Teaching and Learning, M.Ed.

The Master of Education in Teaching and Learning program is designed for licensed, practicing teachers and educators, who want to earn a master’s degree while supported by experienced facilitators in a learning community. The 36 credit program allows teachers to identify, investigate, and transform their teaching and learning. Learners will connect inquiry to their discipline and apply their learning directly to their classroom.

M.Ed. learners explore aspects of teacher identity and examine best practices and theory as part of individual, community, and program-wide learning experiences.

Program Outcomes

By the end of the Master of Education in Teaching and Learning program graduates are expected to be

1. self-aware individuals, understanding the influence of unique talents, personalities, perspectives, biases, and experiences;
2. reflective practitioners, integrating metacognition and coaching thinking into practice;
3. scholarly educators, understanding and negotiating the complexities of teaching and learning;
4. designers, approaching design with intention;
5. collaborators, utilizing various skills that foster positive interdependent relationships;
6. inquirers, leading with curiosity, being open to wonder and ambiguity; and
7. leaders, validating and embracing the role as teacher leaders.

Program Structure and Delivery

The M.Ed. program requires learning community members to complete 36 credits, 30 of which are completed in the learning community. The remaining six elective/transfer credits can be graduate level courses transferred in prior to the acceptance to the M.E. program, or credits earned from elective courses during the program. Credits taken after the start of the program must be taken through the GPDE program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota to be accepted as elective credits.

Courses that count toward the M.Ed. degree are offered at sites convenient for learners, meeting one Saturday a month. A 1-day conference is held on the Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Campus during each of the spring semesters, with a fall conference for year two communities held during the second year of the program. The weekend conferences are part of the community learning experience as they allow learners to engage in dialogue and networking beyond the individual learning community.

Courses in the program are delivered in a blended format, integrating face-to-face classroom meetings and online activities or interactions in a planned, instructionally valuable manner. Individuals who posses the following skills benefit most from the M.Ed program: an openness toward collaboration and a willingness to work with others, good time management, the ability to work independently, strong written communication, and the willingness to work with technology.

Transfer Credit Policy

Elective/transfer credits taken prior to starting the M.Ed. program will be considered for transfer if they meet the following criteria:

• Completed through an accredited college or university;
• Completed within five years from starting the M.Ed. program;
• Received a B- or higher and
• Graduate level.