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Degree Requirements & Information

MA in Communication and Education

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Brief Program Description

This program uses methods of the social sciences, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative approaches to the study of communication and education. It asks in particular how education and other social systems change under the impact of new media. Faculty members and students pursue three broad areas of inquiry, enabling them to:

• Reflect on the historical effects of media and on the cultural uses of developments, such as face-to-face speech, writing, printing, photography, film, radio, television, computers, and networked multimedia;
  
  
• Use anthropological and linguistic methods to study how the diverse forms of communication, literacy, information processing, and cognition condition educational practice; and
  
  
• Explore positive and negative effects of media on social relations and develop strategies for using information and communication technologies to improve conditions of education and life.

In the course of completing a degree, the student should expect to attend closely to both technical artifacts and human activity; that is, both to material systems of communication in which technologies are the primary interest and to interpersonal, direct communication dynamics in which unmediated face-to-face exchanges are the subject of inquiry. A major theme for continuous reflection should be the diverse ways in which the modes of communication condition the meanings actually and potentially communicated—particularly through the wide variety of digital means available to us.

Minimum Point Requirement

A minimum of 32 points of coursework are required for completion of the degree.  Course credits from previous, non-Teachers College work cannot be transferred in to count toward the 32 points required for the M.A. degree.

Required Courses (13 points)

• MSTU 4000: Core Seminar (1 point).  One-point registration for MSTU 4000 is required during the first Fall semester in a student's program; registration (for 0 points) is also required in the Spring semester for M.A. students intending to graduate in May.
  
  
• MSTU 4016: History of Communication (3 points)
  
  
• One course from at least three of the following four areas must be completed.  Courses must be chosen from those listed under the respective area (9 points).
  

Elective Courses (10-13 points)

At least nine points of additional MSTU courses.  NOTE: No more than 3 points of "skills" courses may be counted toward the M.A., although students are encouraged to take additional skills courses that further their interests and goals.  "Skills" courses include the following (this is a sample list):

MSTU 4029: Managing Educational Technology Resources
MSTU 5191: Educational Video Production I
MSTU 5510: Database Driven Website Development; Director; 3-D Modeling; Flash Communication Server
MSTU 5814: Adobe InDesign; Digital Video; GIS in Curriculum; Creating Dynamic Websites with Dreamweaver

Students who meet the Breadth Requirement (see below) by completing the minimum 6 points required in that category have 13 points of elective coursework.  Students who meet the Breadth Requirement by completing more than the minimum requirement in that category have as few as 10 points of elective coursework.


Breadth Requirement (6 points)

All M.A. students must complete three courses totaling at least 6 points at Teachers College outside Communication, Computing and Technology (that is, courses with a prefix other than MSTU).  Each of the three courses must be completed for at least 2 points.  Thus, to meet this requirement, students can complete three 2-point courses; one 3-point and two 2-point courses; or three 3-point courses).

Statement about the Required, Integrative Project

The Integrative M.A. Project can be either an individual project or part of a larger project involving several students.  For students completing the M.A. degree, this project should be related to their career goals, and should provide tangible evidence of their skills and strengths.

Transfer Credit Evaluation

Course credits from previous, non-Teachers College work cannot be transferred in to count toward the 32 points required for the M.A. degree.

Statement about Satisfactory Progress

Students are expected to make satisfactory progress toward the completion of degree requirements. Where there are concerns about satisfactory progress, students will be informed by the program faculty and/or their respective M.A. adviser, and a suggested plan and timeline for remediation will be provided.  If satisfactory progress is not maintained a student may be dismissed from the program.

Other Information

Shawna BuShell and Susan Lowes are the advisors for students in CCTE Masters degree programs and also guide work on the Integrative Project.  Check with the CCTE Academic Secretary if you are unsure about the name of your specific advisor.   Students can also work with other faculty in the program in addition to their respective masters advisor as they move through completion of program requirements.

Standard Policies and Procedures

Services for Students with Disabilities:
The College will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of Access and Services for Individuals with Disabilities for information about registration (166 Thorndike Hall).  Services are available only to students who are registered and submit appropriate documentation.

Statement on Academic Conduct:
A Teachers College student is expected to refrain from any conduct, including cheating, plagiarizing, or purchasing documents submitted for academic evaluation, that calls into question his/her academic and/or professional probity. Decisions regarding academic evaluation in all aspects of students’ work at the college, including course work, certification examinations, clinical or field experiences, and preparation of dissertations, are within the sole jurisdiction of the faculty concerned, including as appropriate, the department or program staff members. Disciplinary actions (e.g., reprimand, suspension, or dismissal) in cases of academic misconduct can be imposed by the Vice Provost or the Committee on Student Conduct.

Resolution of Student Academic Program Concerns:
Any student who has a concern regarding an academic matter may seek assistance.  The procedure for resolving academic program concerns (see note of grade correction process below) begins with either the faculty member (if the concern is related to a course) or the student’s advisor.  If the student is not satisfied with the response or resolution achieved at this first level, or if speaking with the faculty member presents a conflict of interest for the student, the student should proceed to speak with the Program Coordinator in the area in which the academic concern resides.  If the student is not satisfied with the response or resolution achieved through the Program Coordinator, the student should proceed to speak with the Chair of the academic department in which the academic concern resides.  If the student is still not satisfied with the response or resolution achieved through the Department Chair, or if speaking with the Department Chair presents a conflict of interest for the student, the next step is to contact the Office of the Vice Provost.  At any stage of the process, students are welcome to seek the advice and guidance of the Ombudsman, who is charged with attempting to informally resolve student dissatisfaction of an academic nature on a completely confidential basis.

Grade Correction Procedure:
The instructor for a course has the responsibility for setting the requirements for a course and making an evaluation of students’ work. Once a grade has been given, the instructor is not free to change the grade unless the instructor indicates to the Registrar that an error was made in the original grade transmitted. If a student believes that an error has been made, he/she must take the initiative in bringing about the necessary correction prior to the conclusion of the semester immediately following the semester in which the course was taken. The normal procedure for effecting a correction would be through direct discussion between the student and the instructor. If redress cannot be attained through such discussions, the student may next appeal to the department chairperson of the department offering the course. If resolution cannot be attained through appeal, the student may next appeal to the Dean. In situations where the student feels that such an appeal process might not be in the student’s interest, counsel and assistance can be sought from the Office of the College Ombudsman and the Office of the Vice Provost.

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The following grid provides a way to conceptualize your progress through the program.  Place the semester and year you anticipate enrolling in a course under "Enrollment Date."  Place the semester and year in which you completed a course under "Date Completed."

 

	Enrollment Date	Date Completed
Required Courses (17 points)
MSTU 4000: Core Seminar (1 point).  One-point registration during the first Fall semester in a student's program.
MSTU 4000: Core Seminar (1 point).  One-point registration in the Spring semester for M.A. students intending to graduate in May.
MSTU 4016: History of Communication (3 points)
One course from three of the following four areas.  Courses must be chosen from those listed under the respective area (9 points).
Cognitive Issues and Technology
MSTU 4133: Cognition and Computers
Social Issues and Technology
MSTU 4020: Social and Communicative Aspects of ICTs
MSTU 4005: Equity, Ethics, and Social Issues
Cultural Issues and Technology
MSTU 5510: Technology, Inquiry, and Culture
MSTU 5002: Culture, Media & Education
Educational Practice and Design
MSTU 4001: Technology and School Change
MSTU 4050: Online Schools and Online Schooling K-12
MSTU 4083: Inst. Design of Educational Technology
Elective Courses (10-13 points)
At least nine points of additional MSTU courses.  NOTE: No more than 3 points of "skills" courses may be counted toward the M.A.  List your elective courses below.
Breadth Requirement (6 points)
Three courses totaling at least 6 points with a prefix other than MSTU.  Each course must be completed for at least 2 points. Thus, you must complete either three 2-point courses; one 3-point and two 2-point courses; or three 3-point courses. List your breadth requirement courses below.
Integrative Project
List completion date:

To further help your planning, the following grid shows when courses are typically offered.  However, while every effort is made to offer courses as shown below, unexpected developments can result in changes.  You should check with your advisor and with the current schedule of classes during the registration period to confirm a given course's availability.  Please note that the following is a guide only, and not a definitive statement confirming that a class will be offered as shown.  Unless otherwise noted, courses are offered f2f.

Course Number and Name	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
MSTU 4000: Core Seminar	Yes	Yes (for May graduates only)
MSTU 4001: Technology and School Change	Yes
MSTU 4005: Equity, Ethics and Social Issues		Yes
MSTU 4016: History of Communication	Yes
MSTU 4020: Social and Communicative Aspects of ICTs	Yes
MSTU 4031: Object-Oriented Theory and Programming I and MSTU 4032: Object-Oriented Theory and Programming I Lab	Yes	Yes
MSTU 4050: Online Schools and Online Schooling K-12		Yes
MSTU 4083: Instructional Design of Educational Technology	Yes, f2f and online	Yes, online only
MSTU 4133: Cognition and Computers	Yes	Yes, Online only
MSTU 5031: Object-Oriented Theory and Programming II	Yes	Yes
MSTU 5510: Technology, Inquiry, and Culture		Yes
MSTU 5002: Culture, Media & Education	Yes
MSTU 5606: Readings in Communication Theory and Social Thought I	Yes
MSTU 5607: Readings in Communication Theory and Social Thought II		Yes
MSTU 6600: Doctoral Colloquium	Yes	Yes