Education, Multidisciplinary Studies, M.S.
Program Director: Amy Kilpatrick, Ph.D. kilpatrick@hood.edu; 301-696-3467
The 36-credit Master’s degree in Education, Multidisciplinary Studies is designed primarily for certified classroom teachers and qualified support staff who want to design a personalized program that will meet their individual instructional and professional needs. This program allows candidates to select courses from Hood's three existing Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) approved Master’s degree programs: Reading Specialization, Educational Leadership, and Curriculum and Instruction. In addition, candidates are able to choose elective coursework from content areas outside of the education department. The curriculum includes a core of four professional courses, one course from each of the three existing education graduate programs, four elective courses, and a culminating capstone research project. This program does not lead to initial or advanced certifications.
Application Requirements
Submit application materials, including a writing sample and one official transcript reflecting the highest degree conferred. Qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview with the program director. Program expectations and requirements are explained to the applicant at this time.
All Multidisciplinary Studies graduate students are required to have regular access to a U.S. P-12 classroom throughout the program in order to successfully complete assignments, including various course assessments and the capstone research project. Applicants to the program who are not current classroom teachers must submit evidence that they will have regular access to observe and volunteer in a classroom in the form of an approval letter from the school principal. Such approval letters must be submitted annually to the student’s advisor. Applicants are responsible for meeting all requirements for school volunteers, as determined by the individual school and/or district. Applicants also are responsible for meeting any school and/or district requirements for conducting research in the school setting.
For additional admission information, see Graduate Admission.
Candidates will work with an academic advisor to ensure successful completion of degree requirements. The Education, Multidisciplinary Studies Advisory Council will review any conditional advancements and denials for advancement.
Program Requirements
Professional Education Core Courses (12 Credits)
| EDUC 502 | Technology for Teaching, Learning & Leadership | 3.0 |
| EDUC 577 | Introduction to Educational Research | 3.0 |
| EDUC 582 | Educational Philosophy in a Diverse Society | 3.0 |
| EDUC 583 | Principles of Curriculum Development & Appraisal | 3.0 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12.0 |
Masters Level Education Program Courses (9 credits)
Select one course from each of the following master's degree education programs.
Curriculum and Instruction (3 credits)
| EDUC 500 | Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners | 3.0 |
| EDUC 511 | Children's Literature | 3.0 |
| EDMA 530 | Mathematics Education Leadership I | 3.0 |
| EDUC 530 | K-12 Blended Learning | 3.0 |
| EDUC 533 | Effective Home-School Interaction: Research & Practice | 3.0 |
| EDUC 534 | Current Issues in Early Childhood & Elementary Education | 3.0 |
| EDUC 535 | Integrating the Elementary Curriculum through Language Arts | 3.0 |
| EDUC 540 | Modern Science Methods | 3.0 |
| EDUC 542 | Topics in Elementary Physical & Earth Science | 3.0 |
| EDUC 544 | Topics in Elementary Life Science | 3.0 |
| EDUC 545 | Modern Mathematics Methods | 3.0 |
| EDUC 546 | The Teaching of Numbers,Operations & Algebraic Thinking in Elementary & Middle School | 3.0 |
| EDUC 547 | The Teaching of Geometry & Measurement in Elementary & Middle School | 3.0 |
| EDUC 551 | The Teaching of Geometry | 3.0 |
| EDUC 552 | The Teaching of Algebra | 3.0 |
| EDUC 553 | Foundations of Elementary STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) Education | 3.0 |
| EDUC 561 | Teaching Diverse Learners in an Inclusive Setting | 3.0 |
| EDUC 565 | Classroom Organization & Management in Special Education | 3.0 |
| EDUC 571 | Historical, Philosophical & Legal Foundations of Special Education | 3.0 |
| EDUC 573 | Assessment, Diagnosis & Prescription in Special Education | 3.0 |
| EDUC 574 | Curriculum & Methods in Inclusive Classrooms: English Language Arts & Social Studies | 3.0 |
| EDUC 576 | Curriculum & Methods in Inclusive Classrooms: Math and Science | 3.0 |
| EDUC 581 | Research-Based Teaching, Learning & Assessment | 3.0 |
| EDUC 595 | The Teaching of Statistics & Probability: Decision Making with Mathematics | 3.0 |
| EDUC 596 | The Teaching of Mathematical Modeling: Strategies for Contemporary Problems | 3.0 |
Educational Leadership (3 credits)
| EDUC 513 | School Law | 3.0 |
| EDUC 514 | Administration of Student Services | 3.0 |
| EDUC 578 | Educational Leadership and Group Dynamics | 3.0 |
| EDUC 584 | Systemic Change Processes for School Improvement | 3.0 |
Reading Specialization (3 credits)
| EDUC 517 | Materials for Teaching Reading: Instruction & Methods | 3.0 |
| EDUC 518 | Reading Instruction: Elementary | 3.0 |
| EDUC 519 | Reading Instruction: Secondary | 3.0 |
| EDUC 520 | Reading Diagnosis | 3.0 |
| EDUC 521 | Contemporary Issues in the Teaching of Reading | 3.0 |
Elective Content Courses (12 credits)
Select courses to address individual needs and interests that will total 12 credit hours. These content courses can come from within the education department as well as from other content area departments. These graduate courses must be at the 500 level or higher, and the candidate must have course approval from both the advisor and program director and/or department chairperson which is offering the course.
Capstone (3 credits)
| EDUC 597A | Capstone Research Project | 1.5 |
| EDUC 597B | Capstone Research Project | 1.5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3.0 |
The Capstone project is year-long, split across two courses and terms:
EDUC 597A in the Fall and
EDUC 597B in the Spring. Each course is 1.5 credits each, for a total of 3 credits for the project.
Program Follow Up
Program completers in the Education, Multidisciplinary Studies will complete the following activities:
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Program Evaluation Survey at the completion of EDUC 597MSE.
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Exit Survey, a self-assessment measure on the Institutional Outcomes.