MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION

To become eligible for a Master of Arts in Education candidates must complete 30 units beyond the Bachelor of Arts (excluding student teaching). All 30 units must be part of an Educational Design approved for the MA. Information about the Education Design is available in the Department of Education and Child Development. Course requirements for the MA are noted in the “Completion of MA Degree” section below.


Admission to Full Graduate Standing

Students seeking the Master of Arts in Education degree must be admitted to Full Graduate Standing (FGS). To apply for FGS, candidates must do the following:

1. Submit an Educational Design Proposal, which has been developed by the candidate with advice and counsel from the Credential Analyst and the Department faculty. In most instances the teacher preparation coursework makes up a major part of your educational design.

Request transcripts of all college work to be sent to the Department of Education and Child Development documenting a 3.5 GPA or better in all graduate coursework.

3. Submit all materials as early as possible and not later that one semester prior to the intended entry date.

Completion of the MA Degree

The Educational Design must be approved by the student’s graduate committee. The Educational design consists of the following:

1. EDUC 601: Educational Inquiry – 4 semester units This course is a overview of quantitative, qualitative, and action research approaches to educational inquiry with a focus on critiquing research, writing a literature review, and an action research plan.
This course is the capstone course for completing the MA and should be taken at the end of your program.
2. Credential coursework or electives to total 30 semester units (minimum). A maximum of 9 units of approved upper division or graduate level units may be transferred from other institutions and counted toward the Whittier College Master of Arts in Education degree.

All requirements must be completed with a 3.5 minimum GPA with no course grade below B-. Students must petition the Department of Education and Child Development to repeat the Masters requirement in which a grade lower that B- is earned. Students must complete the MA within five years of admission to Full Graduate Standing. Coursework older than seven academic years at the date of graduation may not be applied to the degree.

Financial Considerations

Whittier College supports teacher education through generous cost reductions for its Evening and Summer programs. Tuition for the summer and evening program is approximately one-half the usual Whittier College day rate. The office of Financial Aid provides information about loans and grants. A limited number of highly selective Graduate Teaching Fellowships are available in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, and in Physical Education and Recreation.

Whittier College’s high quality and personalized advisement program provides students with the necessary information to make appropriate decisions relative to meeting graduation and/or credential requirements in a timely manner.

 

* NEW OFFERING * Master of Arts in Education for Teachers Participating in Induction Programs

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Whittier College Graduate Admission Counselor