& Student Handbook - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Master of Arts in Education —
Catholic School Leadership
Master Degree Programs 127
The Master of Arts in Education–Catholic School Leadership program is
designed to directly serve the professional needs of educators in
Catholic schools. Courses focus on the development of the adult learner
in the contemporary Catholic educational context with due respect for his
or her religious freedom. Through a relevant and rigorous academic
experience, the program aims to strengthen students in gospel values
and enhance their personal and ministerial commitment. This program,
which draws on the 300-year tradition of the Christian Brothers, offers a
balance of courses that address both the core academic areas and
current issues and research in Catholic Education. Saint John Baptist De
La Salle, the founder of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, envisioned
teachers as ministers of grace, who exercised their vocation daily by
instructing youth in the principles of the gospel as well as in the various
academic and vocational subjects.
The M.A. Education-Catholic School Leadership program outcomes and
courses are in the process of being revised as a result of program
review. Please refer to the website at www.smumn.edu for the latest
information.
Program Outcomes
Graduates of the Master of Arts in Education-Catholic School
Leadership program are expected to be able to do the following:
1. Know all aspects of child development that affect the learning process.
2. Demonstrate appreciation for diversity and the ability to deal with
diversity in all its forms in the classroom and in the community.
3. Use a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of an ever
more diverse and changing student population.
4. Create a positive and productive learning environment for all
students with whom they are working.
5. Communicate effectively in a variety of modes.
6. Plan instruction that productively meets the needs of all students for
whom they are responsible.
7. Align curriculum design, assessment methods and instructional
strategies.
8. Exhibit a commitment to lifelong learning and see it as a critical
attribute to being a productive classroom teacher and professional.
9. Work productively in a collaborative fashion, develop positive working
relationships with a wide variety of people and understand the ethical
implications of their actions.
10. Cope with the changes inevitable in our society and world and assist
their students in doing the same.
11. Demonstrate knowledge of designated graduation standards and
have the ability to provide instruction to their students to support
them in their efforts to achieve the standards.
12. Demonstrate an ability to do personal theological reflection to
develop their own ethical foundations and ministerial effectiveness.
Transfer Credits
A maximum of six semester credits earned prior to admission at Saint
Mary's University may be accepted as transfer credits upon the
recommendation of the program director/site coordinator and the
approval of the academic dean. For credits to be considered for transfer,
the following criteria must be met:
1. An official transcript must be received at the Twin Cities Campus from
the granting institution.
2. The credits must have been earned at an institution accredited by a
regional accrediting agency.
3. The credits must be clearly designated as graduate credits.
4. The credits may not have been used as part of an undergraduate or
graduate degree.
5. The grade earned must be a Pass or a "B-" or higher.
6. The credits must have been earned within ten years preceding
admission to Saint Mary's University.
Upon the recommendation of the program director/site coordinator and
the approval of the academic dean, credits will be designated, in writing,
as electives or as fulfilling a program requirement. Transfer of credits
should be completed during the first semester of graduate study at Saint
Mary's University.
Degree Requirements
Required Courses .............................................................................28 cr.
Elective Courses .................................................................................4 cr.
Total..................................................................................................32 cr.
Required Courses: 28 cr.
EDUC604 Curriculum Design .............................................................3 cr.
EDUC605 Effective Teaching Techniques ...........................................3 cr.
EDUC607 Communication Skills.........................................................3 cr.
EDUC617 Educational Research........................................................3 cr.
EDUC618 Summary Paper Preparation..............................................1 cr.
EDUC631 Integration of Technology into the Curriculum....................3 cr.
EDUC636 Applied Technology ............................................................3 cr.
EDUC642 Current Issues in Catholic Education.................................3 cr.
EDUC657 Implications of Culture and Style on
Teaching and Learning .....................................................................3 cr.
EDUC662 Ministerial Foundations of Catholic Education ...................3 cr.