Master of Science in Educational Studies

This program is designed for those interested in the general study of education. It serves three types of people:

1. Teachers interested in obtaining a masters degree in education, but who work in a subject area other than the certification areas offered by Binghamton's Graduate School of Education (i.e., other than childhood & early childhood education, special education, literacy, or adolescence education in English, foreign language, mathematics, science, or social studies).

2. Professionals working in schools in non-teaching positions or those in community colleges, human service agencies, or other settings dealing with students or schools, who would benefit from a greater understanding of educational foundations.

 3. Teachers and educators from other countries who desire graduate study in the field of education, but who are not interested in teacher certification.

Note: This program does not lead to certification. Students interested in teacher certification will have to apply to NYSED on their own, and with the understanding that GSE cannot predict how NYSED will judge their set of courses. It is each student's responsibility to work with a certification officer to determine courses that would apply toward certification. (BOCES has certification officers who can help with this process.) The other alternative is to pursue a different master's degree that does lead to certification.

Program Requirements

The program consists of 36 graduate credits, with a minimum of 24 graduate credits taken in the Graduate School of Education. The student must take at least 4 credits in each of three educational areas: foundations of education, teaching and learning, and research. The following lists representative examples of courses in each area.

Foundations

EDUC 501. Crucial Issues in Education
EDUC 504 Multiculturalism and the Practice of Schooling
EDUC 530. Adolescent Psychology and Education
ELED 502. Child Growth and Development

Teaching and Learning

SPED 521. Positive Approaches to Behavior Intervention
LTRC 519. Adolescent Learners and Literacy for the Content Areas

Research

EDUC 541. Applied Research Techniques
LTRC 515. Current Research, Theory,  and Practices in Literacy Instruction

These examples are illustrative, not exhaustive. Other courses would be appropriate as determined by the student's adviser.

Culminating Paper/Project Requirement

In addition to the coursework, a final culminating research-based master's paper or project is required for this degree. This would involve a formal research paper on a major educational issue or a research report of a field-based study (15-20 pages).

Alternatively, if the student is teaching, this could involve presenting a reflective portfolio of teaching and curricular materials, including a review of relevant research.

The student's paper supervisor in consultation with the student will determine the focus and scope of the paper or project.  (The paper supervisor should be a GSE faculty member familiar with or interested in the student's research or curricular area; the supervisor is not necessarily the student's program advisor).

Plan of Study Form

The following link provides students and advisors with a form to guide students through the requirements.

Plan of Study Form for the M S in Educational Studies Program

M.S. in Educational Studies Applicants

See Masters Degree Admissions page for general directions on applying to master's programs in the Graduate School of Education. Then, pay attention to the following.

1. Make sure at least one recommendation letter speaks to your academic abilities, especially researching and writing academic papers. It's best if it comes from a professor of a recent course or from an academic adviser who has taught you and graded your work.
   
   
2. It is your responsibility to ensure that the recommendation letters and all other materials (GRE score report, transcripts, etc.) are in on time. The deadlines are February 1 for fall admission and October 15 for spring admission. (You must take the GRE early enough for the scores to be received by the university before the application deadline. There are no waivers of the GRE requirement for this program.)
   
   
3. As part of your application, include an essay of about 1,000 words (4-5 double-spaced pages) that describes:
   • Why you are interested in the M.S. in Educational Studies program.
   • Your professional goals, including what you hope to contribute to the field of education.
   • An issue or topic you might like to research for your culminating master's paper/project (a couple of paragraphs).

The essay is important in judging your suitability for the program. It helps us to match qualified applicants with full-time faculty members as advisers, a key part of the admission process.

Inquiries

Please direct questions about the Master of Science in Educational Studies program to its coordinator, Professor Lawrence Stedman, at stedman@binghamton.edu or 777-4208. Be sure to include "Educational Studies" in your e-mail subject heading.

For General Information
E-mail: soe@binghamton.edu
Phone: 607-777-2727
Fax: 607-777-3587