M.A. in Education: Special Interest Concentration

The Master of Arts in Education with a Special Interest Concentration is a highly flexible program that gives graduate students the freedom to design their own personalized M.A. degree in education. Each graduate student in this program works closely with an advisor to design a 30-unit MA degree that focuses on the student’s educational area of interest. Graduate students have considerable independence in identifying appropriate courses that will comprise their special interest area.

For this MA degree, at least half of the graduate student’s coursework must be taken in the ELSIT Department. The remaining coursework may be taken in other departments on the SFSU campus.

Former SFSU multiple subject and single subject credential students can apply up to 15 units of recent post-baccalaureate SFSU teacher credential coursework towards the MA Special Interest degree, provided that the student has not obtained a combined Teaching Credential + MA degree from another department.

All courses in the area of specialization must be approved by the graduate student’s advisor.

Teaching Credential + Special Interest M.A. Degree Option

For the Teaching Credential + Special Interest M.A. degree option, students take at least 6 units of elective professional education courses in the ELSIT Department in one or more of the following areas: Equity and Social Justice (courses with an “ISED” prefix), Instructional Technologies (courses with an “ITEC” prefix), and Educational Leadership (courses with an “EDAD” prefix).

Career Opportunities

People who have completed the M.A. degree in Education with a Special Interest Concentration have found work in a variety of settings, including (1) public school district settings, where graduates work as curriculum developers, specialized mentor teachers, resource teachers, and school reform leaders; (2) university settings, where graduates work as lecturers; student services managers, LGBTQ support services administrators, and EOP student advisors; (3) non-profit organizations, where graduates work as health and nutrition educators, drug, alcohol, and smoking educators, juvenile prevention program professionals, and community service coordinators; (4) public non-formal school settings, where graduates work as environmental center leaders, museum educators, public parks and recreation educators, and education specialists for philanthropic foundations; (5) government agencies, where graduates work in county, state, and federal education-oriented agencies in fields such as migrant education and Title I education; and (6) the private sector, where graduates work as staff developers, human resource specialists, media specialists, and conflict mediators.

Contact an Advisor

Program Requirements

Pathways to Graduation

Many M.A. Special Interest graduate students are part-time students with part- or full-time jobs. Courses are offered in the evenings (4-7 p.m. and 7-10 p.m.) to accommodate working students.

Graduate students typically take between three and five semesters to complete their M.A. degree, depending upon whether they have outside work commitments, and depending on whether they are including previous SFSU teaching credential coursework as part of their M.A. degree.

Here are two examples of pathways to graduation:

Admission to the Program

Entry into the program is open to applicants with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and a 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 units of college course work.

How to Apply

Please review the Graduate Application Procedures for Admission.

Questions?

If you have questions about the admissions process please contact the ELSIT Department at (415) 338-1653 or email us at elsit@sfsu.edu.