The Dreeben School of Education offers three degrees in Education: the Master of Arts (M.A.), the Master of Education (M.Ed.), and the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.). These degrees are designed for persons who wish to develop or increase academic and professional competence through graduate study. The programs are designed with the working professional in mind with all coursework scheduled in the evening and/or week-ends.
The graduate programs in Education are designed to facilitate students’ attainment of these outcomes:
Prospective candidates for a Master’s degree in Education must meet all University criteria for admission to the graduate program and demonstrate competence in oral and written expression. In addition, the Dreeben School of Education requires:
Transfer credit: No more than nine (9) semester hours may be transferred toward the master’s degrees in the Dreeben School of Education.
The Master of Arts degree in the Dreeben School of Education requires completion of 36 semester hours, 24 of which must be in Education. This degree is appropriate for students who want to take some courses in their degree outside the School of Education.
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Education:
Core Courses (12 semester hours)
Area of Concentration within Education (12-15 semester hours)
Elective Area outside Education (9-12 semester hours)
This degree is for persons who wish to do all their work in the Dreeben School of Education. The degree is awarded upon completion of at least 36 semester hours.
Requirements for the Master of Education:
Core Courses (12 semester hours)
There are four areas of concentration for the M.A. and the M.Ed. in Education: Adult Education, Kinesiology, Online Teaching and Learning, and Student Services in Higher Education each offering separate fields of expertise. Students interested in Professional Certifications in addition to their master’s degrees must seek admission to the Teacher Certification program prior to beginning coursework in the certification sequence. This admission procedure is separate from and follows full acceptance into the Graduate School at UIW.
This degree is for students who want to concentrate their core work in Education but with a general group of courses either from the Dreeben School of Education as a whole, or from another School/College. If the majority of the work is from Education, the degree will be the M.Ed. If more than several courses come from other College/Schools, the M.A. will be awarded. This open-ended degree plan allows students to select up to six (6) courses that will best suit their needs within a focus of Education.
Core Courses (12 semester hours)
Other courses from Education: at least two (6 hours)
Courses from other disciplines OR from Education: up to six (18 semester hours)
The University of the Incarnate Word teacher preparation program has a 99% pass rate on the TExES state certification exams. All Teacher Education programs at UIW are approved and overseen by the State Board for Educator Certification of Texas.
The M.A.T. degree offers an opportunity for students to obtain elementary, secondary, or all-level certification while working towards the Master’s degree.
The M.A.T. degree requires 36-42 hours of coursework, (depending upon the area of specialization), completion of all teaching practicum requirements, and a satisfactory Student Apprenticeship experience, or the completion of a one-year internship with a satisfactory evaluation.
Full admission to the M.A.T. requires the following:
Continuation in this program requires that students/teacher candidates remain in good standing with the Graduate School, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, complete course work in sequence with the program advisor’s approval, demonstrate a professional disposition, and demonstrate content proficiency by passing an examination over the content area of certification prior to registration for the Apprenticeship/Internship. Students who are conditionally admitted to the M.A.T. must complete all admissions requirements prior to registration for more than 9 hours.
Core courses in the M.A.T. (12 or 15 semester hours)
Areas of Concentration within Education:
Certification by the State of Texas is awarded upon completion of the M.A.T. AND successful completion of passing scores on the TExES exams required by the State Board of Educator Certification.
Graduate and undergraduate students seeking Texas Teacher Certification from the University of the Incarnate Word program will be subject to any additional or new requirements that may be set forth by legislative mandates or the State Board for Educator Certification.
*Note: UIW offers an Accelerated M.A.T. Program for candidates seeking EC-6 certification. Applicants must present a completed B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in Reading and Special Education awarded by UIW. Candidates with similar degrees/minors from other institutions are subject to academic review if applying to the Accelerated M.A.T. Program.
Prerequisite: Completed B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in Reading and Special Education*
Requirements in the major (18 hours)
Teaching Fields: English Language Arts & Reading, History, Life Science, Mathematics, Physical Science
Requirements in the major (21 hours)
Electives (0/3 hours)
Electives (0-3 hours)
The Graduate Certification Program is a secondary teacher certification program for post-baccalaureate students who have a teaching field in place (Secondary certification fields include: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Life Science, Physical Science, or History. All-level certification fields include: Physical Education, Art, Music, Spanish, or Theater). Students will be eligible for secondary certification (grades 8-12) or all-level certification (grades EC-12) upon completion of all required coursework, passing the associated TExES certification exams, and completion of the certification application process; including fingerprinting and a background investigation. Courses in the Graduate Certification Program will apply to the Masters of Arts in Teaching degree.
Interested students in the Graduate Certification Program must apply to the M.A.T. Program and meet all stated requirements. The student and the academic advisor will coordinate to plan accordingly.
Requirements for the Graduate Certification Program (21-24 hours)
OR
This degree, with a concentration in Adult Education, is designed to provide professional preparation for administrators/supervisors of adult education activities, persons working in human resource and staff development, continuing and community education personnel, and teachers of adults in a variety of institutions and settings
Students are exposed to the principles of Adult Education with special emphasis on the changes occurring in adult life as they affect the teaching-learning process. Educational, institutional, administrative, and programmatic implications are stressed. Some areas of specialization that can be arranged by the advisor are: adult literacy, human resource development, or adult religious education,
Requirements for the Master’s degree with a concentration in Adult Education:
Core Courses (12 hours)
Requirements in the major (Select 18 semester hours.)
Electives (6 semester hours)
The Kinesiology program is designed for those students who are interested in working in a business related area, teaching Physical Education on the college level, or in adding a Physical Education teaching specialty to their teaching credential at the K-12 level. (NOTE: This degree does not carry initial teacher certification.)
Requirements for the Master’s degree with a concentration in Kinesiology:
Core Courses (12 hours)
Requirements in the Major (18 hours)
Elective Courses (6 hours)
Requirements for the Master’s degree with a concentration in Online Teaching and Learning:
Core Courses Requirements (12 semester hours)
Supporting Requirements (12 semester hours)
Concentration Courses (18 hours)
(15 semester hours)
Requirements for the Master’s degree with a concentration in Student Services in Higher Education:
Core Courses (12 hours)
Requirements in the Major (24 hours)
EDUC 6303 Counseling Techniques in Higher Education
The Dreeben School of Education offers certificates in the areas of Adult Education, and Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL/TESL).These UIW certificates acknowledge that the student has completed 15 hours in the specified field of study. Students interested in one of these certificates must be admitted to UIW as a non-degree seeking student, or admitted into the graduate degree program in the Dreeben School of Education.
The certificate program at UIW is not applicable to Texas Teaching Certification or any State Professional Certification program.
When the coursework is completed for the certificate, students must file a request, along with a copy of the transcript, with the Dean of the Dreeben School of Education for the certificate. Courses taken for the certificate may be accepted as work toward a master’s degree if the student is accepted into a master’s degree program in the UIW Graduate School and the Dreeben School of Education (see requirements on page 44).
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in the Dreeben School of Education has three concentrations: Higher Education, International Education and Entrepreneurship, and Organizational Leadership. Each concentration in the doctoral program reflects the institution’s mission to combine education with service. Many students have opportunities for local and international internships and research. The curriculum for each concentration has been designed to meet the needs of the communities served by the University. The program is built on the following common core and combines scholarly research with application, fostering the integration of theory and practice.
Core Courses
Applicants for admission to the Doctoral Program must fulfill the admission requirements listed on page 23 in this Bulletin. There may be additional admission requirements for each concentration which can be found in the following sections.
Criteria for Continuation and Graduation
General criteria are listed on page 24 of this Bulletin.
The Doctoral Program of Study specifies 57 semester hours of course work, 18 of which are the common core, a Qualifying Examination, and a minimum of 9 semester hours of Dissertation Writing. In support of the dissertation process, the following research courses are offered from which students must take a minimum of 9 semester hours, at least one from the two starred below.
The curriculum also includes core and elective courses in fields including Leadership Studies, Organizational Studies, Education, and Business. In addition, there are unique opportunities for domestic and international internships. All coursework in the doctoral program of study must be taken at the 7000 level or above. The doctoral degree is granted when all requirements are met and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research has signed the Dissertation Clearance Form.
The Higher Education concentration is designed to prepare graduates for positions of leadership in higher education with the knowledge and capacity to understand and facilitate change in institutions of higher education. The program grounds the students both in theory and in the tools and methodology of research so that they can contribute to academic inquiry and apply theory to issues facing institutions of higher education. Depending on the master’s degree and choices of electives, the graduate may enter careers in higher education leadership or teaching.
Those with an intended focus in teaching must meet the required number of hours in the discipline through electives and the master’s degree.
With an emphasis on collaborative learning, the concentration incorporates collegiality among students, among faculty, and between faculty and students. Opportunities are available for learning through teaching and a higher education practicum as well as directed consultation and research
The degree plan for the concentration in Higher Education includes:
Common Core, 18 hours
At least one of
Required Courses, 27 hours minimum to include:
And one of the following:
Electives, 9 hours minimum
Dissertation, 9 hours minimum
The International Education and Entrepreneurship concentration enables students to develop enterprises of a cultural, educational, humanitarian, or business nature that show a full understanding of the host culture and its relation in theory and practice with Western cultures. It allows theoretical study with a practical impulse that involves an awareness of business and educational systems and their development in existing, new, and emerging arenas.
The foundation courses combine comparative study of the educational and cultural systems of the world with experiential learning in entrepreneurship. The grasp of a nation’s outlook revealed by its education provides the key to understanding its intellectual and managerial endeavors; the practical skill of entrepreneurship suggests new ways of applying existing resources and encourages the development of new ideas in all fields. This concentration achieves its aim through a blend of theoretical study and practical engagement. Practical application and experience are achieved by each student in a six month internship in a country other than the home country.
In addition to the Admission Requirements listed on page 23 of this Bulletin, applicants for admission to the International Education and Entrepreneurship Concentration must also fulfill the following requirements: Minimum of six hours of education and six hours of business background courses as pre-requisites (undergraduate or graduate)
The Concentration in International Education and Entrepreneurship Program of Study includes:
Common Core, 18 hours
At least one of the following courses
Required Courses, 33 hours to include
Electives, 3 hours minimum
Dissertation, 9 hours minimum
Evidence of oral and written proficiency in a foreign language as a requirement for admission to candidacy.
The Organizational Leadership concentration is designed to prepare graduates for positions of leadership in education, business, public, and social agencies with the knowledge and capacity to understand organizations and to facilitate organizational change. It strives to impart an ethic of leadership that recognizes the global dimension of social concerns and works for understanding and justice in diverse societies. The interdisciplinary nature of the program grounds the students both in theory and in the tools and methodology of research and technology so that they can contribute to academic inquiry and apply theory to issues facing organizations, institutions, and communities.
With an emphasis on collaborative learning, the concentration incorporates collegiality among students, among faculty, and between faculty and students. Within the program of study, flexibility is provided for students to take electives in line with their area of interest and career objectives. Opportunity is also available for learning through teaching and organizational practica as well as directed consultation and research. In addition to the Admission Requirements listed on page 30 of this Bulletin, applicants for admission to the Organizational Leadership concentration must also fulfill the following requirements:
Employment experience in a position of responsibility
The concentration in Organizational Leadership Program of Study includes:
Common Core, 18 hours
At least one of
Required Courses, 18 hours
Electives, up to 21 hours to complete the required 57 credit hours
Dissertation, 9 hours minimum
ELECTIVES
Electives taken at the 7000 level may come from the Dreeben School of Education or other school or college at the University as agreed upon by the student and advisor. Electives available from the Dreeben School of Education are
Adult Education
Early Childhood
General Education
Interdisciplinary Studies
International Education and Entrepreneurship
Kinesiology
Literacy Education
Organizational Leadership
Special Education
Student Services in Higher Education