Secondary Education, M.Ed.

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The M.Ed. program in Secondary Education provides three options:

(a) the Standard Route to Licensure option (SRL);
(b) the Washoe County School District Alternative Route to Licensure option (ARL); and,
(c) the Continuing Educator Improvement option (CEI).

The SRL and ARL options are designed for individuals who are seeking to attain a license to teach at the Secondary (grades 7-12) level.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

demonstrate knowledge of teaching a selected academic content area and secondary education from the 7- 12 level in schools by developing well-detailed lesson plans and units that reflect the content as a theory and as a practice paired with alternatives to the traditional approaches to curriculum development and implementation. (C)
apply inclusive practices that include learners from diverse perspectives and learning styles that show an understanding of their content area and secondary education in both its concrete and abstract formats through problem-solving, creative analytical, and critical thinking skills to formulate alternative scenarios. (CT & QR)
include, in their selection of curriculum, instructional planning and lesson delivery at the pre-planning, during planning and post-lesson phases of teaching, ways to integrate the study of an academic content area and secondary education as a subject by including ways to reflect and offer multiple perspectives that enable the students to analyze ideas, abstractions, and “what if” scenarios in classroom settings.
achieve a basic mastery and scholarly competence in the academic endeavors of the selected academic content area and Secondary Education.

Contact Information

Jennifer Mahon, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, Secondary Education
jmahon@unr.edu
(775) 682-7534

Mailing Address:
University of Nevada, Reno
College of Education, Mail Stop 0280
1664 North Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89557-0330

Admission Requirements

Applicants need to meet and/or complete the following:

Completion of the program application
GPA of 3.0 or higher
A completed undergraduate degree
A reflective essay, three to five pages in length, which discusses the candidate’s understanding of the purpose of public education and how the complex issues facing secondary educators are going to affect the candidate as a teacher
1-2 page resume
Two professional letters of recommendation

In addition to admission requirements specified by each department, applicants must be qualified in the professional judgment of the College of Education faculty.

The specific curriculum requirements are adapted to the professional program and the needs of the student. Students should not enroll in any graduate-level course without first securing the approval of the department that such a course is acceptable toward a selected program of study.

I. Program Requirements

The program of study describing the specific 34 graduate units to be taken by an individual student will be determined by the student and their advisor based on each student’s unique needs.

A. Standard Route to Licensure (SRL)

In addtion to the coursework required for the M.Ed. degree, students in the SRL option must meet state requirements for their content area of teaching as defined by the state.

The program of study for each SRL student will include State of Nevada requirements with regard to Education coursework. While not counted towards the graduate credits included in the program, SRL students must complete a semester of student teaching as required by the State of Nevada. SRL students will typically meet this requirement by enrolling in UNR’s Secondary Supervised Teaching Internship course.

B. Alternative Route to Licensure (ARL)

Only indivduals who have been accepted by the Washoe County School District into their ARL program at the Secondary level are eligible for the ARL option of the Secondary M.Ed. program.

Students in the ARL option must meet state and/or district requirements for their content area as defined by the state and/or the WCSD’s ARL agreement with the state. This content area coursework is not included in the M.Ed program but these requirements must be satisfied in order to qualify for a teaching license.

The program of study for each SRL and ARL student will include State of Nevada requirements with regard to Education coursework. While not counted towards the graduate credits included in the program, SRL and ARL students must complete a semester of student teaching as required by the State of Nevada. ARL students will meet this requirement as directed by WCSD.

C. Continuing Educator Improvement (CEI)

The CEI opton is designed for licensed Secondary teachers seeking to extend and deepen their knowledge base and improve their pedagogical skills with the goal of becoming better teachers.

II. Total Units (34 units)

Scheduling of the 34 graduate units required will be determined by the student and their advisor based on each student’s unique needs.

A minimum of one credit of CTL 795, Comprehensive Examination will be required as the culminating experience for ALL students in the Secondary M.Ed. Program.