Program Overview

Master of Arts in Education (EDUC) - Graduate Courses

The Master of Arts in Education program offers a range of graduate courses that cater to the diverse needs of educators. These courses are designed to enhance teaching skills, explore current issues in education, and examine the sociocultural foundations of education.

Course Descriptions

• EDUC 510: Teaching Reading and Language Arts Investigates how children learn to read, improve their fluency, and strengthen their vocabulary and comprehension. Includes required reading tutoring practicum. (3 credits)
• EDUC 520: Current Issues of Child Abuse and Neglect Issues of child abuse, neglect, harassment, and violence. Includes identification and reporting procedures, and the legal and professional responsibilities of all mandated reporters. (1 credit)
• EDUC 528: Reading and Writing Across the K-8 Curriculum Investigates genres of contemporary children's literature and how to develop a personal repertoire of reading material for classroom use. Also examines strategies for teaching writing in K-8 classroom. (2 credits)
• EDUC 529: Reading and Writing Across the Secondary Curriculum Explores strategies for integrating young adult reading materials and written work and reading and writing instruction in all secondary content areas. (2 credits)
• EDUC 544: Sociocultural Foundations of Education Examines the purposes of K-12 schools, the root causes of the achievement gap, and the ways accomplished teachers adapt to the changing sociocultural context of schooling. (2 credits)
• EDUC 556: Critical Issues in Secondary Teaching Introduces what successful secondary teachers know and are able to do in the areas of curriculum and assessment, instructional methods, and classroom management. (2 credits)
• EDUC 561: Instructional Methodologies for Secondary Teachers This course will introduce the instructional methodologies being used currently in secondary schools, including curriculum design, instructional strategies, the use of assessments, and specific methodologies for content area instruction. (4 credits)
• EDUC 562: Schools and Society Individual and cooperative study of the socio-cultural and cultural, political, legal, historical, and philosophical foundations of current practices of schooling in America. Prerequisite: Admission to the M.A.E./Cert program or consent of instructor. (3 credits)
• EDUC 563A: Integrating Seminar: Technology Embedded Instructional Design Students work cooperatively and individually to integrate education course work, field experience, and individual perspective during graduate degree programs. May be repeated for credit. (2 credits)
• EDUC 563B: Integrating Seminar: Internship A seminar focusing on development of professionalism and competence in inquiry and reflective practice with opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills related to the complexities of teaching. (2-4 credits)
• EDUC 564: The Arts, Mind, and Body An exploration of methods to facilitate creativity and meaning-making in the classroom through visual, musical, non-verbal/physical movement, and dramatic arts. (2 credits)
• EDUC 565: Elementary Reading, Language Arts, Social Studies Practice designing, implementing, and assessing lessons and units that integrate reading, language arts, and social studies content in K-8 classrooms. Introduces exemplary reading, language arts, and social studies classroom materials and examines what successful classroom managers in K-8 classrooms know and are able to do. (2 credits)
• EDUC 566: Elementary Math and Science Practice designing, implementing, and assessing math and science lessons and units in K-8 classrooms. Introduces exemplary math and science classroom materials and examines what successful classroom managers in K-8 classrooms know and are able to do. (2-4 credits)
• EDUC 568: Internship in Teaching Internship in classroom settings. Fourteen weeks of teaching under the direct supervision of cooperating teachers and university supervisors. Designed for students in the M.A.E./Cert program. (6 credits)
• EDUC 587: History of Education A study of great men and women whose lives and writings have shaped and continue to shape the character of American education. (3 credits)
• EDUC 588: ST: Leadership in Higher Education Leadership development for administrators and faculty. Focus on higher education leadership models as they relate to PLU. Restricted to PLU administrators and faculty. (1 to 4 credits)
• EDUC 589: Philosophy of Education Philosophical and theoretical foundations of American education as well as the social philosophy of growing diverse populations in the K-12 schools. (3 credits)
• EDUC 590: Culminating Seminar M.A.E./Certification candidates finalize their professional growth plans by revisiting foundational questions from the beginning of the program, reviewing key concepts from individual courses, re-examining PLU's emphasis on "educating for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, and care," and comparing and contrasting their internship experiences. (4 credits)
• EDUC 591: Independent Study To provide individual graduate students graduate-level study not available in the regular curriculum. The title will be listed on the student term-based record as IS: followed by the specific title designated by the student. (1 to 4 credits)