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USD / LERN Masters Degree Program |
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LERN
and the Electronic University Consortium of South Dakota (EUC), a consortium
of six state universities including the University of South Dakota (USD),
are pleased to offer a Master of Arts in Educational Administration, with
an emphasis in Adult Education. The degree is awarded by the University of
South Dakota.
Unique
This
Masters Degree is the only Masters Degree in the world that combines the
academic, theoretical and research findings of adult and continuing education
with the practical application of the responsibilities and duties of adult
and continuing education administrators.
Adult and continuing education administrators taking LERN Institutes and courses have requested a Masters Degree where the advanced, practical professional education that LERN offers can receive graduate credit. This Masters Degree combines the essential academic education from a highly respected and accredited higher education body with the practical professional education LERN offers.
Curriculum,
Courses and Credit
The
University of South Dakota (USD) will award the degree. The University
of South Dakota is fully accredited by the North Central Accrediting Association,
and by the accrediting agency for education schools and colleges, NCATE
(National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education). The program
is governed by the current and future policies of the South Dakota Board
of Regents and the University of South Dakota.
The degree will consist of 33 graduate credit hours. Courses provided by LERN will constitute 15 of the 33 graduate credit hours. Completed LERN courses will be accepted for USD graduate credit toward the degree with grades for each LERN course being assigned by the LERN instructor/facilitator.
Academic, theoretical and research courses will be provided by the Electronic University Consortium (EUC) of South Dakota, and consist of courses offered by the following EUC member institutions: University of South Dakota, Black Hills State University, Dakota State University, Northern State University, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and South Dakota State University. EUC courses are delivered online and at a distance. No resident courses are required.
USD will work cooperatively with other system universities to deliver 18 graduate credit hours, with USD providing the majority of the coursework.
EUC and USD will:
- Provide online a curriculum
in adult learning theory, teaching of adults, and adult education research;
- Provide a faculty qualified by degree and experience to deliver graduate
level instruction in the courses that comprise the degree program;
- Provide admission and counseling support services;
- Award an accredited masters degree in education to qualified students;
- Provide accrediting transcription of LERN educational experiences.
Courses
University of South Dakota Courses, 18 credit hours
Major Area Courses (12 credit hours)
-AHED 701 Adult Learning Theory (3)
-AHED 710 Sociology of Adult Education (3)
-AHED 720 Principles of Postsecondary Education (3)
-AHED 730 Community College (3)
-AHED 740 Continuing Education (3)
-AHED 745 Comparative Studies in Adult Education (3)
-AHED 750 Current Practices & Problems in AHED (3)
-AHED 751 Curriculum in Higher Education (3)
-AHED 752 College & University Administration (3)
-AHED 753 Financing Higher Education (3)
Research Area (3 credit hours)
-EDER 761 Research Methods in Education (3)
Elective Course (Choose one of the following, 3 hours)
-LT 711 Teaching & Learning in the Information Age (3)
-LT 716 Systematic Design of Instruction (3)
-LT 726 Technology in the Curriculum (DSU) (3)
-LT 741 Distance Learning Systems and Design (DSU) (3)
-TET 710 Technology in Society (3)
-TET 755 Distance Education (3)
-TET 780 Organizational Development (3)
(Consult the AHED Online MA site for scheduled rotation of AHED offerings and the USD Continuing Education site for currently offered online courses in all prefix areas)
USD Credit to be Awarded Based on Completion of LERN Education, 15 credit hours
Required (4 hours)
-AHED 791 Program Planning CPP (4)**
**(May be taken as an Independent Study or as a four day Institute program given in the spring, generally June. For the Independent Study option, you can take the CPP exam at the Annual Convention in late fall, or by proctor. This is not available for the specialty CPPs.)
Elective Courses: Any of the remaining seminars above and/or the following for a minimum of 5 credit hours
-TET 793 Special topic in Designing Online Instruction (1)
-TET 793 Special Topic in Building Online Learning Communities (1)
-TET 793 Special Topic in How to Teach Adults (1)
-TET 793 Special Topic in Teaching Online (1)
-AHED 781 Workshop in Generational Learning Styles (1)
(The above one credit hour courses are all offered as one-week asynchronous online courses offered at least twice a year).
For LERN education, an exam will be given for each course, passage of which is necessary to gain graduate credits.
Note: Program completion requires a minimum of 18 semester hours of AHED courses and 8 semester hours of non-AHED courses.
All coursework to be considered for the degree must be completed not more than seven years before the date of graduation.
Persons who do not seek admission to the USD M.A. program may have a LERN transcript established based on their LERN education. It is not policy of USD to transcribe grades for students who are not accepted into the USD M. A. program as degree candidates. Please contact LERN at info@lern.org to find out more about credit for LERN courses if you are not enrolled in the USD M. A. program.
Admissions,
Advising and Administration
Persons
will be admitted to the program according to the South Dakota Board of
Regents and University of South Dakota graduate admission policies.
LERN and EUC both have a contact person to handle inquiries from prospective students.
USD will designate a faculty advisor for each student admitted to the program.
LERN
Transcript Information
LERN
will provide to EUC transcription information for granting graduate credit.
Time
for completion
It
is estimated that students will be able to complete the Masters Degree
program in two years.
LERN Seminar/Institute Locations
Tuition
Costs
For courses offered by South Dakota institutions, the FY08 rate is $252.45 per credit hour.
For LERN courses. FY08 rates are:
Estimated total cost: $8,608.10 (plus travel, lodging and meals for at least two LERN four day seminars/institutes). Individual and total costs are estimates, based on FY08 rates, may not include some fees (such as textbooks) and are subject to change.
USD Questions
If you have other questions about the University of South Dakota aspect of
the Master's Degree, feel free to email Dr. Mark Baron at Mark.Baron@usd.edu
How to get started
Contact Julie Coates via email at coates@lern.org, Chris Olson via email at chris@lern.org or call Chris Olson at 800-678-5376 and we will enroll you as a Special Student and
get you started in the Master's Program. You can take up to six credit hours
as a Special Student (easy one page form) before you have to have all your
transcripts and other materials in. So you can get started while you are doing
the entrance
paperwork.
After completing your Special Student Application, go to http://www.usd.edu/gradsch/gradapp.cfm to complete the Graduate School Application Form. You should forward a copy of your completed application to LERN to insure that you are properly enrolled in the LERN/USD Masters Program.