Field-Based Graduate Programs (MEd & CAGS)

The Field-based Graduate Program in Education offers a Master of Education degree and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in education. It is centered on excellence in teaching and promotes intellectual development, empowerment and social responsibility in a supportive environment.

This is a part-time program designed for educators working in the field who wish to improve their professional practices. The program takes place off campus in school communities, often in rural settings, as we believe that the professional educator’s working environment is a vital center of learning. Graduate courses are taught in condensed weekend formats by faculty members who are known for their expertise in a variety of professional positions in the field of education. Students must be practicing educators to be admitted to the program.

The program's constructivist philosophy allows students the flexibility to create a focus and develop greater expertise at any level, from elementary to high school and beyond. Program instructors provide the most current and best research and practice for students, who may immediately apply them to their classroom and school needs. This individualization allows educators to match the program’s content to school-specific needs and cultures. All courses and program activities occur off-site in cohort models, where area professional educators work together over a period of several years. The networking and collegial support for ensuring ongoing culture-specific change and improvement often continues even after the graduate degree or certificate is completed. An Action Research Practicum replaces the traditional graduate thesis.

The Field-based Graduate Program in Education currently has locations in Highgate, Northfield, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, Lyndon, Shaftsbury, Waterbury, Williamstown and White River Junction, Vt., and Colegio Ingles and Colegio Euroamericano, both private English-inclusion schools in Monterrey, Mexico. A new site or cohort is created when a need is identified in a particular geographic location. A minimum of 15 educators interested in pursuing their Master of Education degrees and/or advanced graduate certificates is required for the creation of a new cohort.