., GRE scores, GPA, SPG, etc.). Applicant’s files are evaluated holistically when estimating an applicant’s readiness for graduate study; therefore, submitting the required admissions documents or attaining the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

♦ Indicates prerequisite.

 

Curriculum Criteria


Individual Competency Development (3-6 credit hours)


Any MAEd applicant whose previous coursework does not include a course in the teaching of reading and/or a course in the teaching of students with exceptionalities will be required to take such courses as part of this program.

Elective Courses (3 credit hours)


Candidates in concentration areas requiring only 12 credits will select a course based on their Statement of Professional Goals with approval of his/her advisor and the graduate director to strengthen instructional design and teaching competence (e.g. reading/literacy, special education, statistics). Students who are required to complete courses within the Individual Competence Development component may apply one course (3 credit hours) to the elective course requirement.

Concentrations (12-15 credit hours)


Content Option


Candidate takes 12 credit hours of content courses in area(s) of his/her teaching certification. Courses meeting the content component must be approved by the student’s advisor and the Teacher Education Graduate Office prior to student enrolling in the courses.

Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (Birth to Kindergarten)


For IECE Certification: Completion of all courses (21 credit hours) and Praxis exam(s) as required by KYEPSB.

This is an option designed to assist teachers with an existing elementary or special education teaching certificate to achieve the IECE certificate.

Moderate and Severe Disabilities (P-12)


Gifted Education (P-12)


For Gifted and Talented Endorsement: Completion of all courses (12 credit hours) and Praxis exam(s) as required by KYEPSB.

Prerequisite to starting the endorsement: One year of full time teaching experience

Students must take EDG 621  and EDG 623  before they will be permitted to enroll in EDG 625  and EDG 627 .

Reading (P-12)


For Reading Endorsement: Completion of all courses (16 credit hours), and Praxis exam(s) as required by KYEPSB.

 

Environmental Education (P-12)


For Environmental Education Endorsement: Completion of 12 semester hours in accordance with the environmental education endorsements to meet the NAAEE Guidelines for the Initial Preparation of Environmental Educators Standards.

Students must gain their advisors’ approval prior to enrolling in courses.

Completion of all courses (12 semester hours).

Instructional Computer Technology (P-12)


For ICT Endorsement: Completion of all courses (15 credit hours).

Prerequisite Course (First Course) (3 credit hours)

Distance Learning and Web Concepts Strand, choose one of the following (3 credit hours):

Final Course (3 credit hours)

Special Education not leading to endorsement


Completion of all courses (12 credit hours)

Autism/Applied Behavior Analysis


Completion of all required courses (18 credit hours)

Elementary Mathematics Specialist (17 credit hours)


This program supports current elementary school teachers in improving their own practice and their school mathematics community. The courses for the program fit into three categories. The first category of courses focuses on mathematical pedagogies for grades K-2, grades 3-5, and interventions across grades K-5 for students with additional needs. The second category of courses address mathematical content that is relevant for teachers teaching grades K-5, including number and operations, algebra and functions, geometry and measurement, and data analysis and probability. The third category contains a leadership course designed to build leadership capacity among elementary teachers in the area of mathematics.

STEM Concentration: Computer Science


Teachers take 18 credit hours of Computer Science graduate courses:

First Course (must be taken in first semester) (0 credit hours)


Final Course (must be taken in final semester) (0 credit hours)


Note

Note: Teachers with no programming experience will be required to take Technology in Education (EDG 602) prior to CSC 500.

At the completion of these graduate courses, teachers will be qualified to teach the following dual credit courses:

  • Elementary Programming (INF 120, 3 credits) - NKU general education course
  • Object Oriented Programming I (CSC 260, 3 credits) - has a corresponding Advanced Placement exam
  • Introduction to Web Development (INF 286, 3 credits)
  • Computer Science Principles - has a corresponding Advanced Placement exam

Liberal Arts/ Social Sciences concentration: Communication


First Course (must be taken in the first semester) (0 credit hours)


Final Course (must be taken in final semester) (0 credit hours)


Note

At the completion of these graduate courses, teachers will be qualified to teach the following dual credit courses:

  • Public Speaking (CMST 101, 3 credits) - NKU general education course
  • Introduction to Communication Studies (CMST 110, 3 credits) - NKU general education course
  • Media Literacy (EMB 100, 3 credits) - NKU general education course
  • Media in a Diverse Society (EMB 105, 3 credits) - NKU general education course
  • Introduction to Popular Culture (POP 205, 3 credits) - NKU general education course
  • International Popular Culture (POP 250, 3 credits) - NKU general education course

Liberal Arts/ Social Sciences concentration: English


Teachers enroll in and complete the Graduate Certificate in Composition and Rhetoric in the Department of English.

First Course (must be taken in the first semester) (0 credit hours)


Select three courses from the options below (9 credit hours):


Final Course (must be taken in final semester) (0 credit hours)


Note

At the completion of these graduate courses, teachers will be qualified to teach the following dual credit courses:

  • College Writing (ENG 101, 3 credits) - NKU general education course
  • Advanced College Writing (ENG 291, 3 credits) - NKU general education course

Curriculum and Instruction (15 credit hours)


The curriculum is designed to help teachers certified to teach in middle-12 schools improve their professional skills, extend their knowledge of the subjects they teach, and increase their understanding of the intellectual, philosophical, sociological, psychological, and cultural foundations of effective education.

Exit Criteria


  1. Completion of 30 credit hours with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
  2. Completion of area of concentration with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
  3. Completion of all core courses, concentration courses, and elective or core competency courses used for the degree with a C or better.
  4. Signed Codes of Ethics for Kentucky School Personnel and College of Education.
  5. Signed copy of Master of Arts in Education: Teacher as Leader curriculum contract and appropriate area of concentration curriculum contract.
  6. Successful completion and presentation of the Action Research Project.

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