Academic Information - Graduate Education

Master of Education

Matriculation. Students who have not matriculated 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 may not exceed three (3) graduate credit hours per course and 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 hold a baccalaureate degree may take graduate courses as a non-degree student.

Auditing. Students who are not pursuing a degree or licensure may enroll in graduate courses for professional development purposes. The cost is $150 per credit plus the necessary fees. Nonmatriculated students must apply to the Director of Graduate Education for approval. 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 online application for graduation 
• 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 four dates each year: April 15, June 30, 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 cumulative 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 Education 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 Education 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.

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 Music 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.

Waiver policy.  Students desiring to transfer a course from another institution and thereby waive a Gordon College course may make their request as follows:

Current Gordon students will submit a Transfer Request form with a catalog description to the Director of Graduate Education. If the course is an obvious match, the Director of Graduate Education will approve the course and send the request to the Registrar for final approval.  If the course does not match, the student may transfer it as an elective.  All transferred courses must meet the course objectives of Gordon College’s approved program. If it is determined that the transferring course meets the requirements of the Gordon course, the student will be waived from fulfilling the Gordon requirement. If the Gordon College course has a field component and the requested transfer course does not, the required field experience from the Gordon College course will be required in order to meet the program objectives regarding field experiences. Under no circumstances will any of the practicum be accepted for transfer. There is a limit of 3 courses accepted for transfer if they meet the course objectives of the program.

Please note that while Gordon College may accept a transferring course valued at four credits to fulfill the course requirement of a three credit course, the transferring course will not result in four transferring credits toward the program.

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 $150 per credit plus the necessary fees. Nonmatriculated students must apply to the director of graduate studies for approval. 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 are required.

Requirements for Graduation

• An online application for graduation with a fee of $150
• 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 Education 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 Education 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.