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Master of Arts in Discipleship/Master of Arts in Teaching

DUAL DEGREE

The MA in Discipleship /MA in Teaching dual program is a minimum 60-hour, non-thesis, graduate program designed for those seeking advanced preparation in church-related, education-centered ministries. Students gain theoretical and experiential knowledge through a 30-hour MA in Discipleship core curriculum and a minimum 30-hour MA in Teaching academic and professional curriculum.

Teacher certified MA in Discipleship /MA in Teaching students have the program options of earning:

  • Special Education

  • Reading, or

  • ESL certificates

to add to their initial certification. Students seeking additional certificates will be required to pass the appropriate state certification (TExES) tests.

ADMISSION

In order to pursue a Dual Master’s Degree program, the applicant must apply to, meet the existing admission requirements for, and be accepted into each of the master’s degrees which comprise the dual degree program.

Note:  Church Membership Requirement (for admission into the EDD in Educational Leadership—all concentrations, PHD in Leadership Studies’ Ministry Concentration, Master’s Ministry Degrees, and Advanced Ministry Certificate Programs): Within the last 12 months, the applicant must have been an active member of a Christian church that holds Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and who holds solely the Old Testament and the New Testament as sacred Scripture.

MA IN DISCIPLESHIP PREREQUISITES

  • Old Testament Survey

  • New Testament Survey

Prerequisites may be met with equivalent courses from another institution or from a passing grade on the GSOM Old Testament and New Testament equivalency exams and do not count toward degree completion.

PROGRAM CONTINUANCE

Continuance in the program past the first 12 hours is pending submission of a satisfactory score on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®).

MA IN DISCIPLESHIP REQUIRED CURRICULUM - 30 hours (excluding prerequisites)

course

Credit hours

Required Curriculum

30

DISC 5302 - Biblical Servant Leadership
DISC 6301 - Christian Education in the Local Church
DISC 6302 - Biblical Strategies for Discipleship
DISC 6304 - Principles for Bible Teaching
DISC 6309 - Equipping Disciples for Ministry (S-L)
GSOM 6310 - Ministry Mentorship (S-L)
THEO 5313 - Applied Hermeneutics
THEO 6305 - Christian History and Heritage
THEO 6306 - Systematic Theology
WORS 6303 - Spiritual Formation and Worship
Six (6) hours of the MA in Teaching Required Curriculum serve as electives for the MA in Discipleship Required Curriculum.

MA IN TEACHING REQUIRED CURRICULUM - minimum 30 hours depending on choice of study plans

course

Credit hours

Required Curriculum

(Excluding Prerequisites) 

30

Select one of the following study plans:
(EC-6) - Without Certification
(Elementary) - ESL Certificate
(Elementary) - Reading Certificate
(Elementary) - Special Education Certificate
(Secondary) - Without Certification
(Secondary) - ESL Certificate
(Secondary) - Reading Certificate
(Secondary) - Special Education Certificate
Six (6) hours of the MA in Discipleship Required Curriculum serve as electives for the MA in Teaching Required Curriculum.

ELEMENTARY STUDY PLANS REQUIRED CURRICULUM

EC-6 Specialization (without certification)  

course

Credit hours

Academic Content

27

GSCI 5320 - Pedagogy of Science
EDUC 5318 - Pedagogy of Math
EDUC 5325 - Instructional Technology
MATH 5304 - Content Math I
READ 5302 - Scaffolding Literacy Instruction
READ 5335 - Pedagogy of Reading I (Phonics)
READ 5336 - Pedagogy of Reading II (Comprehension)
READ 5338 - Pedagogy of Language Arts
SOST 5340 - Pedagogy of Social Studies

Professional

9

EDUC 5303 - Developmental Stages of Early Childhood through Adolescence
EDUC 5315 - Introduction to Designing Instruction
EDUC 5316 - Studies in Classroom Management, Instruction, and Assessment

Required
EDUC 6010 - Defense of Degree

0

Master of Arts in Teaching (Elementary) ESL Certificate

course

Credit hours

Academic Specialization

15

ESLS 5301 - Second Language Acquisition
ESLS 5304 - Methods in Teaching ESL
ESLS 5306 - Content Area Language Proficiency Skills
ESLS 5308 - Multicultural and Multilingual Learning Environments
Select one of the following:
ESLS 5312 - Practicum for State Certification (S-L)
ESLS 5314 - Practicum in ESL/EFL Settings (S-L)

Professional Area

9

EDUC 5315 - Introduction to Designing Instruction
EDUC 6302 - Research in Education (S-L)
EDUC 6308 - The School and Multicultural Society

Professional Area (one course is non-credit)

6

EDUC 5303 - Developmental Stages Early Childhood Through Adolescence
EDUC 6010 - Defense of Degree
EDUC 6306 - Curriculum Design and Evaluation

Master of Arts in Teaching (Elementary) Reading Certificate

course

Credit hours

Academic Specialization

15

READ 5010 - Master Reading Teacher Seminar
READ 5302 - Scaffolding Literacy Instruction
READ 5332 - Reading: Diagnosing and Correcting Reading Difficulties with Clinical Experience (S-L)
READ 6301 - Specialized Reading Assessment and Instruction
READ 5338 - Pedagogy of Language Arts
READ 6335 - Curriculum and Instruction in Reading

Professional Area

9

EDUC 5315 - Introduction to Designing Instruction
EDUC 6302 - Research in Education (S-L)
EDUC 6308 - The School and Multicultural Society

Resource Area (one course is non-credit)

9

EDUC 5303 - Developmental Stages Early Childhood Through Adolescence
EDUC 5320 - Teaching the Underachiever
EDUC 6010 - Defense of Degree
EDUC 6306 - Curriculum Design and Evaluation

Master of Arts in Teaching (Elementary) Special Education Certificate

course

Credit hours

Academic Specialization

15

SPED 5310 - Introduction to Exceptional Learners
SPED 5320 - Teaching the Underachiever
SPED 5330 - Pedagogy of Special Education
SPED 5332 - Diagnosing and Correcting Reading Difficulties with Clinical Experience
SPED 5333 - Clinical Experiences in Correcting Reading Difficulties (S-L)
SPED 4010 - Special Education Seminar

Professional Area

9

EDUC 6302 - Research in Education (S-L)
EDUC 6304 - Improvement of Instruction
EDUC 6308 - The School and Multicultural Society

Resource Area (one course is non-credit)

6

EDUC 5303 - Developmental Stages Early Childhood Through Adolescence
EDUC 6010 - Defense of Degree
EDUC 6306 - Curriculum Design and Evaluation

SECONDARY STUDY PLANS REQUIRED CURRICULUM

Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary) Non-Certified

course

Credit hours

Academic Specialization

15

EDUC 5316 - Studies in Classroom Management, Instruction, and Assessment
EDUC 6308 - The School and Multicultural Society
READ 5302 - Scaffolding Literacy Instruction
READ 5338 - Pedagogy of Language Arts

Professional Area

12

EDUC 5303 - Developmental Stages of Early Childhood Through Adolescence
EDUC 5315 - Introduction to Designing Instruction
EDUC 6302 - Research in Education (S-L)
EDUC 6306 - Curriculum Design and Evaluation

Resource Area (one course is non-credit)

6

EDUC 5310 - Introduction to Exceptional Learners
EDUC 5320 - Teaching the Underachiever
EDUC 6010 - Defense of Degree

Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary) ESL Certificate

course

Credit hours

Academic Specialization

15

ESLS 5301 - Second Language Acquisition
ESLS 5304 - Methods in Teaching ESL
ESLS 5306 - Content Area Language Proficiency Skills
ESLS 5308 - Multicultural and Multilingual Learning Environments

ESLS 5312 - Practicum for State Certification (S-L)
or
ESLS 5314 - Practicum in ESL/EFL Settings (S-L)

Professional Area

12

EDUC 5303 - Developmental Stages of Early Childhood Through Adolescence
EDUC 5315 - Introduction to Designing Instruction
EDUC 6302 - Research in Education (S-L)
EDUC 6308 - The School and Multicultural Society

Resource Area (one course is non-credit)

6

EDUC 5310 - Introduction to Exceptional Learners
EDUC 5320 - Teaching the Underachiever
EDUC 6010 - Defense of Degree

Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary) Reading Certificate

course

Credit hours

Academic Specialization

15

Students may choose from the following courses: 
READ 5332 - Reading: Diagnosing and Correcting Reading Difficulties with Clinical Experience (S-L)
READ 6301 - Specialized Reading Assessment and Instruction
READ 6330 - Foundations of Reading
READ 5337 - Pedagogy of Reading III (Literature and Visual Representation)
READ 6335 - Curriculum and Instruction in Reading

Professional Area

12

EDUC 5303 - Developmental Stages of Early Childhood Through Adolescence
EDUC 6302 - Research in Education (S-L)
EDUC 6304 - Improvement of Instruction
EDUC 6308 - The School and Multicultural Society

Resource Area (one course is non-credit)

6

SPED 5310 - Introduction to Exceptional Learners
SPED 5320 - Teaching the Underachiever
EDUC 6010 - Defense of Degree

Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary) Special Education Certificate

course

Credit hours

Academic Specialization

12

SPED 5310 - Introduction to Exceptional Learners

SPED 5330 - Pedagogy of Special Education

SPED 5332 - Diagnosing and Correcting Reading Difficulties with Clinical Experience

SPED 5333 - Clinical Experiences in Correcting Reading Difficulties (S-L)

SPED 4010 - Special Education Seminar

Professional Area

9

EDUC 5303 - Developmental Stages of Early Childhood Through Adolescence

EDUC 6302 - Research in Education (S-L)

EDUC 6304 - Improvement of Instruction

Resource Area (one course is non-credit)

9

EDUC 5320 - Teaching the Underachiever

EDUC 6010 - Defense of Degree

EDUC 6306 - Curriculum Design and Evaluation

EDUC 6308 - The School and Multicultural Society

TOTAL HOURS

 30 hours

MA in Discipleship Required Curriculum

 30 hours

MA in Teaching Required Curriculum

 60 hours

TOTAL Dual Degree (excluding prerequisites)

(S-L)=Course(s) with field-based service-learning component.

Refer to individual course descriptions for course requisites.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Find course descriptions by category under the Graduate Course Descriptions section in the navigation panel.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION GRADUATE DEFENSE OF DEGREE

Because of Dallas Baptist University’s quest for meaningful assessment of graduate candidates, a defense of degree is required in all College of Education Graduate Programs. The defense of degree is a capstone collection of signature assessments and artifacts with reflections that demonstrate a candidate’s personal growth, development, and acquisition of knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

A digital format will be utilized by the candidate to enhance the presentation and to justify why the degree should be awarded to the candidate. The candidate’s formal defense will be presented to members of the Educator Preparation Board and will take place on the main campus each semester.

It is recommended that candidates attend a Defense of Degree workshop held each semester. It is also the candidate’s responsibility to schedule a meeting with their designated program director who will provide additional information regarding objectives, service-learning, artifacts, reflections, presentation format, and evaluative criteria and scoring.

Candidates must register for the Defense of Degree course as prescribed in their degree plan during the semester in which they will present their defense of degree to the Educator Preparation Board. The EPB is a group of experienced and widely successful educators from Dallas Baptist University and the Metroplex. Practicing teachers, administrators, consultants, superintendents, guidance directors, personnel directors, and Educational Region Service Center personnel, as well as DBU professors and administrators, volunteer their time for this highly selective process. The Educator Preparation Board serves as the College of Education Graduate Programs’ advisory board and meets three times a year to assess graduate candidates’ defense of degrees.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION GRADUATE E-PORTFOLIO

Dallas Baptist University’s educator preparation programs strive to provide a quality learning experience that enables all candidates to impact EC-12 learning. The E-Portfolio is designed to be an individualized collection of documents to prepare the candidate for future positions; demonstrate the candidate’s ongoing knowledge, skills, experiences, and dispositions; and provide the candidate with the opportunity for self-reflection. All graduate candidates are required to compile and maintain an electronic, developmental E-Portfolio. There are three types of documents that must be included in the E-Portfolio: required documents, foundational elements, and competency artifacts. Throughout the program, the candidate will collect these documents and upload them to their designed TaskStream account.

The organization of E-Portfolio is governed by the State Board of Educator Certification standards and competencies, DBU/InTASC competencies, and DBU’s Educator Preparation Provider competencies in addition to specific field of study competencies.

The E-Portfolio will be used to assess your development as you proceed through your designated program. Candidates who do not have all required documents and “signature assessments” uploaded into TaskStream will not be allowed to proceed to the next level as designed by these Transition Points:

  • Transition Point One: Requirements for Program Admission

  • Transition Point Two: Requirements for Program Entrance

  • Transition Point Three: Requirements for Program Continuance

  • Transition Point Four: Requirements for Program Completion

  • Transition Point Five: Requirements for Program Evaluation

It is the candidates’ responsibility to meet with their designed program director and/or advisor to discuss the E-Portfolio required documents, checkpoint scoring, foundational elements rubric, and the competency artifacts rubric.