Graduate candidates in the Teaching and Learning Program are required to meet six (6) Student Learning Program Outcomes before completing their course work. Program faculty assess candidates’ proficiency in meeting these outcomes through formative and summative methods.
Upon admission to the University, potential candidates meet with the Coordinator of Teaching and Learning to discuss a prescription for study that accommodates the candidates’ professional development goals while simultaneously preparing candidates to find success in mastering the program’s Student Learning Outcomes. All candidates complete the program through four stages that include the following:
During this first stage, candidates complete the following introductory courses to the Teaching and Learning Program. These courses are designed to further develop candidates’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the Teaching and Learning Program’s ongoing themes of study: differentiated instruction and assessment, multicultural education, instructional leadership, and literacy. The four courses that are taken during Stage One are as follows:
Prior to Stage Two of the Program, candidates declare a concentration of study in a more specific area of Teaching and Learning. Candidates are given the option of selecting one of six concentrations:
Educational Diagnostician Concentration:
Required
| EDG 614 | Precision Assessment & Diagnostic/Prescriptive Stratagies of Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDG 618 | Test Theory | 3 |
| EDG 624 | Advanced Collaborative Teaming/Consulting Teacher Strategies | 3 |
| EDG 625 | Advanced Behavioral Support & Intervention | 3 |
| EDG 626 | Educational Diagnosis | 3 |
| EDG 627 | Educational Diagnostician Internship | 3 |
ESL Concentration:
Required
| EDG 662 | Advanced Methodologies of Teaching ESL | 3 |
| EDG 663 | Structure of the English Language (Advanced) | 3 |
| EDG 664 | Advanced Seminar in Language & Culture | 3 |
Instructional Leadership Concentration (In-Person Option Only):
Required
| EDG 637N | Leader as Exemplar in Instructional Supervision | 3 |
| | Or | |
| EDG 640 | Instructional Leadership/Mentor Teacher II | 3 |
| | | |
| EDG 730A | Internship I: Summer | 3 |
| EDG 730B | Internship II: Fall/Spring | 3 |
Reading Specialist Concentration:
Required
| EDG 655 | Seminar in Reading/Language Arts | 3 |
| EDG 656 | Diagnostic/Remedial Reading | 3 |
| EDG 657 | Practicum in Clinical Supervision/Advanced Diagnostic Reading | 3 |
Religious Education Concentration:
Required
| THE 550 | Church History | 3 |
| THE 622 | Psychology in Philosophy & Theology | 3 |
| THE 641 | Christian Education: Past, Present, & Future | 3 |
Special Education (Mild to Moderate) Concentration:
Required
| EDG 614 | Precision Assessment & Diagnostic/Prescriptive Stratagies of Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDG 621 | Advanced Fundamentals of Instructional Technology | 3 |
| EDG 622 | School to Work Transition (Advanced) | 3 |
| EDG 623 | Instructional Practices in Special Education (Advanced) | 3 |
| EDG 624 | Advanced Collaborative Teaming/Consulting Teacher Strategies | 3 |
| EDG 625 | Advanced Behavioral Support & Intervention | 3 |
| EDG 655 | Seminar in Reading/Language Arts | 3 |
Stage Three: Elective Coursework (9 hours):
Depending on a candidate’s individual professional goals, he or she has the option of completing additional elective coursework at the graduate level in the area of Teaching and Learning. The Coordinator of Teaching and Learning consults with each candidate regarding these goals and approves candidates enrolling in additional elective coursework as needed.
Stage Four: Research and Application Coursework (6 hours):
During the final academic year in the Program, all graduate candidates enroll in two final seminars:
EDG 671 Seminar in Teaching and Learning (Fall online): In the first of these two final capstone courses, candidates work cooperatively under the supervision of the Coordinator of Teaching and Learning, conducting a semester-long study of current issues in Teaching and Learning. Candidates begin working toward a literature review, which serves as the foundation for their final program project, the Teacher Action Research Project.
EDG 672 Methods of Teacher Action Research (Spring online): During the final semester in the Program, candidates conduct a Teacher Action Research Project, in which they investigate a question or concern that they have in their classroom or school setting. The results of this Action Research benefit both the classroom’s students and the teacher’s professional development.
A Final Note of the Four Stages of the Program:
The candidates have flexibility in the way they progress through these four stages, since both course offerings and candidates’ work schedules may affect the pace at which they complete the program. However, all candidates should begin the Program with the Foundation Coursework, completing EDG 615 Principles and Practices of Differentiated Instruction and Assessment within the first academic year of their acceptance. Additionally, candidates should not take the capstone courses until their final year, thus completing the program with the culminating Teacher Action Research Project, prior to taking the Comprehensive Exam.
Course Load
It is recommended that candidates who are employed full time take six (6) graduate credit hours per semester. Candidates wishing to take more than six hours in a semester should contact the Program Coordinator for approval. In addition, the sequencing of course work is based on six (6) semester hours per semester for completion of the program in two (2) years (inclusive of summer semesters).
Grade Point Requirements
An overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required to remain in the Graduate Program. Passing grades for graduate students are A, B, and C. A minimum grade of B is needed to successfully complete EDG 615, 671, and 672, which are required courses for Teaching and Learning. A graduate student who attains a grade lower than a B in these courses must repeat the course(s) at University of Holy Cross.
Master’s in Teaching and Learning candidates may earn only one grade of C in the program of study, except for EDG 615, 671, and 672, in which they must earn at least a B. A graduate student who earns a C or lower in any course is automatically placed on probationary status.
Students whose semester average in course work is below a 3.0 are placed on probation and are not allowed to register for more than six (6) semester hours during the following semester. To be removed from probation, the graduate student must complete six (6) semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of those 6 hours and no grade lower than a B. If at the end of the probationary period the cumulative GPA remains less than 3.0, the student is dropped from the Graduate Program.
Appeal
Subject to the review of the Graduate Council, students may be dropped from the program for factors other than Grade Point Average, without having a probationary period. The Graduate Council then determines the student’s status. The student may appeal decisions of the Graduate Council by submitting a written appeal to the Chief Academic Officer.
Time Limit
A maximum of five years from the first semester attended is permitted to complete the requirements for the Master’s degree. Readmission does not qualify the applicant to begin anew the five-year requirement. Exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Student Responsibility
Each student is responsible for knowing all pertinent requirements and regulations for the successful completion of the Master’s degree. Students should become familiar with this section of the Catalog and the Handbook for Master’s in Teaching and Learning.
Transfer Credits
Requests for approval of all transfer credits must be obtained from the appropriate program coordinator. Nine semester hours that are equivalent to program requirements and that have been taken within the past five years may be transferred from a regionally accredited institution. An exception to this requirement may be made by the Chair of the Education Department upon the recommendation of the program coordinator. In addition, six semester hours of credit may be awarded to candidates who have successfully completed certification programs, such as the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Program (NBPTS), the National Institute for School Leadership, the Louisiana Principal Fellowship Program, or a similar national or regional program that is recognized as having standards for competency and evidence-based rigor.
Advisor
Each student, upon admission to the Program, is assigned an advisor. The advisor is usually assigned before the student’s first registration and aids the student in the development of the individual graduate program.
Nature of Graduate Work
Candidates are expected to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions appropriate to their respective professions. Throughout the Program, candidates experience academic rigor through learning assessments such as reflective writing, authentic and alternative measures, traditional tests, research-driven decision making, and a mandatory comprehensive examination. Graduate candidates are expected to assume responsibility in pursuing lifelong learning that will best meet their professional needs.
Comprehensive Examination
Candidates are required to demonstrate readiness for graduation by successful completion of a comprehensive examination. The exam is held at the end of their final semester, or at an earlier time if approved by the Program Coordinator and the specific date for this exam is set each semester.
Commencement
Upon successful completion of course work, the action research project, and the comprehensive examination, a candidate is eligible for graduation. Candidates who qualify for graduation are expected to attend commencement exercises. Commencement exercises take place once a year. Candidates who complete all requirements for graduation by the Spring deadline are able to participate in commencement that year. Completion of graduation requirements after the Spring deadline affords the candidate the opportunity to participate in the next commencement exercises. The Education Department does not have a “walk-only” policy for commencement.
When eligible, candidates must apply for graduation. A Graduation Clearance Form must be completed a semester prior to graduation. The due dates for submission of this form are published in the Academic Calendar on the University website.
Professional Association Affiliation
All candidates and graduates are strongly encouraged to join and maintain active membership in professional educational organizations.
Faculty Endorsement
Graduate faculty may endorse students for employment only in the area(s) for which they have been trained. Candidates requesting letters of recommendation should notify faculty in advance of graduation. It is common courtesy to submit a résumé with this request.