Academic Information

Master of Education

Matriculation. Students may complete up to nine (9) credit hours of graduate coursework at Gordon College prior to acceptance into the program. After completion of nine (9) credit hours of graduate work, students who have not matriculated may not register for additional courses.

Courses expire after 5 years and will not be counted toward degree requirements.

Advising. Degree and/or licensure-seeking students will be assigned a program advisor. In addition to acting as an advocate for the student, the advisor and the student will work out a program of study leading towards graduation.

The College reserves the right to alter program requirements as necessary to remain in compliance with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education licensure standards.

Attendance. Students are expected to attend all class sessions as attendance ensures course content knowledge. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, communication and documentation is required for the professor and the Graduate Education Office. Students with excessive absences may be required to withdraw from the course.

Grade Point Average (GPA). Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA to remain in the program. Only grades of B- quality or better will be counted towards completion of the program requirements. Courses may be repeated. The higher of the grades will be calculated in the cumulative grade point average.

Program Requirements. The College reserves the right to alter program requirements as necessary to remain in compliance with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education licensure standards.

Licensure. Candidates for licensure who need to complete classroom teaching must make a formal application by the end of the previous term. They must also have completed the prerequisite number of courses with a 3.0 cumulative GPA, passed all appropriate MTEL exams, completed all observation hours, obtained the advisor’s recommendation, and meet all health requirements.

Transfer credit. Some degree programs offered by Gordon allow transfer credits if the course(s) are equivalent and meet state standards. After matriculation, students should submit a Transfer of Credit form and an official transcript as well as a description of the course being transferred; a committee will review the request and approve/disapprove it. A maximum of nine (9) graduate credit hours with a grade of B- or better may be transferred from another accredited graduate program. Transfer credit must be no more than five (5) years old. The Graduate Education Office notifies students of final acceptance or rejection of transfer credits.

Nondegree Students. Students who already hold a master’s degree in a subject area may enroll in courses to prepare for licensure without matriculating into a degree program.

Auditing. Students who are not pursuing a degree or licensure may enroll in graduate courses for professional development purposes. The cost is $100 per credit plus the necessary fees. Nonmatriculated students may also audit but must apply to the director of graduate studies for approval. The tuition will be $100 per credit plus the necessary fees. Class attendance is required but no work may be submitted for evaluation. Professional development points (PDPs) may be awarded to auditors in blocks of 15 based on the number of contact hours; attendance and written work is required.

Requirements for Graduation

• An application for graduation submitted to the Graduate Office with a fee of $25
• Completion of all program requirements with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
• Endorsement from the Board of Trustees
• Final administrative and academic clearance

Commencement Participation. Graduate students who will have completed all requirements by the end of the summer session are eligible to participate in Commencement. Degree candidates who have no more than 6 credits remaining may petition the Graduate Council to walk at Commencement. Candidates must be registered for the final course(s) and have all balances cleared prior to April 30. Degrees are conferred on three dates each year: May 15, September 15 and December 31. All work must be completed and graded prior to the date of the degree conferral.

Grading. Graduate students are expected to maintain a grade point average of 3.0. Only courses with grades of B- quality or better will be counted towards completion of the program requirements. The GPA is calculated on the credit hours attempted at Gordon. If a student receives approval to repeat a course, only the higher grade earned will be used to calculate the grade point average. Grade points are assigned for each credit earned according to the following chart:

Grade point averages are determined by dividing total grade points by total hours attempted at Gordon.

Students wishing to withdraw from a course must contact the Graduate Office and complete a Withdrawal form by the established deadlines. See Withdrawal Policy  in Registration.

Request for changes of assigned grades, due to error or misinformation, must be submitted by the instructor, signed by the advisor, and received by the Registrar’s Office within the first 30 days after the course has ended.

The grade I (Incomplete) is allowed when a student is unable to complete course requirements due to unpreventable or unforeseen circumstances. Students have seven weeks after the start of a new term to complete coursework for a course granted an Incomplete. Students may petition for an additional seven weeks due to extenuating circumstances. Request an Incomplete Grade Request form from the Graduate Education Office.

Graduate Council. The Graduate Council, under the jurisdiction of the College government structure, is responsible for all policies related to the M.Ed. and Ed.S. programs including approval of applicants, petitions, appeals and graduation. The Council is chaired by the director of graduate studies and consists of two teaching faculty within the Division of Education, one teaching faculty member outside the division, a teacher from the greater academic community whose specialty is one of the areas of focus of the degree programs, and the assistant to the director.

Master of Music Education

Matriculation. Students are admitted to the degree program with 1) special status (exploratory); 2) provisional status (incomplete paperwork, low GPA, less than two years teaching experience); or 3) full status (complete paperwork and recommendation of the director). Upon completion of nine (9) credit hours of graduate work at Gordon College, students will be expected to have matriculated. After nine (9) hours of graduate work, students who are not accepted into the program may not register for additional courses except for workshops. Students have seven (7) years after matriculation to complete all program requirements. When there are extenuating circumstances, students may apply for an extension to the director of graduate studies in music education.

Transfer credit. Some degree programs offered by Gordon allow transfer credits if the course(s) are equivalent and meet state standards. After matriculation, students should submit a Transfer of Credit form and an official transcript as well as a description of the course being transferred to be approved/disapproved by a committee review process. A maximum of six (6) graduate credit hours with a grade of B or better may be transferred from another accredited graduate program. Transfer credit must be no more than five (5) years old. The Graduate Music Education Office notifies students of final acceptance or rejection of transfer credits.

Advising. Upon entering the program each graduate student will be advised by the director of graduate studies in music education. The director will act as an advocate for the student, and the director and the student will work out a program of study leading towards graduation. The summers-only Master of Music Education program has been designed to be completed in three summers with some independent work done during the academic year. Students unable to take a full course load of nine (9) hours each summer will need to adjust their degree completion schedules accordingly.

Registration Procedures. Students who are accepted on special, provisional or full status (see Academic Policies) by the director of graduate studies in music education may enroll in graduate music courses. A full load of nine (9) credits is typical but may be exceeded.

Registrations for summer courses are due by May 1; late registrations will be accepted only as available class size permits through the first day of classes, and a late registration fee of $25 will be assessed.

Auditing. Auditors are students attending classes for personal enrichment and not for academic credit. Auditors in graduate courses or workshops may receive professional development points (PDPs) in blocks of 22.5 based upon the number of contact hours; attendance and summary paper required. Auditing status must be changed to credit status by the fifth day of classes in the case of graduate courses, or by the end of the registration period for workshops.

Commencement Participation. Graduate Music students who have completed all requirements by the end of their third summer session are eligible to participate in Commencement.  Degrees are conferred on September 15. Degree candidates who have no more than 3 credits remaining may petition the Graduate Council to walk at Commencement.  Candidates must be registered for their final course(s) and have all balances cleared prior to April 30.  There are three degree conferral dates each year: May 15, September 15 and December 31.  All work must be completed and graded prior to the date of the degree conferral.

Comprehensive Exams. The comprehensive examination is required of each student at the completion of all coursework (may be taken before completion of GMU682 Field Based Experience). Students planning to take the exam must register in the Graduate Music Office by July 1. There is no exam fee.

Exam questions are drawn from the curriculum. Faculty members read the answers for their individual areas and assess according to the standards used for grading essay exams. Answers may be assigned a grade of pass, fail, or pass with reservation. Students are expected to pass all six areas of the exam. The following policies apply when less than a passing grade is received.

• Pass with Reservation-Indicates an incomplete or vague answer. Students receiving this mark are given until November 1 to contact the appropriate faculty member and provide additional information to pass the question. If not done by the deadline, the question will automatically be failed.
• Fail-If a question is failed on the first try, the student will be given the opportunity to retake it with new content. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the appropriate faculty member by November 1.

Failure to pass any question on the second try results in elimination of the student from the program.

Conducting Seminar. Enrollment in Conducting Seminar is by special permission only. Those who qualify for Conducting Seminar during their first summer of study may have Techniques of Conducting waived; in this case Conducting Seminar takes the place of Techniques of Conducting and does not count toward the fulfillment of elective credits. Students who complete Techniques of Conducting may enroll in Conducting Seminar as an elective during a subsequent summer.

Diagnostic Exams. All students are required to take music theory and music history diagnostic exams. Students who fail to pass either of these tests must register for the respective review courses. Credits for review courses do not apply towards the degree requirements. Successful completion of the review courses serves in lieu of a passing grade on the diagnostic exam, and a re-test is not necessary.

Field-Based Teaching Experience. The Field-Based Teaching Experience is required as a culminating experience for all Master of Music Education degree candidates seeking professional licensure (see Thesis). The Field-Based Experience is completed during the academic year in the student’s own classroom, following completion of at least 18 credits of coursework. Students enrolled in the course will follow a plan outlined by the director of graduate studies in music education.

Grading. Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA to remain in the program; see grading chart and GPA calculation explanation above. Courses may be repeated once.

One term of probation is permitted. A student whose GPA falls below the 3.0 average will be placed automatically on probation for the next grading period. At the end of that period the GPA must be restored to 3.0 or better. Failing to do so will result in dismissal from the program.

Late work for incomplete summer grades is due November 1. Late work for incomplete fall or spring grades is due seven weeks after the first day of classes in the following term. Any grade that is still incomplete after the due date for late work will become F except GMU601 and GMU602 (see guidelines for review courses). In the case of extenuating circumstances, students may be given extra time to finish incomplete work at the discretion of the instructor and the director of graduate studies in music education.

In the case of courses which reasonably may be expected to take longer than a term to complete (i.e., Special Topics, Field-Based Experience), students should wait to register for the course until the term during which the work will be completed.

Requirements for Graduation

• An application for graduation filed in the Graduate Office with a fee of $25
• Completion of all coursework (minimum 30 credit hours) with a GPA of 3.0 or better
• Successful completion of the Field-Based Teaching Experience
• Endorsement from the director of graduate studies in music education, the Graduate Council and the Board of Trustees
• Final administrative academic clearance

Thesis. The thesis is an alternate culminating experience (see Field-Based Teaching Experience) for students who are not seeking professional licensure; it is recommended for students planning to pursue a doctoral degree. The thesis is completed during the academic year following completion of at least 18 credits of coursework.

Transfer Credit. A maximum of six (6) graduate credit hours may be transferred from another accredited graduate program. This requires the approval of the director of graduate studies in music education. Official transcripts and course descriptions must be received by the director in order for the course(s) to be approved. Courses in which the grade earned is B- or better and which were completed within the past five (5) years may be transferred.

Withdrawal. See Withdrawal Policy  in Registration.

Education Specialist

Matriculation. Students may complete up to nine (9) credit hours of graduate coursework at Gordon College prior to acceptance into the program. After completion of nine (9) credit hours of graduate work, students who have not matriculated may not register for additional courses.

Courses expire after 5 years and will not be counted toward degree requirements.

Advising. Degree and/or licensure-seeking students will be assigned a program advisor. In addition to acting as an advocate for the student, the advisor and the student will work out a program of study leading towards graduation.

The College reserves the right to alter program requirements as necessary to remain in compliance with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education licensure standards.

Attendance. Students are expected to attend all class sessions as attendance ensures course content knowledge. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, communication and documentation is required for the professor and the Graduate Education Office. Students with excessive absences may be required to withdraw from the course.

Grade Point Average (GPA). Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA to remain in the program. Only grades of B- quality or better will be counted towards completion of the program requirements. Courses may be repeated. The higher of the grades will be calculated in the cumulative grade point average.

Program Requirements. The College reserves the right to alter program requirements as necessary to remain in compliance with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education licensure standards.

Licensure. Candidates for licensure who need to complete classroom teaching must make a formal application by the end of the previous term. They must also have completed the prerequisite number of courses with a 3.0 cumulative GPA, passed all appropriate MTEL exams, completed all observation hours, obtained the advisor’s recommendation, and meet all health requirements.

Transfer credit. Some degree programs offered by Gordon allow transfer credits if the course(s) are equivalent and meet state standards. After matriculation, students should submit a Transfer of Credit form and an official transcript as well as a description of the course being transferred; a committee will review the request and approve/disapprove it. A maximum of nine (9) graduate credit hours with a grade of B- or better may be transferred from another accredited graduate program. Transfer credit must be no more than five (5) years old. The Graduate Education Office notifies students of final acceptance or rejection of transfer credits.

Nondegree Students. Students who already hold a master’s degree in a subject area may enroll in courses to prepare for licensure without matriculating into a degree program.

Auditing. Students who are not pursuing a degree or licensure may enroll in graduate courses for professional development purposes. The cost is $100 per credit plus the necessary fees. Nonmatriculated students may also audit but must apply to the director of graduate studies for approval. The tuition will be $100 per credit plus the necessary fees. Class attendance is required but no work may be submitted for evaluation. Professional development points (PDPs) may be awarded to auditors in blocks of 15 based on the number of contact hours; attendance and written work is required.

Requirements for Graduation

• An application for graduation submitted to the Graduate Office with a fee of $25
• Completion of all program requirements with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
• Endorsement from the Board of Trustees
• Final administrative and academic clearance

Commencement Participation. Graduate students who will have completed all requirements by the end of the summer session are eligible to participate in Commencement. Degree candidates who have no more than 6 credits remaining may petition the Graduate Council to walk at Commencement. Candidates must be registered for the final course(s) and have all balances cleared prior to April 30. Degrees are conferred on three dates each year: May 15, September 15 and December 31. All work must be completed and graded prior to the date of the degree conferral.

Grading. Graduate students are expected to maintain a grade point average of 3.0. Only courses with grades of B- quality or better will be counted towards completion of the program requirements. The GPA is calculated on the credit hours attempted at Gordon. If a student receives approval to repeat a course, only the higher grade earned will be used to calculate the grade point average. Grade points are assigned for each credit earned according to the following chart:

Grade point averages are determined by dividing total grade points by total hours attempted at Gordon.

Students wishing to withdraw from a course must contact the Graduate Office and complete a Withdrawal form by the established deadlines. See Withdrawal Policy  in Registration.

Request for changes of assigned grades, due to error or misinformation, must be submitted by the instructor, signed by the advisor, and received by the Registrar’s Office within the first 30 days after the course has ended.

The grade I (Incomplete) is allowed when a student is unable to complete course requirements due to unpreventable or unforeseen circumstances. Students have seven weeks after the start of a new term to complete coursework for a course granted an Incomplete. Students may petition for an additional seven weeks due to extenuating circumstances. Request an Incomplete Grade Request form from the Graduate Education Office.

Graduate Council. The Graduate Council, under the jurisdiction of the College government structure, is responsible for all policies related to the M.Ed. and Ed.S. programs including approval of applicants, petitions, appeals and graduation. The Council is chaired by the director of graduate studies and consists of two teaching faculty within the Division of Education, one teaching faculty member outside the division, a teacher from the greater academic community whose specialty is one of the areas of focus of the degree programs, and the assistant to the director.