Master of Education (M.Ed.) Graduate Degree

Upper Iowa University Master of Education has 9 areas of emphasis:

• Early Childhood
• English as a Second Language
• English as a Second Language Non-Licensure
• Instructional Strategist
• Instructional Strategist Non-Licensure
• Reading
• Talented and Gifted
• Talented and Gifted Non-Licensure
• Teacher Leadership

The program is designed to be completed in two years if the candidate takes one course per session.

The cost per credit hour is $342.

You are considered a non-degree seeking student until you are accepted into the Master of Education program. Once you are accepted, you become a degree-seeking student, which allows you to apply for financial aid if you choose. If you are interested in taking some courses to “test drive” our program, this is a great way you can do it! The graduate credits you take as a non-degree seeking student will apply towards the 36 graduate credits needed for your M.Ed.

Each area of emphasis requires 36 credit hours, nine of which are core courses.

UIU’s Master of Education allows up to 12 graduate credits to transfer towards an emphasis. Transfer credits need to be relevant to the Master of Education degree.

All graduate-level courses are offered online.

Yes, you can complete multiple endorsements at the same time.

Yes, most graduate candidates are working full time and taking graduate-level courses. Upper Iowa’s unique five 8-week sessions and one 6-week accelerated summer session allow candidates to focus on one 3-credit, online course per session. This allows the candidate to be a full-time graduate candidate and be eligible to receive financial aid.

Yes, those taking one course per session at the graduate level are considered full-time students and qualify to apply for financial aid.

Upper Iowa’s unique five 8-week sessions and one 6-week accelerated summer session allows candidates to start at the beginning of any session. Tentative degree plans are created based on the start of the emphasis, and courses are offered often enough to provide flexibility in starting and completing the Master of Education degree when it works for you!

Clinical Teaching Experience is a graded experience required to obtain a special education or ESL endorsement. If the candidate is currently working with students for which the endorsement would cover, the candidate can complete the Clinical Teaching Experience in his/her own classroom. A colleague licensed in special education or ESL will serve as a cooperating teacher and a University Supervisor will be secured. The special education experience is four credits and is four weeks long; the ESL experience is one credit and is one week long. A Clinical Teaching Handbook is available for each placement explaining the expectations of the candidate.

EDU 590 Capstone Seminar is offered sessions 1, 3, and 5 and is taken as the last course in the program.

We do not offer classes for initial teacher licensure at the graduate level. What we do have are classes offered during the day at our main campus in Fayette and night classes at our centers in Waterloo, Quad Cities and Des Moines. Through these four locations you can take the coursework you need to complete your teacher education degree through us. Depending on what you want to teach, you could take graduate-level courses while taking undergraduate courses. The graduate coursework, as well as some undergraduate coursework, can be taken online.

If you have any questions about the M.Ed. Program, please contact Jodi Grover, Teacher Education Coordinator, at [email protected] or 515.225.1800.