Education Specialist (Ed.S.)

Transcription

1 Education Specialist (Ed.S.) Degree Information Department of Leadership College of Education, Health and Human Sciences University of Memphis Ball Hall Visit our web site: leadership.memphis.edu A Tennessee Board of Regents Institution An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action University Revised ; maintained by Dr. Linda Wesson 1

2 Central Office Administration, Leadership Positions Introduction The post-master s degree programs of the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences require the candidate to have a clear professional goal and a commitment to scholarship, leadership, and excellence. To accomplish this, a close, continuous professional interaction among the candidate, faculty, and fellow students is an integral part of the program of study. The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) is an interdisciplinary degree designed to provide an individualized, flexible program of studies for the educator-practitioner in either a school or non-school setting, whose academic interests are aimed at specific career goals and needs. Employment Opportunities It offers opportunities for advanced professional specialization and includes a relevant culminating experience or a thesis. Studies may be coordinated in the departments of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Research; Instruction and Curriculum Leadership; and Leadership. A collaborative Ed.S. is offered with the Department of Psychology. Program objectives for the Ed.S.in the Department of Leadership are: (1) a strong knowledge base in a major area of study, research, cultural or psychological foundations, and a supportive area of study and (2) the development of skills and dispositions for leadership positions in educational organizations. Students achieving this degree could be employed as principals, assistant principals, superintendents, central office personnel, and supervisors, or as specialists in curriculum areas. They could also serve in an educational responsibility in a military, medical, business, governmental, or non-profit organizational setting. Course Requirements Minimum course requirements for the degree are the following: Core Courses in the Major: 21 hours Content for Specialty: 15 hours LEAD 7070 Culminating Experience: 6 hours Core Courses in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences: 6 hours : Research: one 3-hour course* Educational Psychology: one 3-hour course appropriate to the area of study Electives: 6 hours A minimum of 6 hours needed to complete this program must be selected from and 8000-level courses appropriate to the student s background, experience, and interests and must be approved by the student s Program Advisory Committee. Total: 33 hours 2

3 *A master s level introduction to research course is assumed (EDPR 7521 or 7523) The Department of Leadership as the Source for This Degree Professors in the Leadership and Policy Studies major of the Department of Leadership are qualified to teach courses leading to the degree because they have doctorates in this field of study and experience in the K-12 school room, the principalship, and the superintendency. They are involved in the establishment of focuses of study that are modeled after national programs and are exemplars to other institutions. They are on the creative edge of leadership theory. Students could take courses dealing with an introduction to educational leadership, school business management, school law, the principalship, the supervisory process, educational research, participatory governance, education and community, leadership exploration seminar, and race, ethnicity, and gender. Or they could take policy courses in the department or courses outside the college in order to fulfill their purposes. Courses in an internship and a culminating experience will provide out-of-class experiences. A comprehensive examination completes the requirements. Students completing this degree (36 hours) will have developed skills effecting leadership, change, and policy formation; will have had opportunities to analyze data and its relationship to organizational effectiveness; and will have achieved a vision of effectiveness for schooling that is shared by experts. What the Faculty Do for This Degree Faculty members supervise the degree program of each student, provide leadership and monitoring for the culminating internships of all degree recipients, guide a research project produced by the student, and conduct comprehensive examinations. They are actively engaged in formative and summative evaluation procedures to guarantee the program s integrity and currency. Degree Recipients The following persons are among many who have received the Ed. S. degree from the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences having concentrated their efforts in the Leadership and Policy Studies major of the Department of Leadership: Janice Albritton--enrolled in the LDPS doctoral program with a concentration in Policy Studies Iris Dockery--Teacher, Pre-Kindergarten, Bethel Grove Elementary School, Memphis City Schools Patricia McWright-Jackson--Teacher, Memphis City Schools 3

4 Admission Procedures To be admitted to post-master s degree candidacy, each student must meet all Graduate School requirements and then complete a candidacy file in the Department of Leadership.All requirements for admission or readmission to the university must be completed before registration is authorized. Graduate School Requirements 1.An application to the Graduate School: When filling it out, indicate that the major interest is Education. Complete the application and submit it. A fee will be charged at the end of the application process. 2. An official report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score. The written portion of the exam is required. For questions regarding GRE testing or other information regarding the Graduate School, call Graduate School Admissions at The Testing Center number at the university is Official transcripts of all prior undergraduate and graduate courses. 4. After the application has been received by the Graduate School, the application fee has been paid, the transcript (s) has (have) been received, and the GRE scores have been received, a Departmental Recommendation Form will be sent to the Department of Leadership. Department of Leadership Requirements The following are the requirements of the Department of Leadership: 1. Documents* a. Resume b. Three professional letters of recommendation on letterhead c. Evidence of a current teaching certificate 2. A writing assignment tobe completed on a computer one hour prior to an interview session. The topic will be based on a current educational issue. 3. An interview with faculty members * Please submit documents to the Department of Leadership before the written exercise and the interview. Please send all required information to: 4

5 Attention: Ms. Carol Reeves Ball Hall 123 Department of Leadership University of Memphis Memphis, TN (901) , (901) (FAX) For additional information call: Dr. Linda Wesson, Professor and Program Coordinator (901) , (901) (FAX) After the materials have been received, the writing assignment has been competed, and the interview has been conducted, a decision about recommending will be made. A letter will be sent from the department notifying the student of its action, and an advisor will be named where applicable. It may precede the official letter of admission sent to the applicant from the Graduate School. Program of Study The program of study for the Ed.S.degree is individually designed by the student and the Program Advisory Committee to accomplish the student s educational goal and to ensure the mastery of requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions for the discipline. Appointment of a Program Advisory Committee After being admitted to candidacy, the student will consult with the department chair and the temporary advisor in order to secure the appointment of a permanent major advisor who will also serve as chair of the Program Advisory Committee. The department chair, following consultation with the student and the major advisor, will make a recommendation to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies concerning the appointment of a Program Advisory Committee to assist the student in planning a complete program of studies. Upon approval by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, the appointment will be forwarded to the Graduate School. The committee shall be composed of at least three members, each of whom must be a member of the Graduate Faculty at the University of Memphis. Time Limitation Each student s program of studies must be placed on file with the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies before the end of the semester immediately following admission to the program. It must include a minimum of 33 semester hours earned no more than 6 years prior to the date of graduation. 5

6 Acceptance of Transfer Credit Credit earned at another institution must be presented for consideration not later than the end of the student's second semester of enrollment. Upon approval by the student s Program Advisory Committee, the credit will be transferred to apply toward the degree, provided that the credit meets general University of Memphis and specific program requirements. Approved transfer credit may be accepted for not more than 12 semester hours of post-master s degree course credit. Other Credits The maximum combined credit of Independent Study and "Workshop" courses that may be applied to degree requirements is 9 semester hours. Change in a Program of Studies Any change to be made in a program of studies must be submitted on the appropriate form and must have the approval of the Program Advisory Committee, the department chair, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. Comprehensive Examination When the candidate in good standing has completed all course requirements or is enrolled in the last semester of coursework (exclusive of culminating experience), he/she must pass a comprehensive exam, written and oral, covering the major and collateral fields of study. The student who passes the comprehensive exam will be designated as a Late Specialist candidate. Culminating Experience The candidate will present a 6-hour culminating experience appropriate to the major area of specialization. It may be fulfilled through a thesis based on research related to the major, a field study of a significant problem, an organized internship, or a special project appropriate to the major. The culminating experience must be prepared according to guidelines specified by the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences and the Graduate School. For specific information, the student should consult her/his major advisor. NOTE: Each student should familiarize herself/himself with the Thesis/Dissertation Preparation Guide before starting to write. Credit will be posted upon the completion and acceptance of the culminating experience, but no more than 6 hours will be counted toward degree requirements. Continuous Enrollment Requirement Each degree candidate must maintain continuous enrollment of at least 1 credit hour per semester (summer school enrollment is optional for continuous enrollment) once he or she has begun taking a culminating experience. A retroactive charge for tuition will be made at graduation if he/she fails to do so. 6

7 This requirement may be waived for any semester the advisor is not on campus or for other reasons approved by the major advisor, the department chair, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. Failure to remain in continuous enrollment without an approved waiver will result in the reevaluation of the candidate s status in the program by the Program Advisory Committee. Final Examination After completing the culminating experience and all other prescribed work for the degree, each candidate will be given an oral examination dealing primarily with the culminating experience and its relation to the candidate s major field of study. 7