Colleges of Education and Engineering to offer 5th year master’s program
The Colleges of Education (CED) and Engineering (COE) at North Carolina State University have announced a 5th year master’s program that will lead to a Master of Science degree in technology education and a middle and high school teacher licensure, beginning in summer 2015. The program targets students that have completed a BS or a higher degree in an engineering discipline.
According to Dr. Tameshia Ballard, director of engineering education and teaching assistant professor in the Department of STEM Education, “This is an initiative that had been discussed in COE and CED for several years prior to my arrival.”
In the fall 2013 semester, Ballard sent a survey to all 6,000+ undergraduates in the COE in order to gauge interest in such a program. She received an overwhelmingly positive response. “Of the 1,465 students that responded, nearly half of them indicated that they were interested in teaching in K-12 and would be willing to complete an additional year of coursework to obtain the MS degree and teacher licensure. That gave us the fuel we needed to proceed.”
Ballard then worked with Technology, Engineering and Design Education faculty, Drs. Aaron Clark and V. William DeLuca, in the Department of STEM Education to develop the proposal for the new MS degree program. The Administrative Board of the Graduate School approved the proposal in spring 2014.
Expecting an initial cohort of 30 students, the program will help meet a growing state and national need for qualified technology, engineering and design education teachers in K-12 classrooms.
“This collaborative effort demonstrates the commitment of both colleges and the university in creating unique learning opportunities for our students and giving back to the state by supplying educators who have the technical expertise and pedagogical background to develop the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education (STEM) professionals,” said Ballard.
Individuals interested in learning more about the program may contact Ballard or DeLuca for more information and may also visit the program webpage.
