Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• WED AP 759: School Improvement Science and Implementation
  This course, "School Improvement Science and Implementation," is about the heart of the educational enterprise -- schools in which each and every student is intellectually and socially engaged, finds areas of interest and passion, feels known and cared for, and deserves a dignified next step. This is no easy task because the issues are complex. We will carefully examine ways in which collaboration -- within schools, and between practitioners, university researchers, and policy makers -- becomes a fundamental school improvement strategy. We will be guided by the work of Anthony Bryk et al, Charles Kenney, and by the experience and reflections of successful and respected school and school district leaders. We will examine the relationship between practice, research, and policy. There will be an emphasis on collaborative problem-solving in "networked improvement communities." We will carefully explore the history of education reform, and too often, education reform that fails to achieve its inspiring goals. We will work to create new knowledge that can interrupt the failure of school reform, particularly with students from low-income families.
• WED AP 760: Group Problem Solving
  Emphasizes collaborative models for clarifying and solving problems. Simulations, case studies, and field projects are used as sources of information. The aim is to help students diagnose and solve educational organization problems they have identified. 4cr, 2nd sem.
• WED AP 761: Organizational Analysis
  Students define and document organizational problems, identify positive and negative stakeholders, analyze possible problem causes using a range of theoretical frameworks, and examine alternative strategies for resolving or ameliorating the problem. 4 cr.
• WED AP 762: Advanced Budgeting, Finance and Labor Relations
  This course equips students with knowledge and skills needed to manage school finance, budgeting, labor and governance issues. Primarily through in-class case studies, supplemented by lectures, presentations, readings, assignments and other activities, students will learn about management and governance.
• WED AP 763: Community Analysis
  This seminar analyzes case studies of disadvantaged urban and indigenous communities emerging from crisis and violent conflict in North America and developing countries to explore how diverse partners-- businesses, universities, religious, governmental, non-governmental and community-based organizations-- can collaborate to provide educational, capacity-building and community development services. A Community Education Leadership requirement.4cr,Summer Term.
• WED AP 765: Education Politics: Local, State, and National
  Politics is about the way citizens in a town, city, state, nation decide to live together. This course is about the intersection of politics -- at the local, state, and federal level -- and the conduct of education in our schools.
• WED AP 771: Advanced Policy Seminar
  Graduate Prerequisites: application required. - Students use appropriate theories and methods to examine critically important policy issues in public and private education and in corporate training and development. Includes preparation for departmental comprehensive examination. Instructor permission required. 4 cr.
• WED AP 799: Educational Policy Studies Capstone
  This capstone provides an opportunity for students to apply methodological and content expertise acquired during coursework in the MA in Educational Policy Studies through direct experience with an organization within the field of educational or child policy or to conduct an independent research project with a faculty member on a relevant policy topic in the fields of education and child policy. The capstone consists of a research project that answers a policy research question relevant to a partner organization.
• WED AP 801: Professional Development Seminar
  Designed to assist students in making meaning of their assistantship, internship, or other field placement experiences in student affairs or academic affairs administration. Aligning experiential learning (jobs, assistantships, and internships) with academic courses, this course helps students apply theory to practice and prepare them for future administrative roles in higher education. Students apply theory to practice to prepare for future administrative roles in higher education. Part I: Institutional types and functional areas, practice self- management, analyze socialization practices, and examine professional competencies, standards, and associations. Part II: Implementation of professional development plans, preparation for the job search, supervision styles and skills, professional evaluations and feedback. 2 cr, May be repeated.
• WED AP 802: Practicum/Apprenticeship/Internship: Principals (Pre-K-6)
  Graduate Prerequisites: Completion of 16 credits of coursework required for initial licensure. - 600 hours of supervised clinical experience in the role of a principal/assistant principal (300 hours/4 credits per semester, for two semesters). Through such a residency, students will assume responsibility for both routine activities and special assignments encompassing the four Massachusetts administrative leadership standards: Instructional Leadership, Management and Operations, Family and Community Engagement, and Professional Culture. ' During each monthly seminar session, students will reflect on their activities and, in collaboration with the seminar leader, track their mastery of each standard and indicator. Open only to candidates for Massachusetts licensure as a principal/assistant principal who have completed at least 16 credits of coursework for initial licensure. 4 cr.
• WED AP 803: Practicum/Apprenticeship/Internship: Principals (5-8)
  Graduate Prerequisites: Completion of 16 credits of coursework required for initial licensure. - Practicum and Seminar: Principal/Assistant Principal (5-8) 600 hours of supervised clinical experience the role of a principal/assistant principal (300 hours/4 credits per semester, for two semesters). Through such a residency, students will assume responsibility for both routine activities and special assignments encompassing the four Massachusetts administrative leadership standards: Instructional Leadership, Management and Operations, Family and Community Engagement, and Professional Culture. 'During each monthly seminar session, students will reflect on their activities and, in collaboration with the seminar leader, track their mastery of each standard and indicator. Open only to candidates for Massachusetts licensure as a principal/assistant principal who have completed at least 16 credits of coursework for initial licensure. 4 cr.
• WED AP 804: Practicum/Apprenticeship/Internship: Principals (9-12)
  Graduate Prerequisites: Completion of 16 credits of coursework required for initial licensure. - Practicum and Seminar: Principal/Assistant Principal (9-12) 600 hours of supervised clinical experience the role of a principal/assistant principal (300 hours/4 credits per semester, for two semesters). Through such a residency, students will assume responsibility for both routine activities and special assignments encompassing the four Massachusetts administrative leadership standards: 'Instructional Leadership, Management and Operations, Family and Community Engagement, and Professional Culture. 'During each monthly seminar session, students will reflect on their activities and, in collaboration with the seminar leader, track their mastery of each standard and indicator. Open only to candidates for Massachusetts licensure as a principal/assistant principal who have completed at least 16 credits of coursework for initial licensure. '4 cr.
• WED AP 805: Practicum/Apprenticeship/Internship: Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent
  Graduate Prerequisites: Completion of 16 credits of coursework required for initial licensure. - 600 hours of a superintendent/assistant (300 hours/4 credits per semester, for two semesters). Through such a residency, students will assume responsibility for both routine activities and special assignments encompassing the four Massachusetts administrative leadership standards: Instructional Leadership, Management and Operations, Family and Community Engagement, and Professional Culture. During each monthly seminar session, students will reflect on their activities and, in collaboration with the seminar leader, track their mastery of each standard and indicator. Open only to candidates for Massachusetts licensure as a superintendent/assistant superintendent who have completed at least 16 credits of coursework for initial licensure. Graduate Prereq: Completion of 16 credits of coursework required for initial licensure. 4 cr.
• WED AP 810: Prepracticum/Internship Seminar
  Students review current research on effective schooling and develop lans to complete the requirements for certification. Requires 75 hours of prepracticum field experience.
• WED AP 811: Practicum/Internship Seminar
  Required concurrently with the practicum to complete evaluation of competencies and synthesize theory and practice; for principal and superintendent/assistant superintendent certification candidates.
• WED AP 820: Clinical Practice: Principal/Assistant Principal
  Open to the matriculated graduate student who has already attained advanced provisional certification as a principal or an assistant principal and seeks standard certification. Minimum 400 hours required.
• WED AP 900: Independent Study
  Graduate Prerequisites: Open to matriculated graduate degree and certificate candidates who ha ve completed three or more semester courses. - Prereq: Approval of advisor. Signed plan of study must be submitted in advance of registration on an Independent study form obtained from the SED Office of Records. Variable cr.
• WED AP 996: DISSERTATION DEVELOPMENT 1
  This course introduces doctoral students to the elements of dissertation, focusing on the Introduction, Literature Review, and Methodology chapters. (For EdD cohort students, only.)
• WED AP 997: DISSERTATION DEVELOPMENT 2
  This is the second course in a three-course sequence. This course focuses on strengthening the proposal, designing a study, and preparing to conduct research. (For EdD doctoral students, only.)
• WED AP 998: Proposal Development Seminar
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SEDAP771) SED AP 771, two research courses, passed comprehensive examination. St amped approval required. - A required group seminar for doctoral students examining the dissertation process and applying principles of research design in developing the doctoral research prospectus. 4cr, 2nd sem.