The M.Ed. program has five basic components.

1. Core Courses
2. Concentration Courses
3. Field Work
4. The Capstone Seminars
5. The Portfolio

1. Core Courses: There are core courses that cut across all of the concentrations. These courses address several of the most basic and fundamental aspects of education today – human development and learning, the fundamentals of reading, and the historical, philosophical and societal context for teaching. They provide a foundation on which subsequent coursework builds. Students should take at least three of these four courses before moving into the concentration courses.

2. Concentration Courses:   Each concentration includes a set of courses specific to and required for the concentration. These courses address both the most up-to-date methods and needs of the fields and the state standards for licensure. For example, the Special Education concentration contains a series of courses focusing on special needs populations, diagnostic tools and models of program delivery. The Reading concentration contains courses on literature, diagnosis of reading problems, and effective means of improving literacy. The Elementary and Administration concentrations also have specific concentration courses. These courses are provided in sequence, so that students learn the fundamentals before proceeding to more specialized work.

3. Field Work: The Master’s program has two field work components. The first is called Reflective Practice, and consists of a structured observation of work in the field accompanied by seminars for discussion and reflection on the implications of the observations. All of Curry’s master’s degree programs use a reflective practitioner model to build skills and encourage self-awareness and ongoing improvement. The second component of field work is the Practicum, in which students work in the field for a set number of hours. The practicum, previously called student teaching for students seeking a teaching license, is accompanied by a seminar in which students share and discuss their experiences. The Reflective Practice and Practicum cannot be taken simultaneously, but are often taken in sequence.

For students seeking a teaching license, the Massachusetts Department of Education sets minimum hour requirements for the practicum. Current teachers, teacher aides or others working in an educational setting are often able to conduct their field work at their current place of employment. Non-licensure students also conduct field work in settings related to their specialties or areas of interest. Minimum requirements to begin field work include at least 12 hours of course work (four courses) and, for students seeking licensure, passing scores on the appropriate MTEL tests. See Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) below, for a list of required tests.

4. The Capstone Seminars: The Capstone Seminar is the culmination of graduate studies within the M.Ed. program at Curry College. It serves to synthesize and summarize all previous work in the program. A minimum of 18 credits is required before beginning the thesis sequence, and all other work should be complete before a student enrolls in a Capstone Seminar. Exceptions may be made with the permission of the M.Ed. Director. Two capstone options are provided.

A. Capstone Seminar: Thesis: Consideration of a thesis topic begins with the shaping of ideas and thought within the first semester of graduate studies, and proceeds as students move into concentration-specific coursework and form more specific questions and areas of interest. The thesis is generally considered a three-semester process, although some students can finish it more quickly if they have the time to devote. The thesis sequence consists of three components:

• Educational Research: This course introduces you to the types and methods of research in education, and helps you develop an initial research proposal. This proposal outlines the steps of research and becomes both a guide to the research you will conduct and the introduction to your thesis.

• Graduate Thesis Advising (Formerly Directed Study): Each student works directly with a thesis mentor or advisor in developing the content knowledge to complete a literature search for the thesis. A mentor will be assigned late in or immediately following the Educational Research course, as soon as you notify the Director of the Master’s Program that you have a topic and are ready. You determine a schedule jointly with your mentor, and work on the literature search for your thesis during this period. 1-credit is awarded for this work.

• Capstone Seminar: Thesis: Following the completion of Educational Research and the preparation of a research proposal, and after they have substantially completed their literature searches, students work as a thesis group in the Thesis Seminar. During the seminar, they conduct their research and complete their theses. Thesis students also complete their portfolios at this time.

B. Capstone Seminar: Project: This Capstone Seminar provides the occasion for you to reflect on the contribution that each course has made to your overall experience, to make some personal sense of the complex roles of the educator in contemporary culture, and to envision a proactive role for yourself. Thus, building on and culminating in the portfolio initiated at the beginning of the program, there are three educational goals:

• Capstone Project: To evaluate and make recommendations on a current issue of concern in education, you will identify an important issue; analyze, synthesize and evaluate its history and current manifestations; and make professional recommendations toward a solution.

• Portfolio Analysis and Summary: To develop a summative analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the contribution of the courses you have taken, you will articulate the interconnectedness of the core learnings derived from your coursework, the bearing that the courses have on each other, and the resulting impact in your professional work.

• Synthesis – Philosophy and Purpose: To articulate a personal philosophy of education, you will write a comprehensive personal/professional statement of perspectives and values, and of their implications for you as an educator.

Both Capstone Seminars provide an opportunity for students to explore an issue of interest to them personally and of importance to the field, with the support of experienced professors and mentors. While the topics and form of these explorations differ, all students benefit from this opportunity both to pull together all of the work they have done through the program as reflected in each student’s portfolio, and to explore an area of interest growing out of this previous work.

5. The Program Portfolio: Each student in the M.Ed program develops a program portfolio over the span of the program. The portfolio serves as a means of reflection and development throughout the master’s program; as a launching place for the thesis or capstone project; as a demonstration of skills, interests and abilities to faculty members and potential employers and, most importantly, as a personal statement of growth and professional development. It includes the following:

• A statement of philosophy/purpose from the initial course work, as modified through the completion of the program, and completed/synthesized in the Capstone Seminar.

• Evidence that demonstrates the student’s knowledge and proficiency in each of the state’s professional standards for teachers, as appropriate. For teachers, this includes the following categories:

• Planning curriculum and instruction

• Delivering effective instruction

• Managing classroom climate and operation

• Promoting equity

• Meeting professional responsibilities

• Examples of research, writing, and other academic expectations reflected in the goals for Master of Education graduates.

• Evidence of your reflection on changes in your thinking and your progress and development as both an excellent educational professional and a thoughtful, analytical, and effective leader.

The program portfolio is completed in four phases, which parallel the components of the program described above.Phase I is completed in conjunction with the core courses.Phase II should be completed at the end of each student's concentration courses. Phase III is based on the student's work observation in the field, and Phase IV culminates with the Capstone Thesis or Project.