PACE Master's Degree Program of Study
The program requires the completion of at least 45 credits, which includes at minimum:
- ELP professional studies core (16 credits)
- Thematic specialization (20-22 credits)
- Electives (7-9 credits)
- Culminating experience (4 credits)
Students have considerable flexibility in shaping their thematic specialization and elective course work in consultation with a faculty advisor.
Courses are delivered in a variety of formats including on campus, hybrid, and online. Classes on campus are held in the evenings (4:00 to 6:30pm or 6:40 to 9:20pm) and weekends. Summer courses are offered both during the day and in the evening. For up-to-date schedules and full course descriptions, see the most current PSU Bulletin or visit the class schedule online at the ELP homepage, www.pdx.edu/elp.
Professional studies core (16 credits required)
Students may complete the professional studies core at any point in their program. However, it is recommended that students complete ELP 520 and ELP 511 as early as possible.
Foundations of Education (4 credits each)
- ELP 551 Social Foundations of Education
OR - ELP 554 Philosophy of Education
Research and Evaluation (4 credits)
- ELP 511 Principles of Educational Research and Data Analysis I
Organizational Systems (4 credits)
- ELP 568 Educational Organization and Administration
Adult Development (4 credits)
- ELP 520 Developmental Perspectives on Adult Learning
Thematic specializations (20-22 credits)
The Thematic Specializations are to serve as a learning guide in assisting students with focusing and developing their program. They are not intended to be prescriptive. As such, working with their advisor students may choose one theme or combine courses from a variety of themes.
- Higher Education and Organizational Change Theme
- Adult Learning and Development Theme
- Student Services Theme
- Training and Development Theme
- Service-Learning Theme
Electives (7-9 credits)
Elective credits should be related to the student's overall program and selected in collaboration with an advisor. Students may enroll in graduate-level courses from within the Graduate School of Education or other departments within Portland State University. Students may also engage in independent study.
Students might consider some of the following courses as electives:
Foundations of Education
- ELP 552 History of Education
- ELP 553 History of American Education
- ELP 555 Gender and Education
- ELP 556 The Urban School and At-Risk Status
- ELP 557 Cultural Pluralism and Urban Education
Research and Evaluation
- ELP 512 Principles of Educational Research and Data Analysis II
- ELP 513 Principles of Educational Research and Data Analysis III
- ELP 514 Educational Measurement
- ELP 515 Program Evaluation
Organizational Systems
- ELP 558 Educational Leadership
- ELP 563 Human Relations in Educational Organizations
- ELP 561 Staff Development
Other electives: Students may also be interested in courses offered by other PSU academic units including the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy—conflict management and ethics, applied linguistics, and speech communication); the College of Urban Public Affairs; and the School of Business Administration. In addition, the Intercultural Communications Institute offers summer workshops and seminars: 503-297-4622, www.intercultural.org.
Self-Directed Learning Credit (Independent Study)
Students may work with faculty to design a self-directed learning experience. Most students engage in independent study after they have completed at least 20 credits of course work. At this point, specific learning needs and interests may be identified. Students might engage in research, program evaluation, practicum, internship, special project, or reading and conference on selected topics. For more information, contact your faculty advisor or instructor.
Culminating experience (4 credits minimum)
Candidates for the Master's degree with a specialization in Postsecondary, Adult & Continuing Education must select, in consultation with their faculty advisor, one of two culminating experiences: comprehensive examination or thesis.
The majority of students complete the comprehensive exam, which involves a professionally grounded theory-to-practice project formally contextualized in the research literature. The thesis requires an oral exam in addition to the written product and is likely to significantly extend a student's time to completion.
Comprehensive exam option
The comprehensive exam is a projected-based experience that requires enrollment in ELP 507: PACE Comps (4 credits), taken as Pass/No Pass and offered only during fall and spring terms. Students should have completed a minimum of 35 credits, including the Professional Studies Core, before enrolling in the course. The ELP 507: PACE Comp course will meet 4 to 6 times during the term to help guide students through the completion of their project or in-depth paper. Students will present their projects/paper orally in the final meeting(s) of the course. Further options and guidelines for completing the comprehensive examination process will be discussed in the class.
Thesis option
The thesis option requires enrollment in 6-9 credits of ELP 503: Thesis. The thesis is likely to require 2-4 quarters of additional work before completion of the program. This also requires the appointment of a Thesis Committee of two tenure-track faculty, one of whom must be from the ELP Department, and a faculty member appointed by the Office of Graduate Studies. Visit the Office of Graduate Studies website for thesis guidelines.
For information about the 18-credit PACE graduate certificate programs, please visit www.pdx.edu/elp/pace-graduate-certificates.
