Master of Education

To apply for admission, students will need to:

1. Fill out the online application
2. Send in all official transcripts (including undergraduate and graduate)
3. Submit information for at least one reference (a principal or adviser) on the application

Applicants for whom English is a second language must have an adequate command of English as demonstrated by their performance on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The institutional code is 6171 and the department code is 3101.

If you have had a name change since you graduated, please contact your institution to update the information before requesting a transcript be sent.

Materials can be mailed to:

Dordt University
Graduate Studies Office
700 7th Street NE
Sioux Center, IA 51250

Students may be admitted under one of the following categories:

Regular Admission For Curriculum And Instruction And Administration

Regular Admission is granted to all candidates who have met all the admissions criteria. Additional requirements include:

• An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 from an accredited institution in education.
• Official transcripts sent to the Director of Graduate Studies from your undergraduate institution as well as transcripts from any graduate level course that you would like to have considered for transfer into the program.
• Resume.
• A recommendation form completed by your administrator or supervisor.
• Successful teaching experience at the P-12 level for a minimum of one year.

Regular Admission For Sport Leadership

Regular admission is granted to all candidates who have met all of the admission criteria:

• An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 from an accredited institution.
• Official transcripts sent to the Director of Graduate Studies from your undergraduate institution as well as transcripts from any graduate level course that you would like to have considered for transfer into the program.
• Resume.
• A recommendation form completed by your administrator or supervisor.
• Completion of 24 hours of undergraduate coursework in sport management, physical education, education, business, or psychology or 500 hours of direct coaching, teaching, or related supervisory experience (e.g., camp counseling).

Administrative License Only

Administrative license only status may be granted to candidates applying for admission to the School Leadership specialization who already have a master’s degree in education that includes the curriculum and instruction courses required in this specialization. Students with this status will not earn an additional master’s degree but will be recommended for an Iowa administrative license upon completion of their licensing-only plan of study. Students meeting the following criteria may be granted this status:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and completion of at least 24 hours of undergraduate course work in education. A graduate degree in education that includes three or more courses equivalent to Educ 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 560, 561, 562, 563, and 564. The overall GPA earned in this previous program must be 3.0 or above, and the grade point in each accepted equivalent course must be 3.0 or above. Courses used for equivalencies must not be more than 10 years old at the time of completion of the Dordt University plan of study.
• Official transcripts sent to the Director of Graduate Studies from both your undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Resume.
• A recommendation form completed by your administrator or supervisor.
• Successful teaching experience at the P-12 level for a minimum of one year or a minimum of 500 hours of verified experiences in teaching or direct coaching beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Endorsement Only

Endorsement only status may be granted to candidates applying for admission to the Special Education, Developmental Reading, or Early Childhood Education specializations who already have a teacher’s license and wish to add an endorsement area to that license. Students with this status will not earn a master’s degree but will be recommended for an Iowa license endorsement upon completion of their endorsement-only plan of study. Taking only the required courses in these specializations may not fully qualify one for an endorsement, which requires meeting all requirements of the endorsement (including as necessary appropriate courses in one’s undergraduate program). Students meeting the following criteria may be granted this status.

• An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 from an accredited institution in education.
• Official transcripts sent to the Director of Graduate Studies from both your undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Resume.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission may be granted to applicants who do not currently meet all of the criteria for regular admission. Status of conditionally admitted students will be reviewed after nine hours of graduate course work have been completed. The grade point average in graduate course work of the student needs to be at least 3.0 before the conditional admission status can be changed to regular admission status.

Special Admission

Special admission may be granted to those who do not plan to become candidates for a master’s program but wish to participate in one or more graduate courses. Admission may be granted by providing the following:

• A completed application for program admission.
• A transcript of all undergraduate and graduate credit received.

Students can transfer a total of nine semester hours of graduate work with a minimum of a B grade. All nine semester hours can come from any ARCU* institution. A maximum of six semester hours may come from non-ARCU colleges, but the last three hours must come from an ARCU institution. (For example: if a student enters the program with six semester hours in graduate education from a state university, an additional three hours may be taken through one of Calvin College’s online courses.)

The ARCU institutions include: Calvin College, Covenant College, Dordt University, Geneva College, Institute for Christian Studies, Redeemer University College, the King’s University College, and Trinity Christian College.

*Association of Reformed Colleges and Universities

Note: Courses older than 10 years at the end of a student's Dordt studies will not be accepted for transfer credit.

Spring 2024

• Registration Opens: November 1, 2023
• Term Begins: January 11, 2024
• Term Ends: May 10, 2024

Course Offerings:

• EDUC 501 Issues in Education (3)
• EDUC 502 Learner Development and Principles of Learning (3)
• EDUC 508 Teaching and Learning with Technology (3)
• EDUC 510 Action Research Project (3)
• EDUC 513 Instructional Decisions- Strategist I (3)
• EDUC 517 Instructional Decisions- Strategist II (3)
• EDUC 543 Online Teaching & Learning (3)
• EDUC 545 Portfolio- Educational Technology (1.5)
• EDUC 559 Internship in Instructional Coaching (1.5)
• EDUC 560 Foundations of Educational Leadership (3)
• EDUC 560L Field Experience I in Educational Leadership (1.5)
• EDUC 561 Instructional Leadership (3)
• EDUC 561L Field Experience II in Educational Leadership (1.5)
• EDUC 562 Legal and Ethical Foundations in Ed Leadership (3)
• EDUC 563 Collaborative Leadership (3)
• EDUC 563L Field Experience III in Educational Leadership (1.5)
• EDUC 564 Management and School Improvement (3)
• EDUC 564L Field Experience IV in Educational Leadership (1.5)
• EDUC 577 Student Teaching Internship- Elementary Instructional Strategist (1-8)
• EDUC 578 Student Teaching Internship- Secondary Instructional Strategist (1-8)
• HHP 520 Christian Perspectives on Advanced Sports Psychology (3)
• HHP 530 Practicum Series (3)
• SPED 612 Concepts and Principles of ABA (3)
• SPED 615 Advanced Ethics for the BCBA (1.5)

All of our courses are fully online. No travel or on-campus residency is required.

To learn more, you can also view the program strengths and learning outcomes for this program.

Tuition and fees for 2024-2025 are as follows:

• Graduate Courses: $415/credit
• One-time Technology Fee: $100
• Program Completion Fee: $100

Graduate courses taken for graduate credit are worth three credits.

You may now pay your tuition and registration fees by credit card.

The Canadian Exchange Rate is determined on the first and 15th of each month and can be viewed online or by contacting the Business Office at (712) 722-6013.

In an effort to make graduate education at Dordt available to as many people as possible, program costs are kept as reasonable as possible. Financial aid in the form of federal loan programs is available. Students who wish to apply online should go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. For more information, contact Harlan Harmelink in the Financial Aid Office at (712) 722-6082.

The Dordt University Federal ID is #001859.

Dordt University Donor-Funded Annual Scholarships

Donor-funded scholarships vary in dollar amounts and in recipient selection criteria. Typically, the application process includes an application form and recommendation and a scholarship committee that selects the recipients.
Students may contact the Office of Graduate Studies (grad@dordt.edu) with inquiries.

Marion and Jan Van Soelen School Leadership Scholarship

The $2,000 scholarship will be awarded over the full length of the student’s
program, at $200 per three-credit course. This scholarship will be awarded to a first-time Master of Education student specializing in school leadership starting the program at the beginning of the graduate academic year (summer). Financial need will be considered including employer reimbursement or assistance programs. Preference will be given to students from populations underrepresented in this program.

The Missio Dei School Leadership Scholarship

The annual $2,000 scholarship will be awarded over the full length of the student’s program studies at 50% reduction per credit. This scholarship will be awarded to a Master of Education student specializing in school leadership. The
Scholarship will be awarded to a student who demonstrates financial need. Funding available through an employer reimbursement or assistance program will also be considered when evaluating financial need. Preference will be given to students from populations underrepresented in this program. Special priority will be given to current and aspiring school administrators employed by Presbyterian Christian Schools in Belize, Central America. Recipients must reapply for the annual $2,000 scholarship until the completion of their program.

The Sekolah Pelita Harapan Grant

Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH), a group of five private schools located in Indonesia, will provide a grant for M.Ed. students who complete the program and then serve teaching for 2 to 4 years at SPH.