What courses should I take? Because of the rigorous requirements of Penn State University and the high expectations for this program, we recommend students take one course in their first semester in order to get a sense of the amount of work and time required for high quality coursework. Students are required to take Tier One courses first before registering for Tier II courses. The three Tier I courses can be taken in any order but must be completed before to Tier Two courses. Similarly, Tier Two courses must be competed before moving on to Tier III courses.
Can I transfer in courses taken in other programs or substitute courses? On occasion, it may be possible to substitute an alternative course for one of the required courses listed above. However, there are certain conditions that must be met.
(1) All course substitutions must be approved by the Lead Faculty person for the Teacher Leadership program when a candidate first applies for and is accepted to the Teacher Leadership program. No course substitutions will be allowed once a students is admitted to the Teacher Leadership Option and has started taking courses.
(2) No course substitutions are allowed for any of the Tier One or Tier Two courses.
(3) It is the student’s responsibility to present evidence as to why an outside course should be transferred into and replace a listed
course. This evidence must include a copy of the course syllabus and an official transcript from the institution with the student’s grade.
What is the Capstone Course? This is the program’s culminating project that incorporates and draws upon coursework throughout all the tier levels. This is not an academic paper but an action research project, informed by the coursework and additional research and conducted by the student in an educational setting. The student’s final project will meet the following expectations:
- Inquiry research methods are clear and rigorous
- The research topic is clearly aligned with coursework
- The research topic is agreed upon by the student and advieor by the end of Tier One and Tier Two courses.
- The final project will be presented publicly in a variety of methods to be determine by the student and adviser
Who will be my advisor? After students are accepted into the program, they will be assigned to one of two academic advisers: Dr. Nona Prestine (nap11@psu.edu) or Dr. Laurence B. Boggess (boggess@psu.edu). Each student is responsible for establishing and maintaining contact with this individual. For the capstone project, students will work closely with an additional faculty member who has expertise in the area of study.
Can I take a study leave? We assume that all students will maintain continuous registration status. This means taking a minimum of three courses per academic year (one in the Fall semester, one in the Spring semester, and one in the Summer Session). If for some reason you are unable to maintain continuous registration status, you will have to complete a “Resume Study” petition to the Penn State Graduate School. As stated in the Graduate Handbook, “A student may meet the degree requirements by either full- or part-time enrollment and by attendance in any combination of semesters and summer sessions. The student who interrupts the continuity of registration faces the possibility of not being granted permission to return.”
Can I take courses as a non-degree student? Students can take up to a maximum of two (2) Tier 1 courses as a non-degree student. Any additional courses taken as nondegree will not count toward the M.Ed. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate application procedures with the Graduate School and with the Educational Leadership program. See (http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/) Students must matriculate in order to take Tier Two and subsequent courses in the program.
I am interested in the program. What should I do next? First, read over the information on the Teacher Leadership program provided on the Penn State World Campus website (http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/master-of-education-degree-educational-leadership.shtml). Then, contact Dr. Nona Prestine (nap11@psu,edu) or Dr. Laurence B. Boggess (boggess@psu.edu) if you have questions. If you are ready to apply to the program, go to http://www.ed.psu.edu/educ/eps/edldr/graduate-degrees/how-to-apply and follow the steps: apply to the Graduate School and then apply to the Educational Leadership program which administers the Teacher Leadership program. Then, go to World Campus and apply to the Teacher Leadership Program through the World Campus “Apply Now” link at http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/master-of-education-degree-educational-leadership.shtml. You may apply to the Graduate School, the Educational Leadership Program, and to World Campus simultaneously.
More questions? Contact Dr. Nona Prestine (nap11@psu,edu) or Dr. Laurence B. Boggess (boggess@psu.edu).
