I.M.Ed. - Individualized Masters of Education Program

An Individualized Masters of Education (IMEd) at Rhode Island College (RIC) provides graduate students with an opportunity to design a unique Master's degree program that satisfies particular needs for which no existing graduate program is adequate. It is an option available for you if you would like to complete a Master's degree after you complete certification. The application for this program is finalized by completing an essay and Change of Plan of Study form. Although you are not required to complete the IMEd, there are some advantages:

1) it is a logical extension to the in-depth graduate work you will be completing in the certification portion of your studies;

2) admission into a Master's degree program extends the advantages of matriculation in a degree program with respect to financial aid options;

3) putting this plan in place will give you a comprehensive plan for a Master's degree and possibly other certifications.

The graduate credit hours required to achieve certification in the RIC/TFA program are incorporated into an IMEd. There are many courses you can choose to fill the overall 30 (or more) graduate credit hours for your Plan of Study. An IMEd may be designed to combine existing RIC courses to achieve an individualized or unique objective, usually thematic in nature.

Your IMED consists of:

- - RIC certification courses (Elementary 12 credits, Secondary 15 credits)
  - Two transfer courses from Delta State University (6 credits)
    - CUR 592 Special Topics in Instructional Planning and Delivery and CUR 592 Special Topics in Classroom Management and Culture fit in the ELED program as ELED 500 and ELED 550 and in the SED program as SED 506 and SED 550. (No more than 6 credits of graduate transfer can be accepted).

- Add one research course to serve as a capstone project or comprehensive assessment for the degree plan
  - - FNED 547 Introduction to Teacher Research (3 credits)
- Choose the remainder of the courses (Elementary 3 additional electives (9 credits), Secondary 2 electives (6 credits). Include the other courses you would like to take. The program must total a minimum of 30 credits of coursework taken for graduate credit, of which no more than 9 credits may be in 400-level courses.

To complete your IMED:

In order to complete the IM.Ed degree you will reflect on your area of study, choose elective courses (to finalize your plan of study and write a proposal (2 page maximum) explaining how these chosen courses support the education degree. This needs to be submitted to FSEHD by April 31, 2024.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your advisor for the IM.Ed is Dr. Elizabeth Holtzman. Towards the end of fall semester, there will be an advising meeting sign up sheet. Prior to this meeting, please review available courses that are interesting and relevant to your continued development. At this meeting, we will finalize course selection, review program paperwork and expectations and discuss any questions or needs you may have. Contact: eholtzman@ric.edu

Pointers for creating your Plan of Study

- The core of your plan could include the RIC-TFA certification courses and must include a research course as a capstone seminar.

RIC allows for 400-level courses (limit 9 credits) to be included in your plan.
To see which courses are usually offered, consult the Course Bulletin.
Graduate courses offered by RIC are listed in the College Catalog.
NOTE: AT RIC, ONLY GRADES OF B or better ARE CONSIDERED GRADUATE QUALITY AND COUNT TOWARDS YOUR DEGREE! ALL RIC CALENDAR DATES (SUCH AS DROP/ADD AND GRADUATE POLICIES HOLD TRUE FOR YOUR IMED. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING THIS INFORMATION AS A RIC GRADUATE STUDENT

ANOTHER BENEFIT of the Individualized Masters of Education (IMED) IS:

Up to 6 credits from your IMED can be transferred into other RIC educator programs such as TESOL certification, or MLED program or the Reading and Dyslexia Endorsement or School Psychology program or additional Special Education pathways

TESOL & Bilingual Education Program PathwaysRhode Island College’s TESOL Program is both nationally and RIDE-accredited and actively works to address the statewide shortage of certified teachers by providing in-service teachers with theoretical and pedagogical development to support Multilingual Learners (MLL)/emergent bilingual students. The program offers ESOL and Bilingual Education certification pathways, an MLL endorsement pathway, an M.Ed in TESOL, and an M.Ed in TESOL with a Bilingual Education concentration.

Middle Level Education C.G.S.The Certificate of Graduate Study in middle grades certification, which meets the Rhode Island Department of Education’s (RIDE’s) middle grades certification, is a 15-credit program designed to provide advanced graduate study and practicum training for students with an undergraduate degree and either an elementary or secondary teaching certificate and who are seeking preparation to become middle level teachers. If you are already a middle level educator, you can expand your existing professional skills and develop new ones through this program.

M.Ed. in Reading and Dyslexia EndorsementM.Ed. in Reading Program Coordinator:Dr. Natasha Feinbergnfeinberg@ric.edu

M.A./C.A.G.S. School PsychologyProgram Director:Professor Shannon Dowd-Eagle 401-456-8493seagle@ric.edu

Department of Special Education Graduate ProgramsThe Special Education Department offers an M.Ed. program with five concentrations: early childhood special education, elementary or secondary special education, exceptional learning needs, severe intellectual disabilities and urban multicultural special education. Each of these programs help you appreciate and understand the unique abilities, interests and talents of individuals with special needs and develop greater proficiency in working with them and their families.

Page updated

Report abuse