Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Secondary Education

The purpose of the Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Secondary Education is to support beginning teachers in developing and reflecting on their practice in relation to recent and continuing research on teaching and learning in their subject areas.

Admission to Program

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Additional entrance requirements include:

  • A 3.0 GPA in the undergraduate degree or last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted, including credential courses.
  • A valid preliminary or clear single subject teaching credential.
  • Evidence of employment as a full or part-time teacher or evidence of permission to work on a regular basis within a school setting through a volunteer program or other agreement.
  • Evidence of written English proficiency.
  • An interview with the graduate coordinator and/or other graduate advisors.

Admissions requirements for currently enrolled, SF State single-subject credential candidates or graduates of our single-subject credential program

Apply to the University through Cal State Apply: https://www2.calstate.edu/apply

  1. Upload the following documents:
    1. an unofficial transcript to verify 3.0 cumulative GPA from a credential program;
    2. two recommendation letters that speak to your readiness to begin an MA degree- one from your Curriculum and Instruction professor, and one from any Department of Secondary Education faculty member, who was not your Curriculum and Instruction professor; and
    3. a written statement of about 750 words describing your goals in pursuing the degree, your research interest, and readiness for the program based on your academic and professional experience as well as your disposition as a teacher. 
  2. If you are a graduate of our single-subject credential program and have not been enrolled at SF State for the past two semesters, complete #1 and add one additional letter of recommendation from your educational place of employment; letter from principal on school letterhead is strongly encouraged.

Admissions requirements for single-subject credential graduates from other institutions

Apply to the University through Cal State Apply: https://www2.calstate.edu/apply

  1. Upload the following documents: a) Unofficial transcript to verify 3.0 cumulative GPA from the credential program; b) Three recommendation letters that speak to your readiness to begin an MA degree.  One of the three must be from your educational place of employment; letter from principal on school letterhead is strongly encouraged c) written statement of about 750 words describing your goals in pursuing the degree, your research interest, and readiness for the program based on your academic and professional experience as well as your disposition as a teacher. 

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One

Written English proficiency will be assessed on the Personal Statement, submitted to the department as part of the application.

Students admitted conditionally or not meeting the written English proficiency standards must demonstrate that they have met the Level One Written English proficiency requirement by completing the literature review assignment and S ED 850 with a grade of B or better prior to enrolling in S ED 895 or S ED 898.

Level Two

Writing proficiency will be assessed based on the Field Study Report or Thesis submitted as the culminating experience for S ED 895 or S ED 898. All students in the program must complete an 895 or 898 project.

Continuous Enrollment Requirement

Students admitted fall 2008 and beyond have the semester they enroll in the culminating experience and the following semester to complete their degree requirements. Those who need additional time must enroll in a zero-unit designated CEL course every subsequent semester until the culminating experience is completed.

For more information, please contact the Secondary Education Department (BH 41) or the Graduate College of Education Credential and Graduate Services Center Office  (Burk Hall 244).

Education (M.A.): Concentration in Secondary Education — Minimum 30 units

Required Courses (15 units)

ISED 797Seminar in Educational Research3
S ED 770Current Issues in Secondary Education3
S ED 780Advanced Curriculum Development3
S ED 850Culminating Experience Project Design3
Course in related or distributed field selected in consultation with a graduate advisor.3

Courses in Related or Distributed Field (3 – 12 units) 

[12 units may be taken as part of the Single Subject Credential Program]

Selected with approval of graduate major advisor

Culminating Experience (3 units)

Early in the semester prior to enrollment in either S ED 895 or S ED 898, the student must submit the Advancement to Candidacy (ATC), the Proposal for Culminating Experience, and the Human Subjects Protocol forms. Enrollment in these courses is contingent upon approval.

S ED 895Field Study3
or S ED 898 Master's Thesis

Courses Taken in the Single Subject Credential Program

Up to 12 units of course work in secondary education completed to satisfy the requirements of the Single Subject Credential program may be used to fulfill the requirements for the M.A., as long as they were taken within the seven-year time limit for the degree. Credential courses that may be counted as electives or as "related or distributed field" courses include:

S ED 701Teaching for Equity in Secondary Schools3
S ED 720Critical and Digital Literacy Across Content Areas3
S ED 759Curriculum and Instruction I3
S ED 769Curriculum and Instruction II3
S ED 790Teaching Multilingual Learners in Secondary Schools3
S ED 800Adolescent Development3
Student Teaching
S ED 640, S ED 660 may not be counted
Associated Seminars
S ED 751, S ED 752 may not be counted

Curriculum and instruction courses taken in other departments may be counted.