Summary of Graduate Programs
St. Cloud State University awards the following graduate degrees:
- Specialist Degree in Educational Administration
- Master of Arts
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Engineering Management
- Master of Music
- Master of Science
- Fifth-Year Program in Child and Family Studies
- Sixth-Year Program in Educational Leadership
Graduate Certificate Programs
- Chemical Dependency
- Design for E-Learning
- Geographic Information Science
- Gerontology
- Instructional Technology
- Marriage and Family Therapy
- School Counseling
- Special Education — Learning Disabilities
- Special Education — Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
- Special Education — Developmental Disabilities
- Special Education — Physical/Health Disabilities
Specialist Degree Programs
- Educational Administration and Leadership that leads to licensure
Summary of Degree Options
The specialist degree is designed to serve a qualitative need for highly trained specialists in various fields. The emphasis in a specialist degree program is placed on the development of competencies needed for a specific job category. The program is designed to meet the needs of students in professional areas where a master's degree is not sufficient. The program requires 30 semester credits of graduate study beyond a master's degree.
The specialist degree program is offered by the Department of Educational Leadership. The specialist degree program offered by the Department of Educational Leadership is designed for three distinct groups: the K-12 school principal, the superintendent of schools, and the director of special education.
The master of arts degree offers the candidate the opportunity to specialize in a particular subject matter field. It is open to students with undergraduate liberal arts backgrounds as well as students who have completed teacher education programs. Programs of study leading to the master of arts degree have been approved for the following majors: art; biology: cell and molecular biology, biology: ecology and natural resources biology; English, English: college teaching, English: rhetoric and applied writing, English: teaching English as a second language; history, history: public history, and special studies. All master of arts programs require a thesis, creative work, starred paper(s), or final written comprehensive examination. Information concerning the program requirements for a particular major may be found with the course offerings for the department.
The master of business administration degree develops professional managers for public and private sectors. It stresses conceptual, analytical and behavioral skills relevant to organization and leadership, provides students the opportunity to develop specialized competencies reflecting individual aptitudes and interests, and explores the relationships between organizations and their environment. A concentration consistent with the student's particular interest is available in business computers and information systems, economics, human resources and taxation.
The master of engineering management degree prepares graduates for taking on managerial roles in technical and scientific organizations. The degree is suitable for engineers from a wide spectrum of disciplines including but not limited to mechanical manufacturing, industrial, electrical, civil, computer and software engineering as well as graduates in chemistry, mathematics, physics, and related topics.
While an MBA program focuses on business management and functional areas of business, the master of engineering management is for engineers, technologists and scientists who are looking for managerial skills to advance to executive positions in technology based business.
The master of music degree allows the student to pursue a degree in music with an emphasis in music education, piano pedagogy, or conducting. Specific program information for each of these emphases can be found under the music listing in the main section of this bulletin.
The master of science degree is designed to provide preparation in a variety of professional fields. Included are programs in: applied economics, applied psychology: behavior analysis, applied statistics, biology, child and family studies: early childhood special education, child and family studies: early education, child and family studies: family studies, counseling and college student development, communication sciences and disorders, community counseing, computer science, criminal justice, curriculum and instruction, educational administration and leadership, electrical engineering, English, environmental and technological studies, exercise science, geography, geography: geographic information science, geography: tourism planning and development, gerontology, higher education administration, history, information media: educational media, information media: instructional design and training, information media: information technologies, mass communications, mathematics, marriage and family therapy, mechanical engineering, physical education, public and nonprofit institutions, public safety executive leadership, rehabilitation counseling, school counseling, social responsibility, special education, sports management, and special studies.
Eligibility for programs in teacher education is limited to students whose undergraduate preparation qualifies them for teacher licensure.
Special studies programs (M.A. or M.S.) are intended to meet the specialized needs of students whose educational or career goals can be best served by carefully designed programs which provide advanced study in two or three related academic disciplines. To be considered for approval, special studies programs must provide a clear focus on a field of study which combines the contributions of these academic disciplines in a multi-disciplinary major.
To request consideration of a special studies program, the student must prepare a written proposal which contains the following elements: proposed title for the multidisciplinary program, a discussion of the contributions of the disciplines which would comprise the program, a preliminary list of potentially applicable courses, and a summary of the student's educational and career objectives, philosophy and background. Each special studies applicant is interviewed by a four-member committee chaired and appointed by the graduate dean. The committee reviews the program proposal and makes a recommendation based upon the appropriateness of the proposal as a field for graduate study, the availability of adequate curricular and other resources to insure a strong program, and the qualifications of the individual applicant. For further information concerning application procedures and program requirements, contact the School of Graduate Studies.
The fifth-year certificate program is intended to provide a systematic basis for study beyond the baccalaureate degree for teachers who do not plan to qualify for a master's degree. Work included in the fifth-year program is selected to strengthen the student in area(s) taught or to be taught. As nearly as possible, a student's fifth-year program is planned to provide an integrated five-year program of preparation for teaching.
