Bluffton University

Graduate studies in education

Bluffton University is committed to making your success a priority through our cost-effective and convenient Master of Education program. We offer four concentrations to fit your interests. All classes are offered either online or through videoconference, which means you have access to all of Bluffton's resources no matter where you are. We have several start dates each year, which gives you the flexibility to determine when you can take on extra classes.

Our data-driven coursework is taught by faculty who have classroom experience. We understand how to combine the technical nature of your career while putting people first.

Earning your MAEd can truly pay off. According to the Digest of Education Statistics, on average, teachers with a master's degree make an additional $10,000 each year compared to teachers with a bachelor's degree alone.  

Master of Education (MAEd)

(30-41 hours)

Core:
(18 hours)
EDU 615 Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction (3)
EDU 629 Data-Informed Educational Leadership (3)
EDU 634 Special Topics (3)
EDU 645 Educational Technology (3)
EDU 650 Research Methods (3)
EDU 695 Teachers as Action Researchers (3)

Choose one concentration:

Faith Based Education  (13 hours)

EDU 511 Learning the Language of Community (1)
EDU 521 Understanding the Roots of Community (3)
EDU 531 Building Caring Communities (3)
EDU 541 Shaping a Community of Learners (3)
EDU 655 Instructional Design: Literacy Across the Curriculum (3)
   or EDU 627 Curriculum and Instruction: Reading and Writing (3)

  Intervention Specialist  (23 hours)

This concentration can be completed as part of the MAEd degree or by itself to earn the intervention specialist K-12 mild/moderate education needs license. 

Prerequisites:
12 credits of reading coursework including a 3 credit course in Teaching Phonics. (Bluffton University offers online courses to meet this requirement); 
Teaching license

Required:
SED 600 Students with Disabilities in a Diverse Society
SED 601 Instructional Strategies: Young Children with Mild/Moderate Educational Needs
SED 602 Instructional Strategies: Young Adolescents with Mild/Moderate Educational Needs
SED 603 Classroom Organization
SED 604 Advanced Diagnosis and Educational Planning (3)
SED 605 Reading and Language Arts for Diverse Learners (3)
SED 606 Issues in Special Education (1)
SED 607 Collaboration (3)
SED 608 Practicum (3)

Additional requirements for Ohio Department of Education licensure: 12 credits of teaching reading, including a 3 credit course in Teaching Phonics.

Reading  (12 hours)

Prerequisites:
12  credits of reading coursework, 3 credits must be phonics (Bluffton University offers online courses to meet this requirement); 
Teaching license

Required: 
EDU 285 Phonics and Word Identification (3) (bring in from undergraduate work)
EDU 627 Curriculum and Instruction: Reading and Writing (3)
EDU 642 Teaching Students with Reading Difficulties (3)
EDU 655 Instructional Design: Literacy across the Curriculum (3)
EDU 665 Advanced Reading Assessment, Diagnosis & Evaluation (3)

Leadership  (12 hours)

Prerequisite:
Teaching license

Required:
MGT 660 Assessing and Developing Leadership Skills (3)
MGT 661 Leading Innovation and Change (3)
MGT 662 Managing People in Organizations (3)

Electives:
3 credits from the MBA or Graduate Programs in Education 
  

Reading Endorsement  (12 HOURS)

Prerequisite:
12 credits of reading coursework,3 credits must be phonics (Bluffton
University offers online courses to meet this requirement);
Teaching license

Required:
EDU 285 Phonics and Word Identification
EDU 627 Curriculum and Instruction: Reading and Writing (3)
EDU 642 Teaching Students with Reading Difficulties (3)
EDU 655 Instructional Design:Literacy across the Curriculum (3)
EDU 665 Advanced Reading Assessment, Diagnosis and Evaluation (3)

Education courses

EDU 511 LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF COMMUNITY (1)
An overview of key concepts critical to successful operation within the Mennonite Anabaptist community will be presented including an introduction to the people, the organizations and the vision of the church.  Three key questions will be examined:  What is the ethics base for Mennonite Education?  What is discipleship within the Mennonite Anabaptist community? What do you believe and model about truth seeking?

EDU 521 UNDERSTANDING THE ROOTS OF COMMUNITY (3)
This course explores the theology and history of the Anabaptist movement, inviting students to articulate the significance of this movement for themselves as person and teacher.  Who are the Anabaptists?  Where do they come from?  What is their story?  What do Anabaptists believe?  How do I fit into or respond to this story?

EDU 531 BUILDING CARING COMMUNITIES (3)
This course will explore the essential components of a vibrant diverse community with attention to service, conflict transformation, respect, simplicity and social justice.

EDU 541 SHAPING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS (3)
Personal values and beliefs form the integrity of the teachers’ soul and ultimately the learning environment.  Teachers will be asked to reflect on their spiritual journey, to craft a personal mission statement for teaching, and to integrate faith seamlessly into their classroom instruction.  Faith development for children and youth will inform teaching practice that is content and grade specific.  Pedagogical methods will be introduced and/or reviewed for their congruence with Anabaptist Mennonite faith and practice.

EDU 615 DIFFERENTIATED CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION (3)
This course explores differentiated instruction for the mixed-ability/achievement classroom.  It includes the rationale for differentiated instruction, instructional strategies and assessment for the differentiated classroom, and ways to work collaboratively with colleagues, families and the community.

EDU 627 CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION: READING AND WRITING  (3)
This course provides candidates knowledge of a wide range of instructional practices, approaches, methods, and curriculum materials to support reading and writing instruction. This course meets Standard Two: Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, and Materials for the Literacy Specialist Endorsement and Standard Four: Creating a Literate Environment. 20 field hours embedded in the course.

EDU 628 EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATION AND CONSULTATION   (3)
This course provides candidates knowledge in collaboration and consultation to provide professional development to teachers for the purpose of high levels of student learning in reading, writing, and mathematics. Prerequisite: EDU 627. 

EDU 629 DATA-INFORMED EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (3)
This course focuses on the data-driven educational environment. Topics include:  gathering and interpreting data, school-based data, district-based data, responses to data at the student, classroom, school, and district levels, and establishing and supporting cultures of inquiry. 

EDU 634 SPECIAL TOPICS (3)
This is a topical umbrella course for students in educational settings. Topics will be from a wide variety of disciplines.  This course may be repeated by the student.  

EDU 635 NURTURING RESPECTFUL CLASSROOMS (3)
This course, part of the Instructional Leadership concentration, provides students research and practical application to a student centered classroom management approach using theories and techniques of conflict resolution. The course focuses on developing a model of classroom management that embraces a philosophy of discipline with dignity, including an understanding of peer mediation. Students will also be expected to attend training sessions on mediation.

EDU 642 TEACHING STUDENTS WITH READING DIFFICULTIES(3)
This course focuses on the dyslexia standards required by the state. It addresses multisensory strategies for reading, spelling and writing instruction. It provides the scientific definition of dyslexia, its common characteristics standardized by the International Dyslexia Association, and the most effective research-based methodologies to address the instructional needs of individuals with dyslexia. Multisensory structured language techniques based on the Orton-Gillingham approach for teaching the alphabetic principle, reading, spelling and writing will be the primary focus of the course, with a particular emphasis on phonological training/word-attack skills as well as systematic, explicit multisensory instruction relative to the structure of the English language. Mastery of sound/symbol correspondences is not an end in itself; the ultimate goal of instruction is the effective application of these skills for proficient reading and writing. 30 field hours embedded within the course.

EDU 645 EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (3)
The intent of this course is to provide the candidate with skills necessary for using educational technology creatively in the classroom. Candidates work in small groups with defined responsibilities and create and use the class as a lab for practice teaching. Simple non-traditional tools are explored and used. The course focuses on hands-on teaching, exploring the literature on technology and education, and current technology tools used in the classroom.

EDU 650 RESEARCH METHODS(3)
Introduces research terminology, methods, purposes, and procedures. Specific attention is devoted to appropriate measurement concepts, quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques, and statistical and qualitative data analysis methods. Formal methods for writing research reports in APA style and the critical 221 evaluation of research are discussed. By the conclusion of the course, each student proposes a plan of research for investigating a problem meaningful to classroom teachers. The proposal becomes a permanent part of the student s file.

EDU 655 INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN: LITERACY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM (3)
This course, part of the Instructional Leadership concentration, provides students with theoretical concepts and practical applications for designing strategies and skills in the development of effective classroom teaching techniques, focusing on discipline specific content. Curriculum mapping, alignment of content to ODE Academic Content Standards and the inclusion of specialty professional association thematic strands will also be covered. The course focuses on developing a research based series of units and lessons for the classroom.  20 field hours embedded in the course.

EDU 665 ADVANCED READING ASSESSMENT, DIAGNOSIS AND EVALUATION  (3)
This course focuses on the concepts and techniques of reading assessment with an emphasis on 1) Comparing/contrasting/using/interpreting/recommending a wide range of literacy assessment tools and practices including informal and standardized measures; 2) developing skills to support and train classroom teachers in using and interpreting appropriate assessments for individual pupils; 3) Using in-depth assessment information to plan individual instruction for struggling readers; 4) Collaborating with professionals to implement appropriate reading instruction; and 5) Communicating assessment information to various audiences for accountability and instructional purposes. This course meets the International Reading Association Standard Three: Assessment, Diagnosis and Evaluation outcomes at the Reading Specialist Level. 30 field hours embedded in the course. 

EDU 695 TEACHERS AS ACTION RESEARCHERS(3)
A continuation of research methods where students complete the approved research project developed in EDU 650. Final projects are presented to the Bluffton University community in an Action Research Symposium. The final project becomes a permanent part of the student's file.

Special education courses

SED 600 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY  (3)
This course is designed to enable educators to place students with exceptional learning needs (ELN) in the context of a diverse society. Prerequisites: Undergraduate or graduate level course in Introduction to Students with Disabilities (determined by transcript review).

SED 603 ADVANCED CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION: INTERVENTION SPECIALIST  (3)
This course is designed as an advanced course to assist prospective intervention specialists in understanding student and teacher behaviors as they apply to good classroom organization. Students explore techniques for maximizing learning in a variety of classroom settings, building students self concepts, and understanding the use and abuse of power. The focus is on building communities of respect that nurture and support high levels of student learning. Prerequisite: SED 600.

SED 604 ADVANCED DIAGNOSIS AND EDUCATIONAL PLANNING (3)
This course is designed as an advanced course and focuses on information and practical experiences relating to assessment and the development of academic and social planning for the learning of individuals with ELN. Fifteen hours of field experience required. Prerequisite: SED 600.

SED 605 READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS   (3)
This course focuses on speech and language acquisition of the typically and atypically developing child. It also presents an overview of various disorders and their effects on receptive and expressive language functions and learning. Ten hours of field experience required. Prerequisite: SED 600.

SED 606 ISSUES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION  (3)
This course is designed to present current issues affecting the education of individuals with ELN. Students examine contemporary research, current federal and state regulations, and special education service delivery models. Students also reflect upon their role as a professional educator and life-long learner and how to access on-going professional development. Prerequisite: SED 600.

SED 607 COLLABORATION (3)
This course prepares the prospective special educator to work effectively with individuals with ELN, families, school and community personnel, and general educators to develop and implement individualized programs. Communication skills, methods to access support services, and team processes are covered with special emphasis on respect when working with individuals from differing cultural, socio-economic, and educational backgrounds. Prerequisite: SED 600.

SED 608 PRACTICUM: INTERVENTION SPECIALIST ( 3)
This practicum provides supervised experiences in applying the principles techniques learned in the professional courses to actual classroom situations under the guidance and direction of a cooperating teacher. Practicum students spend full days in their assigned classroom for 10 weeks. Prerequisite: All courses in the intervention specialist program.

Admissions process

Please contact Holly Metzger at metzgerh@bluffton.edu or 419-358-3297.

Tuition and fees

The university reviews tuition and fees annually.

Tuition per semester hour	$495
Technology fee    (per semester for 6 hours or more)	$125

 

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