Admission to the MED program
Applicants, except for those applying to the guidance and counseling strand, normally have had at least one year of relevant work experience in the field of education, usually under contract in a state-accredited school.  Other work experience involving students is considered on an individual basis.

All applicants for admission must meet the following requirements:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, and

• A completed teacher certification program acceptable to the State of Washington, or intention to complete the school counselor ESA certificate.
  (Note: The ESA school counseling certificate does not require teacher certification in the State of Washington.)

For regular admission, applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA on undergraduate work and either a score of 850 on the verbal plus quantitative sections of the GRE or 386 on the MAT (35 if taken prior to October 2004). Those not meeting these criteria may be admitted provisionally.

Application to the MED program
Applicants must submit the following materials to be considered for admission:

• College of Education application packet with $35 college of education processing fee.

• Moral character supplement.

• College of Education Student contact sheet.

• Color photograph.

• Three letters of recommendation from professionals who have knowledge of your potential to do graduate-level work, including a recommendation from an immediate supervisor.

• Current fingerprints (within the last two years).

• Valid first aid and CPR card.

• Copies of official transcripts from all schools, colleges and universities attended.

• Score on either the Graduate Record Examination or the Miller Analogies Test, taken within the last five years.

• An on-site essay of approximately 250-400 words describing how your masters program will contribute to your professional development and aid in achieving your professional goals.

• A professional or work experience vitae.

Submission dates for priority consideration are June 1 for fall semester, November 1 for spring and March 1 for summer.

All application forms, letters of recommendation, test scores and the fees should be mailed to:

College of Education
Director of Graduate Programs
Saint Martin's University
5300 Pacific Ave. SE
Lacey, WA 98503-7500

MED degree requirements
A student working toward a master of education degree must be accepted as a degree candidate.  To be a degree candidate, the student's advisor must recommend the student after student completion of 15 semester hours.  Degree candidates must complete an approved course of 32-40 semester hours to secure their degree.

Courses of study are planned in consultation with a program advisor and may not be changed without prior approval.  Degree candidates are expected to receive a grade of at least "B" in all courses.  Candidates who receive a grade of "C" will be placed on academic probation and their candidacy reviewed by the graduate program advisory committee.  A student who receives a grade lower than "C" or two grades of "C" normally will be required to withdraw from the program.

The time limit for completion of degree requirements is seven years.

Nine semester hours of graduate work may be taken at another institution and transferred, provided the work fits the program plan, is recommended by the program advisor and is approved by the director of master's programs in education.  Students applying for admission to the program may request to have prior graduate study considered for transfer into the program.

Students having an initial certificate may coordinate the MED degree with requirements for continuing certification.  Graduate students pursuing the continuing certificate should discuss their program with their advisor.

MED program requirements
Core requirements
(11 hours required)*

 Specialization strand
(One strand required):

1. Advanced Teaching and Learning Strand
2. English as  Second Language/English Language Learner (ESL)Strand
3. Guidance and Counseling Strand
4. Principal/Program Administrator Strand
5. Reading Literacy Strand
6. Special Education Strand
7. Technology in Education Strand

Electives
(Select from choices below, with permission of advisor and instructor):
MED courses listed in any strand
-or-

Thesis option - MED and MIT programs
The MED and MIT thesis options require a thesis or field project as part of the degree.  A practicum and comprehensive examination for the guidance and counseling strand/ESA Certificate (thesis and non-thesis options).  The thesis/field project must be developed in consultation with the student's advisor.  It will be characterized in the following way:

• The nature of the thesis/project will demonstrate advanced competency related to the area of specialization.

• The development of the thesis/project will show significant effort above and beyond the normal workload of the candidate.

• The thesis/project will result in a usable, well-researched product (e.g., a written document, a curriculum guide, a movie, a case study) and will be accompanied by a quality research study and thesis.  

• The thesis/project should make a significant contribution to the candidate and/or his or her immediate professional position, as well as a more general contribution to the field.

• The thesis/project cannot be approved on an ex-post-facto basis.

Once the final thesis/project is completed and approved, the student will present the thesis/project at a public seminar.  This oral defense is a sharing of information, materials and/or procedures having potential usefulness to the educational community as well as to answer questions related to the thesis.

Non-thesis option - MED and MIT programs
The MED and MIT non-thesis options require MED 690: Integrating Seminar (1) and one or two additional graduate- level courses (three to six credits) beyond the requirements for the thesis option.  These elective courses may be from any strand area, but may not include MED 580, 590, 595, 597. Selected graduate courses from other divisions may be approved. For example, MED Students in the Guidance and Counseling Strand may also take Master of Arts in counseling (MAC) courses that have been approved by the Guidance and Counseling Director as non-thesis electives.

The non-thesis option also requires six hours of written comprehensive exam (three hours for the core and three hours for the specialty area) and two hours of an oral comprehensive exam.  The comprehensive exam required for the guidance and counseling/ESA certification substitutes for three specialty hours of the non-thesis written exam.

For more information about admission and program requirements, please view the Graduate Handbook for the college of education. It contains detailed information for current and prospective students.