Mythbusting for Graduate Students in Education Programs – Master’s Certificates
This is the first in a series on busting common myths and misconceptions about graduate programs in Education.
Myth:
I’m a Master of Education student; a friend in my class told me that I can get my Master of Education and a Master’s Certificate at the same time!
Busting:
No, you can’t get both a Master of Education and a Master’s Certificate at the same time. You can get a Master’s Certificate and SUBSEQUENTLY get a Master of Education degree, but not both at the same time.
The process is designed to work like this: Students apply to the Master’s Certificate first, complete all the Master’s Certificate classes, graduate, and THEN apply for the Master of Education – this process is known as “laddering up”. There is no “laddering down” (i.e. completing the Master of Education, with most or all of the Master’s Certificate courses included, and then completing the Master’s Certificate) and there is no “lateral ladder” (i.e. completing the Master of Education and Master’s Certificate at the same time).
What does this mean for you?
If you are currently in a Master’s Certificate, you simply complete all the courses in your certificate and then apply to graduate. After you’ve graduated, you can decided if you subsequently want to take a Master of Education degree program. Make an academic advising appointment with us in the EdGrad office and we can help you apply to the appropriate Master of Education degree (e.g. Master’s Certificate in TESOL courses fit into the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction degree program and Master’s Certificate in Human Resource Administration in Education courses fit into the Master of Education in Educational Administration degree program).
If you are already in a Master of Education you have two choices:
1. Stay in your Master of Education degree program and take whatever courses fit your program of study and will best assist you with your current and future professional development. And if some of those courses happen to be in the Master’s Certificate program, they will simply be part of your Master of Education degree program. When you graduate, your transcript will list all the courses you took and your degree will be a Master of Education.
OR
2. If you are in a Master of Education degree program and you feel that you really must have the Master’s Certificate appear on your transcript then you must make an academic advising appointment to come talk to us in the EdGrad office. We will look at your specific situation, determine (depending on the number of courses you have already taken) if what you want is possible, explain the process of voluntarily withdrawing from your Master of Education, what you will need to do to apply for the Master’s Certificate, what courses (and only those courses) you can take for the Master’s Certificate, and how to graduate. And then, finally, after you have graduated from the Master’s Certificate in about two years, how to reinstate to your Master of Education degree program, and what courses you can “ladder up” from the Master’s Certificate into your Master of Education degree program. Because this process is complicated and specific to each student, we can’t discuss it by e-mail or over the telephone, however, we would be more than happy to schedule a face-to-face academic advising appointment to discuss your individual situation.
Sincerely,
Tania Gates, Graduate Program Co-ordinator
_______________________________
Faculty of Education
Research & Graduate Programs
University of Regina
Education Building, ED 236
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, SK S4S 0A2
p: 306.585.4502
f: 306.585.5387
e: edgrad@uregina.ca
http://education.uregina.ca/edgrad/
