Description of the Oral Examination Requirement of the Family Education M.Ed. Professional Studies Program
Towards the end of the Family Education Master of Education (M.Ed.) professional studies program (generally the last semester that the student is taking courses), an oral examination is given as part of the degree requirements.
The purposes of the M.Ed. oral examination are to:
- Review the student’s knowledge, reasoning, and academic program of study in relation to his or her current and/or projected professional role.
- Provide an opportunity for the student to discuss his or her academic and professional work—and the relation between the two.
- Provide a means by which faculty can identify ways in which M.Ed. programs of study can and should be revised.
- Provide an opportunity for the student to realize a sense of accomplishment and closure related to completing the M.Ed. program.
Arranging for the examination
To make arrangements for the examination, a student consults with her or his adviser to (a) identify a timeframe during which a one-hour examination could be held and (b) identify another faculty member* who will be invited to serve on the examining committee. The student’s adviser reserves a room in Peik Hall where the examination will be held.
Examination materials
At least one week prior to the examination, the student submits to her or his two committee members copies of three papers written as part of her or his M.Ed. coursework. (Students who have included CI 5949—Student Teaching in Parent Education (2 cr) in their program are asked to submit two student-written papers plus the instructor’s assessment of student teaching.) The student should photocopy course papers without revising them and with the instructors’ comments on them (if there are comments on the paper). It is also helpful to include a description of the assignment that elicited each paper. Students are also asked to provide committee members with a short, 1 to 2-page reflective summary of their experience in the M.Ed. program and plans for the future. The summary should:
- explain why courses in the M.Ed. program of study were selected;
- reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the M.Ed. experience; and
- outline future professional goals.
Preparing for the examination
Generally, at the beginning of the oral examination, the student distributes copies of the program planning form to committee members, and gives a brief summary of the written statement described above. The subsequent examination takes the form of a discussion between the student and the examining committee. It is common for faculty committee members to ask the student questions about the papers that were submitted for the examination or about additional professional issues raised by the student in his or her introductory comments. Towards the end of the examination time, the student is asked to step outside of the room so that the committee members can assess the students’ performance in the examination. Upon committee agreement, the student is invited back into the room where the committee members inform the student as to whether or not she or he has successfully passed the examination.
Preparing to graduate
After successfully completing the oral examination, the student’s adviser will sign and date the final program form [pdf], checking the box showing the oral exam has been successfully completed. The student will then deliver the final program form and completed CEHD Application for M.Ed. Degree and/or Certificate [.pdf] to the College’s Graduate Student Services office, 250 Education Sciences Building, 56 River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455; fax: 612-626-1580.
Additional information about degree completion and attending commencement can be found at http://cehd.umn.edu/students/Graduate/PS/completion.html.
*The examining committee is composed of the student’s adviser and one other FE faculty member selected from the following list: Betty Cooke, Lynn Englund, Yvonne Gentzler, Ruth Thomas, or Susan Walker.
Document revised 9-18-09
Revised September 2009
