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Rio Salado College
Rio Salado College		 Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale Community College

Earn Your Master of Education from Plymouth State University's College of Graduate Studies

  • Designed specifically for graduates and students of the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program at Rio Salado College and Scottsdale Community College
  • Up to 18 credits are satisfied with coursework in the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program
  • Complete the remaining courses online (two classes may be taught at your local campus)
  • Schedule of classes enables students to take one PSU class per term. Four terms per year: fall, winter, spring & summer
  • Earn your M.Ed. in as little as 13 months
  • Maintain full-time graduate student status by combining PSU courses with already completed Post-Baccalaureate courses to qualify for financial aid
  • Full-time graduate students may be eligible for financial aid. Visit plymouth.edu/graduate/finance for additional information

About the Program

Plymouth State University has created a unique opportunity for students who complete a Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program at Rio Salado College or Scottsdale Community College to earn a Master of Education degree. All graduate students must complete the following master's core component courses.

Core Component Courses

  • ED 5500 Graduate Seminar I
  • ED 5005 Social Psychology and Mythology Across Cultures
  • ED 5010 Philosophy, Ethics, and Education
  • ED 5030 Research Design
  • ED 5500 Capstone Course: Graduate Seminar II
  • ED 5140 Assessment: Principles and Practices (required only for graduates of the Secondary Education Program)

Depending on their status, students may also enroll in five to six additional courses. The necessary competencies for these courses are satisfied for students who have completed and earned A's or B's in the contracted Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification courses. The courses they register for vary depending on which Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program they completed. Rio Salado College has three programs: Elementary Education, Secondary Education and Special Education. Scottsdale Community College has only the Elementary Education Program.

The courses required for the three different Post-Baccalaureate programs are the following:

Elementary Education

  • ED 5270 Foundations of Teaching
  • ED 5060 Theories of Learning and Cognitive Development
  • ED 5570 Classroom Intervention and Special Education Strategies
  • RL 5760 Linguistic Principles and Methods of Teaching ESL
  • RL 5110 Issues and Trends in Reading and Writing
  • ED 5080 Instructional Strategies and Curriculum Design

Secondary Education

  • ED 5270 Foundations of Teaching
  • ED 5060 Theories of Learning and Cognitive Development
  • ED 5570 Classroom Intervention and Special Education Strategies
  • RL 5760 Linguistic Principles and Methods of Teaching ESL
  • ED 5080 Instructional Strategies and Curriculum Design

Special Education

  • ED 5270 Foundations of Teaching
  • SE 5570 Cognitive Impairments, Assessment and Instruction
  • ED 5570 Classroom Intervention and Special Education Strategies
  • SE 5600 Introduction to Learning Disabilities
  • RL 5770 Developing Language & Literacy for Diverse Learners
  • SE 6040 Curriculum Development in Special Education

More Information

The following brochures outline program curriculum and admissions information:
Brochure for Rio Salado Elementary Education Graduates (PDF 165 kb)
Brochure for Rio Salado Secondary Education Graduates (PDF 164 kb)
Brochure for Rio Salado Special Education Graduates (PDF 165 kb)
Brochure for Scottsdale Community College Elementary Education Graduates (PDF 128 kb)

Courses

Elementary Education or Special Education

All students must complete the five master's core component courses during the terms listed in the contract files below. The current tuition rate (AY 2007-08) for the core courses is $428/credit. The tuition rate for the courses that are satisfied by the successful completion of the contracted Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification courses is $125/credit. Students who completed the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Programs in Elementary Education or Special Education enroll in five PSU core courses. Six courses are satisfied by the Post-Baccalaureate courses. The approximate total tuition for the 33-credit master's is $8,670 (15 credits @ $428/credit + 18 credits @ $125/credit).

Secondary Education

Students who completed the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program in Secondary Education enroll in six PSU core courses. Five courses are satisfied by their Post-Baccalaureate courses. The total tuition for the 33-credit master's for is currently $9,579 (18 credits @ $428/credit + 15 credits @ $125/credit).

Elementary Education Graduates Program Contract (draft) (PDF 62 kb)
Secondary Education Graduates Program Contract (draft) (PDF 61 kb)
Special Education Graduates Program Contract (draft) (PDF 54 kb)

Regular Courses

Course Instructor Syllabus
ED 5500: Graduate Seminar Cheryl Baker Download Syllabus
(PDF 61 kb)
ED 5010: Online Syllabus Allan DiBiase Download Syllabus
(PDF 74 kb)
ED 5030: Research Design Kathleen Norris Download Syllabus
(PDF 2 mb)
ED 5005: Social Psychology & Myth James McGarry Download Syllabus
(PDF 82 kb)
ED 5500: Capstone Course: Graduate Seminar II James McGarry  
ED 5410: Assessment: Principles and Practices Kathleen Norris  

General Online Learning Information

Be sure to contact your instructor directly for particular information regarding the online course you are considering. These are general guidelines and are not meant to replace the information provided by individual instructors for their particular courses.

As you consider taking the online section of a course, please note the following:

  • Online learning requires particular discipline and independence, in addition to technology and technological skills. Students considering an online course should be aware of the challenges of self-paced, independent learning. The instructor will be available to handle e-mail or other communications, but not on a constant basis, so online students need to be able to plan and be comfortable with responses that may not be immediate. Students who prefer more regular contact should sign up for one of the many face to face section choices.
  • We want you to be successful! Though many of our partners provide online courses that are appropriate for any graduate student, at any point in their studies, we do not recommend that Research Design Online be taken as the first course in the graduate program at Plymouth State. Due to the nature of an online learning environment, and the particular materials and assignments for a course, students choosing an online course section should be comfortable accessing those resources for information independently.
  • We want you to develop networks and a sense of community. We expect graduate students who choose an online course to be ready for independent learning, to develop networks with classmates through WebCT or the partner's online environments, to contribute to the online discussion areas, and to contribute in any online chats that are scheduled. Graduate students may set up their own chats, and communicate with classmates outside of the scheduled or required postings, and should be willing to participate by posting their work and responding to the work of other students. The instructor becomes more of a facilitator than a direct instructor in this environment.
  • We want you to have all the information you need. Graduate students should be accessing myPlymouth frequently, including their PSU e-mail account, as well as the College of Graduate Studies Web site, and making regular contact with their advisor and the Graduate Office as they move through their programs. We send information to all students through their PSU e-mail account, post important updates in the portal, and add new content to the graduate Web site on a regular basis.

Online Pre-Class Information

The following technological requirements must be met in order enroll in an online course:

  • Computer (Mac or PC) that is able to run the latest version of one of the standard browsers (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.), has a CD drive and software for word processing, spreadsheet and presentations that can be saved in a format that is readable by the Microsoft Office suite. Any document from a standard word processing program can be saved in Rich Text Format (.rtf) so documents can be shared. Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Powerpoint) is the software suite used to create and view the course materials. All Apple programs can be translated into Microsoft Office documents and most standard software programs are built to be able to do this. Apple applications, and most other standard programs, can read Office documents as well. If you do not have Microsoft Office, or cannot save your work so that it is readable through MS Office, please consult with Plymouth State University's IT Help Desk at (603) 535-2929. Be sure to check for individual course requirements as well.
  • Ability to connect to the PSU portal, myPlymouth, and from there to the partner course information, WebCT, Banner Self-Service and Lamson Library and Learning Commons. If you are registering for an online partner courses, be sure to go through the PSU Web page to find the registration information and directions for the online partner and PSU. For online sections of courses delivered by PSU, contact the instructor directly, and go to http://my.plymouth.edu and log in to the myPlymouth portal. If you have trouble logging on, contact the IT Help Desk at (603) 535-2929.
  • Ability to troubleshoot technological problems and find work-arounds if necessary. Willingness to be persistent in getting assistance if needed. Ability to communicate with the online partner technology assistants and the PSU ITS Help Desk so that they can assist you from off-campus. Ability to navigate through all sections of the Lamson Library and Learning Commons Web site, including the online databases and other information provided.
  • Ability and desire to work independently, to schedule your own computer and internet time to use the portal and CD resources, and to conduct a search of reference materials on your own or with the assistance of the library staff.

Pre-Class Requirements for PSU Graduate Online Sections:

After you have registered for the course, and you have contacted the instructor, go through myPlymouth and make sure you have access to everything you will need (see technological requirements) and check for the WebCT course section to show up in your MyCourses tab so that you can enter the course materials through there. Call the ITS Help Desk at (603) 535-2929 if you have trouble with your username or password or accessing myPlymouth. The course does not officially begin until the term begins, so you may not see your WebCT course shell until close to the beginning of the term.

After you have registered for the course, and before the first day of the term, you must e-mail the instructor and notify her/him for contact outside of WebCT. Before the first day of the term, you should make sure your systems are working, you can access the materials you need, and you can print materials.

The APA manual is the writing reference guide for graduate study at PSU. Your instructor will let you know of any particular formats you need to use. The text(s) for PSU courses and the APA manual are available directly from the PSU Bookstore and can be shipped to you without a shipping charge upon your request. You will need to check the syllabus for your course, or check with the instructor, to find out the exact text requirements for your course.

Many students have questions about the course content that will be answered through reading the syllabus. Be sure to register early for PSU online course sections as they tend to fill up! For partnership online courses, be sure to check start and end dates, and other particulars for those courses. Every partner has slightly different registration and course requirements. Be sure to check out the online partnership registration information directly from the PSU Web site.

The Graduate Writing Assistant and the PSU Writing Center are available to assist with any writing or formatting questions. You can find links to these resources at plymouth.edu/graduate/currentstudents.

We want this online course experience to be as smooth as possible for you and we're here to help, so let our registration specialists know if you have any questions.

Application & Application Procedures

Admission Requirements:

  • A completed and signed application for admission. (You may enroll in up to four courses while completing the formal admission process).
  • Official transcripts from your baccalaureate granting institution and from Rio Salado College or Scottsdale Community College to verify that you have completed or are scheduled to complete the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program. All transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to the College of Graduate Studies.
  • Official score report from the Miller Analogies Test (M.Ed. and M.A.T. in Art Education candidates), or the Graduate Record Examination (M.S. and M.A.T. in Science Education candidates). (Waived for students who already hold a graduate degree).
  • A statement of interests and intent.
  • A professional resume.
  • Three recommendations from past or present supervisors, professors or colleagues. Use the recommendation forms provided at the end of the application. All recommendations should be mailed directly to the College of Graduate Studies by the individual providing the recommendation.
  • A non refundable application fee. Master's and certification applicants $75.
  • Applicants for Financial Aid must be fully admitted during the term prior to their eligibility for financial aid (e.g., Financial Aid for the summer term would require completed application materials be received before the start of the summer term).

Download a graduate program application (PDF 291 kb) or call the Graduate Office at (800) FOR-GRAD to have one mailed to your home.

Plymouth State University, 17 High Street, Plymouth, NH 03264-1595. Main Switchboard: (603) 535-5000.
A member of the University System of New Hampshire. ©2005-2008. All rights reserved.
This page was last revised: 11/14/2008