Student Services
Contact student services for M.Ed./Certificate related questions
cehdinfo@umn.edu
Tel: 612-625-3339
Fax: 612-625-9214
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Other links
FAQ (parent & family education)
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Family education
Master of education/professional studies
Program
Important Note: This program is currently in transition from the department of Curriculum and Instruction to the department of Family Social Science. Information is currently being consolidated, but links may take you to other departmental web pages.
The master of education (M.Ed.)/professional studies program in family education develops and strengthens professionals’ competencies to work with individuals and families to enhance family life. This graduate-level, practitioner-based program will be transitioning to the Department of Family Social Science during the 2011-12 academic year.
The program prepares licensed teachers to further develop their knowledge and skills in the family education field or non-licensed professionals to work with adults, youth, or children in a variety of settings. Students may fulfill requirements for a parent educator license, parent education certificate, or community and learning certificate as part of this degree.
With guidance from faculty advisers, students choose at least 30 semester credits of work that may include courses, independent study, internships, and workshops.
Courses are offered at a variety of times, including late afternoons, during the summer, and on weekends.
Admission
The college reviews applications on an ongoing basis. Application reviews for specific academic terms begin by the following dates. Students are encouraged to submit application materials to Student Services by these dates:
- November 1—spring semester admission
- March 1—summer session admission
- July 1—fall semester admission
Admission requirements to this M.Ed. program include the following criteria:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in family studies, child psychology, early childhood education, nutrition, or related fields
- A 2.80 overall grade point average (GPA) in undergraduate work
All applicants must submit the following items:
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended or are currently attending, except the University of Minnesota. Transcripts must be received from the issuing school in a sealed and stamped envelope, and mailed to CEHD Student Services, 360 Education Sciences Bldg, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455.
- Any student with a U.S. bachelor's degree or a comparable foreign degree from an accredited college or university may apply to CEHD. Official transcripts of all previous post-secondary academic study must be submitted. If you completed coursework at a university outside of the United States, your transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation center. Request a “course-by-course” evaluation. This process can take four-six weeks, so please plan in advance. A suggested provider of this service is Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). You can, however, use any provider that is an accredited member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
All applicants must upload or submit the following items with their online applications:
- Résumé
- Personal Statement describing professional goals compatible with the family education mission (one page)
- Application fee of $55.00 charged when your online application is submitted. Fees must be paid with a credit card.
Nonnative English speakers and/or international students
Please Note: This program is not offered full-time and therefore is not intended for international students needing a visa to study in the US.
All nonnative English speakers must submit an official score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). (Exceptions may be granted for applicants who will have completed 16 semester or 24 quarter credits within the past 24 months in residence as a full-time student at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States before entering the University of Minnesota.)
Minimum TOEFL score requirements:
| Internet-based test | 79-80 |
| Computer-based test | 213 |
| Paper-based test | 550 |
Applicants may also be required to demonstrate spoken English proficiency in an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and/or oral interview with faculty or staff. Contact Student Services for more information.
International applicants who will require an I-20 for a student visa must submit a Financial Certification Statement, which will be mailed to you upon admission to the program.
Apply Online
- Apply Online
- Save your PIN number and password so that you can work on the application over time.
- Follow application instructions carefully, because once your application is submitted, you will no longer have access to add/change application information or upload required supplemental material.
- As your application is being reviewed, you can log back into your account to view your current application status.
- Your admission decision will also be displayed in your application account.
Applicants are typically notified of admission decisions four to six weeks after application deadlines.
Transfer credits
A maximum of 12 graduate semester transfer credits may be applied to the M.Ed. program. Credits may include any combination of the following coursework:
- Up to six graduate semester credits from fully accredited institutions other than the University of Minnesota
- Credits completed at the University of Minnesota before admission to the M.Ed. program
Transfer courses must be completed at the graduate level and approved by a faculty adviser and the college. Contact the program’s faculty adviser for more information.
Curriculum
Note: Course designators, numbers, and names in the following list changed, effective January 2005. Previous course designators and numbers are listed in brackets.
Requirements
- 15 credits in family education, including CI 5902 (formerly FE 5001)—Family Education Perspectives (3 cr)
- 5-6 credits in coursework with a focus on educational processes that are not limited to a specific subject matter
- 9-10 credits in coursework with a supporting focus on family, children, and/or youth issues
- An oral examination
Some of the family education courses available to M.Ed. students include:
- CI 5902 (formerly FE 5001)—Family Education Perspectives (3 cr) [online fall 2010]
- CI 5904 (formerly FE 5003)—Contemporary Family Education (3 cr)
- CI 5900 (formerly FE 5200)—Special Topics in Family, Youth, and Community (1-4 cr)
- CI 5908 (formerly FE 5201)—Family and Work Relationships (3 cr)
- CI 5912 (formerly FE 5202)—Sexuality Education (3 cr)
- CI 5914 (formerly FE 5203)—Education for Family Communication (3 cr)
- CI 5906 (formerly FE 5301)—Program Planning in Family Education (3 cr)
- CI 5923 (formerly FE 5303)—Educational Strategies in Family Education (3 cr)
- CI 5932 (formerly FE 5698)—Introduction to Parent Education (1 cr) [online]
- CI 5937 (formerly FE 5712)—Parent-Child Interaction (3 cr)
- CI 5942—Everyday Experiences of Families (2 cr) [online]
- CI 5943—Parent Learning and Development: Implications for Parent Education (2 cr) [online]
- CI 5944—Parent Education Curriculum (2 cr) [online]
- CI 5945—Teaching and Learning in Parent Education (2 cr) [online]
- CI 5946—Assessment and Evaluation in Parent Education (2 cr) [online]
- CI 5949—Student Teaching in Parent Education (2 cr) [online]
- CI 5952 (formerly WCFE 5411) Everyday Lives of Youth (3 cr)
- CI 5954 (formerly WCFE 5412) Experiential Learning: Pedagogy for Community and Classroom (3 cr)
- CI 5972 Education in the Community (3 cr)
- CI 5974 The Democratic Learning Community (3 cr)
Note: For course descriptions and schedules, refer to the University of Minnesota Class Schedule. Search the University of Minnesota's Digital Campus for online courses.
Registration
Currently admitted degree-seeking students may register online for coursework.
Students who want to begin graduate coursework (M.Ed./M.A./Ph.D.) before admission must use the One Stop non-degree registration option. The authorized signer for the Registration Request for Graduate Credit Form (for non-degree seeking students) in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is Jessie Eastman (eastm004@umn.edu; 612-625-2545; completed forms may be faxed to Jessie at 612-624-8277 for processing).
For questions, see FAQ for non-degree graduate registration.
Program adviser
Rudy Hernandez
CEHD graduate student services adviser
612-625-3339
Email: r-hern@umn.edu
Core faculty
Susan K. Walker
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Parent education; parenting and early education; use of technology in
teaching and learning
612-624-1272; email: skwalker@umn.edu
Lynn Englund
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Family education, traditions of democratic education
612-624-1055; email: engl8813@umn.edu
Yvonne S. Gentzler
Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
Professional development of students within family and consumer sciences
(FCS) education; FCS leadership, mentoring, and professional passion.
612-625-6624, email: gentzler@umn.edu
Ruth G. Thomas
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Cognitive theory-based instructional design
612-624-4772; email: thoma006@umn.edu
Revised February 2012
