College of Leadership and Public Service

Teacher Certification  •  Graduate Studies Handbook

Education with Concentrations in:

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Pre K-12 Principal Certification and Degree
• Secondary Certification and Degree
• Educational Policy and Administration
• History Curriculum and Instruction

The Master of Arts program is designed to serve the region’s educational communities.  Students complete a minimum of 36 coursework credit hours and a capstone.  For their capstone, students may choose to write a research thesis and defend it, take a comprehensive examination, or prepare a rigorous proposal.  The DWU Master of Arts is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission/North Central Accreditation Association and is affirmed by the South Dakota Department of Education.

The mission of DWU graduate studies is to provide high-quality graduate programs in a liberal arts environment by emphasizing the values of learning, leadership, faith and service.  We strive to promote excellence in teaching, learning, scholarship and research.  The graduate studies division provides guidance for development of programs in order to ensure rigorous academic preparation and leadership opportunities for professional development. 

The program objectives are to:
1.     amplify and refresh instructional pedagogy of area educators, which will reinvigorate area school environments;
2.     provide a setting for professional growth for area educators; and
3.     encourage exploration of contemporary instructional practice and investigate application of identified practices.

Candidates may register at any time to begin a program of study.

Special Students
Students not working toward a degree are classified as special students.  A special student will only be allowed enrollment in graduate courses with space available. Priority will be given to students with full acceptance and provisional status. Special students are to register for classes at the registrar’s office and do not need to go through the admission process. 

Students with a Completed Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Seeking S.D. Renewal or S.D. Certification
Students with a bachelor’s degree in education who return only to complete the courses necessary to meet South Dakota state certification or renewal requirements are to register for classes at the registrar’s office and do not need to go through the admission process.

Students with a Completed Bachelor’s Degree or a Completed Master’s Degree in Education and Seeking a Specific Education Endorsement
Students with a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in education who return to complete coursework that allows an educator to instruct in a specific field must complete and send an application, application fee and official transcript to the office of admissions.  To be considered for federal financial aid the employer of the student must submit a copy of an official document verifying the student’s need to complete the additional coursework for the continuation of employment.  An example would be a copy of an authority to act document.

Graduate Student Application Requirements

1. Complete Application Form - Apply online or through contact with the admissions office. 
2. Graduate Application Fee - The application fee is $50.  The fee is nonrefundable.
3. Statement of Purpose and Philosophy - Compose an essay that addresses the following questions: Why are you pursuing this degree?  How does this match your career/professional goals?  What attracted you to this particular program?
4. Official Transcripts - Full acceptance requires receipt of official transcripts from all previous college work, undergraduate and graduate.
5. Resume - Submit a current resume.
6. References - Three letters of recommendation.
7. Program Acceptance - Your application will be forwarded to the Graduate Studies Committee and Program Committee for review and acceptance in the graduate program.
8. Criminal Background Check – A criminal background check may be required.

All programs, except the concentration in history curriculum and instruction, require an elementary statistics course or the equivalent, with a minimum grade of 2.7 or B-, before completing nine hours of graduate coursework.

The secondary certification and degree program requires the applicant to pass the state certification content-specific Praxis II test before full acceptance can be granted. 

All students born after 1956 must provide documentation of two MMR vaccines and, if the student is carrying six or more credit hours, proof of major medical insurance.

Certain programs may require additional admittance criteria (GRE, GMAT or appropriate test scores). See Program for additional admittance requirements.

Mail your application, application fee, transcripts, resume, references, and statement of purpose and philosophy to:

Coordinator of Graduate Admissions
Dakota Wesleyan University
1200 W. University Ave.
Mitchell, SD 57301

Acceptance Criteria
Graduate students will be classified in three distinct groups:

1. Candidates (full admission)
2. Provisional candidates (with plan for full admission)
3. Special students (non-degree seeking)

Candidate status will be evaluated by the Graduate Studies Committee and Program Committee using the following criteria:

1. Attainment of baccalaureate or equivalent degree
2. Previous scholarship (based upon transcripts, 2.7 minimum GPA)
3. Completion of graduate application packet
4. Review and acceptance by the Graduate Studies Committee and Program Committee

Provisional admission status:

1. Attainment of baccalaureate or equivalent degree
2. Previous scholarship (reviewed by committee)
3. Completion and review of graduate application packet
4. After non-acceptance, a plan including timeline for completion and evaluation must be on file with the Graduate Studies Committee and Program Committee
5. Students can remain on provisional status through one term. Students may re-apply at later date, but may not continue in the graduate program until all plan requirements have been met.

Special student status: (non-degree seeking)

1. Attainment of baccalaureate or equivalent degree or approval by the Graduate Studies Committee
2. Permission of the director of graduate studies
3. A special student will only be allowed enrollment in graduate courses with space available. Priority will be given to students with full acceptance and provisional status.

Denial of admission:

1. Denial will be based upon failure to meet one or more of the above criteria for candidate or provisional admission. Students may re-apply after waiting one year.
2. Students may appeal the Graduate Studies Committee and Program Committee’s decision within 10 business days of decision. Appeal should be made in writing to the provost.

Final acceptance is granted in two stages:

1. Acceptance will be granted upon recommendation by Graduate Studies Committee and Program Committee.
2. Final acceptance will be granted upon confirmation from the business office of full payment or financial arrangement of full payment.

Final acceptance is granted in two stages:

1. Acceptance will be granted upon recommendation by Graduate Studies Committee and Program Committee.
2. Final acceptance will be granted upon confirmation from the business office of full payment or financial arrangement of full payment.

No applicant shall be denied admission based upon sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin or handicap. The university reserves the right to deny admission or continued enrollment to any student posing unreasonable risk of harm to the health, safety, welfare, or property of the university, members of the university community, or him/herself.

Students should refer to the DWU Graduate Program Handbook, which is available online and in the graduate studies office.

Additional Concentrations
Graduate students in the Master of Arts in Education program may earn additional concentrations by completing all core requirements in the chosen areas. The student must meet with the director of graduate studies to apply for an additional concentration

Graduate students in the Master of Arts program have four concentrations from which to choose. The programs of study are as follows:

Curriculum and Instruction
This program requires a minimum of 36 coursework credit hours and a capstone. For their capstone, students may choose to write a research thesis and defend it, take a comprehensive examination, or prepare a rigorous proposal.  This degree is an enhancement of previous study. It is not a degree leading to certification or administration.

Professional Opportunities
The curriculum and instruction program does not have an administrative focus and is not intended for individuals seeking administrative positions.  However, the accreditation and focus of the program will enable graduates to seek higher levels of either future postgraduate work or positions requiring an in-depth background in instructional methodology.

Core Curriculum for Curriculum and Instruction

Pre K-12 Principal Certification and Degree
This program requires a minimum of 36 coursework credit hours, a capstone and two Pre K-12 internships. For their capstone students may choose to write a research thesis and defend it, take a comprehensive examination, or prepare a rigorous proposal.

Prerequisite: Students should have a bachelor’s degree in an education field and proof of three years teaching experience,  they must be on track to will have completed three years by the time they are finished with the program.

Professional Opportunities
Completion of this South Dakota administration certification program and three years of teaching experience qualifies students for Pre K-12 principal positions.

Core Curriculum for Pre K-12 Principal Certification and Degree

Secondary Certification and Degree
This program requires a minimum of 37 coursework credit hours, student teaching and a capstone. For their capstone, students may choose to write a research thesis and defend it, take a comprehensive examination or prepare a rigorous proposal.

Prerequisite: Before admission to the secondary certification program, students must pass the state certification content exam (Praxis II) in the area that they plan to do their student teaching.

Professional Opportunities
The secondary certification and degree program is designed for students with a bachelor’s degree who wish to go into the teaching field.  Upon completion of this program and passage of the Praxis II content and Praxis PLT tests, graduates can become certified 7-12 teachers in South Dakota. 

Core Curriculum for Secondary Certification and Degree

Educational Policy and Administration
This program requires a minimum of 36 coursework credit hours and a capstone. For their capstone, students may choose to write a research thesis and defend it, take a comprehensive examination or prepare a rigorous proposal.

Professional Opportunities
Students completing this program will be well positioned to become mid-level administrators in higher education institutions.  Depending on their undergraduate degree, these positions could include coaching at the college level, teaching at some institutions and positions in college administration. 

Core Curriculum for Educational Policy and Administration

Master of Arts in Education with an Concentration in History Instruction
The Mid-central Educational Cooperative has partnered with Dakota Wesleyan University to provide a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in history instruction. The program requires all participants to be a secondary level teacher in American history or anticipate teaching American history in the near future.

The program is designed to orient teachers with both primary and secondary texts beginning with the revolutionary period through contemporary events.  Nationally recognized faculty from the Organization of American History will teach the courses in addition to local historians and educators.  Each course has specific assignments related to educational curriculum and pedagogy in the history content area. 

The program is offered in a hybrid format with both online and in-class instruction offered.  As well, students will have an opportunity to participate in travel courses to visit prominent historic settings.  Students will be required to submit comprehensive papers, lesson plans and take a final comprehensive exam to complete the degree requirements. 

The Master of Arts degree is conferred upon students who maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0, successfully complete a minimum of 30 coursework credit hours, pass a comprehensive exam, and develop an electronic portfolio consisting of an accumulation of coursework.

Core Curriculum

Course Descriptions
Education (EDU)
532 Teaching English Language Learners in the General Education Classroom 3 hours
Students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to teach English language learners.  During this course, participants will learn scientifically based strategies to improve the quality of instruction for the English language learner (ELL).  In addition, the participant will learn practical information about acknowledging the diversity of the ELL population of students including social and emotional needs.  The tone of this course is directed toward compassion and academic rigor for the ELL student within the regular classroom environment.
Prerequisite:  EDU 201.

610 Advanced Human Relations/Multiculturalism 3 hours
This course offers an in-depth approach to providing an understanding of cultural backgrounds and the influences of dehumanizing biases such as racism, sexism and classism on the lives of students. Some field study is required.  There is a specific focus on South Dakota strands for human understanding as delineated by the South Dakota Department of Education.

612 Adolescents and Middle Level Methods 3 hours
The course will help prepare the educator to teach at the middle level. The course will develop an understanding of the middle school concept and the instructional strategies that support that concept. Nine hours of field experience is required.

621 U.S. Constitution: The Founders, 1609-1800 3 hours SU
Through a review of selected biographies of the founders, including the actual (Washington, Franklin, Adams, Madison, etc.) and the philosophical (Locke, Paine, etc.) founders, as well as reviews of primary source documents (theCconstitution itself, Adams’ “The Rights of the Colonists”, Burke’s “Conciliation with America”, Henry’s “give me liberty or give me death” speech, Smith’s “The Advantages of Union with England”, etc.), and the reading of a portion of Linda Monk’s “The Words We Live By”, the students will more fully understand the people who founded America and its guiding document, the Constitution.  The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during two, day-long lectures/discussions, and submitted papers on reading assignments.  Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.

622 U.S. Constitution: Founding Era, 1609-1800 3 hours S12
Through a review of selected historical works on the founding era (Morgan’s “American Slavery”,” American Freedom”, etc.) , as well as reviews of primary source documents (Smith’s “Starving Time in Virginia”, Cotton’s “The Divine Right to Occupy the Land”, Virginia Slave Laws, Franklin’s “Albany Plan of Union”,” The Articles of Confederation”, “The Federalist Papers”, etc.) and the reading of a portion of Linda Monk’s “The Words We Live By”, the students will more fully understand the philosophical milieu and the cultural issues, economic and political realities, of the founding era, including, specifically, the colonists’ motivation for founding the colonies, the introduction of slavery (from the beginning to its inclusion in the Constitution, leading to the country’s greatest constitutional crisis) early representative bodies, early religious toleration, salutary neglect, and the expectation of liberty, British civil guarantees, individual vs. virtual representation, the Great Awakening, the Enlightenment, the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance and the addition of new states, the Hamilton-Jefferson disputes about the vision for the country, the precedents of George Washington, the Washington, D.C. controversy, the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the Revolution of 1800.   The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during summer session, and submitted papers on reading assignment. Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.
                                                      
623 Constitution Issues in Early Republic, 1801-1837 3 hours F
Through a review of selected historical works on the era of early republic, as well as readings in primary source documents and the reading of Linda Monk’s “The Words We Live By”, the students will more fully understand the historical events of the early republic, including the implementation and interpretation of the Constitution, including such specific issues a the early Supreme Court under Jay and Marshall, the beginnings of judicial review, the Louisiana Purchase, early American nationalism, the Jackson Administration, the rise of commerce, the national bank controversy, the extension of the franchise, the extraordinary career of Henry Clay, the end of the foreign slave trade,  and the early understanding of and evolution of state vs. national rights. The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during two, day-long lectures/discussions, and submitted papers on reading assignments. Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.

624 Slavery and the Constitution, 1838-1861 3 hours                      
Through a review of selected historical works on the era culminating in the Civil War, as well as readings in primary source documents and the reading of Linda Monk’s “The Words We Live By”, the students will more fully understand the historical events of this era of national growth, compromise and wrestling with the meaning of the Constitution, including the various legislative attempts to satisfy both abolitionists and slaveholders under one national government, the growth of the abolition and states’ rights movements, shifting political parties, the Mexican War, the Second Great Awakening, early women’s rights and abolition, the Taney Court, and the Missouri Compromise.  The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during two, day-long lectures/discussions, and submitted papers on reading assignments.  Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.

625 Constitution and the Civil War, 1861-1865 3 hours
Through a review of selected historical works on the Civil War era, as well as readings in primary source documents and the reading of Akhil Amar’s “America’s Constitution”, the students will more fully understand the historical events of this era of war mobilization, carnage and occupation, including the changing war goals, the Emancipation Proclamation, the draft and its social implications, threatened foreign intervention,  and the changing nature of states’ rights.  The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during two, day-long lectures/discussions, and submitted papers on reading assignments.  Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.

626 Reconstruction and the Constitution, 1865-1876 3 hours
Through a review of selected historical works on the Civil War era, as well as readings in primary source documents and the reading of Akhil Amar’s “America’s Constitution”, the students will more fully understand the historical events of this era of healing, reconstruction and presidential politics, the resurgence of immigration, the conflict between the Radical Republicans and President Johnson,  the reassertion of White supremacist notions the South, Plessy vs. Ferguson,  and the Civil War Amendments.  The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during two, day-long lectures/discussions, and submitted papers on reading assignments.  Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.

627 The Industrial State, 1865-1920 3 hours
Through a review of selected historical works on the Gilded Age, as well as readings in primary source documents and the reading of Akhil Amar’s “America’s Constitution”, the students will more fully understand the historical events of this time of the urbanization of America, changing immigration and nativism,  the consolidation of economic power in corporations, the apex of American industrialization,  the struggles of organized labor and the response to the swings of the business cycle.  The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during two, day-long lectures/discussions, and submitted papers on reading assignments.  Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.

628 The Progressive Age, 1880-1920 3 hours
Through a review of selected historical works on the rise of the progressives, as well as readings in primary source documents and the reading of Akhil Amar’s “America’s Constitution”, the students will more fully understand the historical events of this time of the application of scientific principles to social issues of the day, the anti-democratic slant of that application, the rise of the women’s movement especially as it related to suffrage, the response of the political parties to progressives, the battle over Prohibition, and America’s participation in the Great War.  The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during two, day-long lectures/discussions, and submitted papers on reading assignments.  Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.

629 Depression and the New Deal, 1920-1945 3 hours
Through a review of selected historical works on the “return to normalcy” through World War II, as well as readings in primary source documents, the students will more fully understand the historical events of this time of laissez faire, Hoover’s response to the Great Depression, the FDR’s New Deal and the reinvigoration of the American economy resulting from World War II, the violation of some civil liberties during the war, the boost to organized labor from the New Deal, and a new acceptance of internationalism. The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during two, day-long lectures/discussions, and submitted papers on reading assignments.  Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.

630 Equality in the Modern Era, 1945-2000 3 hours
Through a review of selected historical  works on the post-war years through the year 2000, as well as readings in primary source documents, the students will more fully understand the historical events of the post-war years, the Cold War and its affect on constitutional liberties, the rise or reassertion of conservatism in American politics, and the decisions of a robust judiciary.  The course will be taught through a combination of book/primary source discussions via distance learning, on-site speakers from the Organization of American Historians as guest lecturers during two, day-long lectures/discussions, and submitted papers on reading assignments.  Significant time and attention will also be given to optimal pedagogies for teaching American history, including technology integration.

635 American Indian History and Culture 3 hours
This course, designed for prospective and experienced teachers, introduces the concept and methodology of bicultural education and its relationship to American Indian education.  Students will discuss a variety of skills and information necessary for success in working with culturally different children.  The course is designed to meet the South Dakota certification requirement in American Indian studies.  Visits to reservation school settings are required.

671 Student Teacher Seminar 1 hour
Candidates will research the following topics: classroom climate, instructional pedagogy, assessment, resume writing, interviewing skills, and they will also complete their electronic portfolio during the seminar.   Attendance is required in order to successfully complete the student-teaching experience.  Class dates will require candidates to be on campus before the beginning of each semester.
Prerequisite: Consent of department chair.

688 Literacy for All Students 3 hours
This course includes a review of content-specific literature and diagnostic and prescriptive methods of instructing comprehension and retentive behaviors for secondary students. It also includes an in-depth study or pragmatic pedagogy for improved reading ability. Nine hours of field experience is required.

699 Workshop in Education 1-3 hours
Graduate level workshops are offered in a variety of areas of educational interest.

701 Technology Instruction and Design 3 hours
This course offers integration of most current technological advances with appropriate instructional strategy.  There is a special emphasis on technology as an accommodation for students and an organizational tool for teachers.  A professional electronic portfolio will be developed and initiated.

705 Technology and Distance Education Theory 3 hours
This course addresses the design of the content of learning, the academic services to support distance learning, a learner’s personal set of learning tools, and the evaluation and assessment of learning programs.  Students present issues relevant to distance education and higher education faculty and offers insights and practical advice on how to meet the diverse needs of students in the distance education setting.

750 Foundations of Higher Education 3 hours
This course covers the scope of higher education in American society, introduces students to the scope of higher education in America and the world; considers the diverse array of people that make up today’s student body and faculty; looks at the modes by which the activities of the faculty and students are carried out; and explores the support system that allows the faculty and student affairs personnel to conduct their work.

751 Assessment and Planning 3 hours
This course covers the basic principles of assessment and planning strategies for educators, planners and decision makers in higher education organizations.  Specifically, the course will examine conceptual and practical assessment issues relating to administration and institutional performance, teaching and learning, student performance and outcomes, and measurement issues.

752 Higher Education Finance 3 hours
This course provides an introduction to finance in higher education settings, including the economics and financing of higher education, government financing, institutional resources and expenditures, strategic planning and resource allocations, institutional financial management, and ethics in higher education finance.  Readings provide a broad spectrum of information and perspectives and cover a wide range of topics in terms of content as well as time period.

753 Organization and Governance 3 hours
This course examines the study and practice of higher education.  Topics include classic organizational theory, traditional administrative and governance models, campus climate and culture, leadership analysis, management principles, institutional change and assessment, perspectives on race and gender, and critical approaches to organizational governance.

754 Teaching and Learning in the College Classroom 3 hours
This course reviews the classic and recent research and addresses issues from diverse theoretical and philosophical perspectives including educationist, feminist, humanistic, psychological, sociological and anthropological.  General models and teaching styles are addressed, as is motivation.  Each section includes quantitative and qualitative research areas.

756 Public Policy Issues in Higher Education 3 hours
This course focuses on the relationship between the federal and state governments and the colleges and universities in the United States.  Topics include foundations of public policy and higher education: access, affordability, collaboration, reform, distance education and how all of these affect curriculum.

757 College and University Curriculum 3 hours
This course serves to engage instructors, students and others in critical reflection and dialogue about curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment issues in higher education.  The readings represent theoretical and applied concerns and challenge students to bridge those concerns by discovering and enacting intersections of theory and practice.

758 Faculty and Faculty Issues in Colleges and Universities 3 hours
This course discusses demographic trends and addresses such topics as faculty roles, obligations and career issues; the relations of the development of higher education as an institution to the development of the professional life of faculty; and how scholars approach research questions from diverse and emerging perspectives and with heterogeneous methodologies.  The course includes issues that will face faculty and institutions in the future.

759 College Student Development Theory 3 hours
This course introduces students to key student development theories by reading original works of the theorists, developing an awareness of the context in which development occurs and examining applications of theory to practice.  This course will be especially useful for student affairs practitioners who work with college students and want to create programs and services to promote their learning, growth and development.

760 Independent Study in Higher Education 1-6 hours
In consultation with the instructor, students may choose additional topics of interest for in-depth study.

761 Education in a Culture of Change 3 hours
This is a social reconstructivist course concerning the mutual cultural impact of schools and society.  Students will pay particular attention to change in the school environment. Comparative history will focus on results of major educational changes leading to modern impacts as a result of current trends and issues.

765 Curriculum and Teaching Methods 3 hours
This course is an intensive study of differentiated instruction in connection with the latest valid research and foundational knowledge of human learning. It will include a distinct study of delivery systems and curricular models that can affect the most dynamic positive change for individual students. Three hours of field experience is required.

770 Advanced Educational Psychology 3 hours
Advanced Educational Psychology connects developmental theories to practice.  It provides the scientific research to support educational pedagogy.

771 Current Trends in Assessment and Evaluation 3 hours
Students learn how to construct, validate and apply traditional tests of achievement.  In addition, forms of alternative and naturalistic assessment are considered.

772 Education Law 3 hours
This course is an intensive study of associated school law in the state of South Dakota and federal legal procedure and protocol.  It includes the study of school organization and employee-related case study for preschool through grade 12.

773 Professional Development in Schools 3 hours
This course is an investigation of strategies for building community support, developing and selecting staff, and using the strengths of staff members.  It will also cover strategies for connecting curriculum to continued school achievement.

775 Educational Leadership 3 hours
This course will provide in-depth coverage of administrative and classroom organization, exploration of career-oriented possibilities within the education profession, including entrepreneur-related career paths, institutional reorganization, education advocacy and technically spurred change in professional choice.  An internship or project may be required. The course will cover the administration of preschool through grade 12.

779 Pre K-12 School Finance 3 hours
This course is a review of the field of educational finance, from both the theoretical and practical perspectives.  Emphasis is placed on discerning personal educational paradigms, understanding how educational structures or bureaucracies work and change, studying current challenges to educational institutions, and arriving at ways in which teachers can provide leadership within schools.

790 Research: Methodology 3 hours
This course will give graduate students knowledge of research methods.  They will develop skills in evaluating statistical data, learn procedures for completion of a thesis and develop an understanding of the essential elements of experimental and non-experimental research studies.

795 Research 1-6 hours
This course includes a research proposal, thesis and oral defense.  See the DWU Graduate Program Handbook.  This course may be repeated with permission.
Prerequisite: EDU 790.

796 Student Teaching 7-12 3 hours
Candidates will spend 14 weeks interning in the field with two purposes: refining previously selected research and training as a teacher under the supervision of a cooperating teacher and university supervisor.  Candidates will follow all protocol of the DWU Student Teaching Handbook.  Students will also complete a thesis during this professional semester with research focused on the field classroom.

797 Administrative Internship – Elementary 3 hours
Candidates will intern with a school administrator in a K-6, K-5 or 6-8 setting with appropriate evaluation and university supervision.

798 Administrative Internship – Secondary 3 hours
Candidates will intern with a school administrator in a 6-8, 7-12 or 9-12 setting with appropriate evaluation and university supervision.

799 Continuing Research 1 hour
Students will enroll in this course as they continue their thesis research. This course can be repeated for credit.  Grade is CR/NC.  Offered every semester.

Course Descriptions
Special Education (SPD)
701 The Diverse Classroom 3 hours
This course will examine steps in modification of the regular curriculum to meet the educational needs of individual students. It will also include consideration of designing classroom environments to accommodate all learners. Students will review current materials and equipment available for use in planning curriculum for a variety of learners. Students will study most current case law involving integration. Suggested methodology of differentiated instruction for both the K-8 and 7-12 learners will be discussed. Nine hours of field experience is required.