Master of Education
Overview
The Master of Education (ME) online program contains the same high-quality courses and instructors as the traditional face-to-face program but with a format twist: all of the courses are online and can be completed in the comfort of your home. Cardinal Stritch University has long been recognized for its excellence in education – this program continues that tradition.
The program is designed specifically for Wisconsin educators. However, if you teach outside of Wisconsin and want to improve student learning in your classroom and your own teaching, then this program will certainly meet that goal.
Each course relates to at least one of the 10 Wisconsin Teacher Standards which are based on national teaching standards. In addition to successfully completing the 32 course credits, you will complete an action research thesis and a portfolio demonstrating mastery of key program components. You will also complete a professional development plan, providing the basis for a Master Teacher designation through the State of Wisconsin.
Orientation Day
You’ll start the program on campus in Milwaukee for an all-day, Saturday, face-to-face meeting with the department chair and technical staff. This is one of three face-to-face meetings scheduled throughout the 21-month program.
At that meeting, you will learn about the University, the program, the courses and how to connect and participate in online learning. Besides learning this basic information, you will meet your classmates and some of the faculty and staff at Stritch.
Courses
After your orientation, you will move through the carefully designed courses at an accelerated pace. Early on in the program, you will be introduced to the research process and will be assigned an action research adviser who will guide you through the thesis writing process. While taking courses, you will collect key assessments that will be saved in your electronic portfolio for presentation at the end of the program.
The course instructors, either full-time Stritch faculty or highly qualified adjunct professors, strive to relate all coursework to your professional responsibilities. There are no final exams or pop quizzes – assessments are meant to enhance student learning, not to check up on students. Students are treated as professional colleagues who are dedicated to learning.
Student Support
Students enrolling in the program become part of a cohort, a group of students who learn together and move through the program at the same pace.
Besides receiving the support of professional colleagues in the cohort, you will have the usual faculty, staff and technical support for which Stritch is known. The department chair is your primary contact for content questions. A graduate admissions counselor specifically trained to work with online students will answer your admission, financial aid, and other general University questions.
A technical support staff member is available for computer and technological issues. You will be assigned to an action research adviser who will guide you through the thesis writing project. You can receive help via a toll-free telephone number or through email.
