Who should enroll in this option?
The MAS in Assessment – Writing Option degree is appropriate for communications professionals with undergraduate degrees who work with youth in non-profit organizations in improving and assessing their literacy skills; and literacy educators, K – 16, with undergraduate degrees who need an advanced degree with a writing assessment specialty (literacy coaches, community college and university writing assessors, educators fulfilling leadership roles in developing collaborative teaching projects, curriculum design, and professional development offerings related to improved literacy instruction).

What are the admission requirements?
To be admitted to graduate studies at Missouri Western State University, an applicant must complete an Application for Graduate Admission. Admission to graduate programs at Missouri Western State University is based upon the following:

1. A bachelor’s degree or master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. A minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA).
3. Minimum graduate-level entrance exam score, as designated by the department or graduate program.
4. Resumė, letters of recommendation, and interview as required by the admitting program.
5. Degree-seeking students admitted to a graduate program must enroll and begin classes at Missouri Western State University within one academic year after receiving official notice of acceptance from the Graduate Office.
6. Applicants who are not citizens of the United States must receive a score of 550 or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), unless the applicant is from a country where English is the native language or they possess a baccalaureate degree from a college or university in which the primary language of instruction was English.
7. Admission to the MAS in Assessment – Writing Option degree program requires that applicants have at least two years experience in teaching and/or working with youth or non-readers in a literacy program. They must also successfully complete the first 600-level course in the Writing Option: ENG or EDU 610 Invitational Institute. Upon completion of the Invitational Institute, they may apply for admission to the MAS in Assessment – Writing Option by submitting a portfolio of their writings, a video tape or summary/synopsis of their inquiry demonstration lesson from the Invitational Institute, letters of recommendation from their employer; and then complete an interview with the Writing Option graduate selection committee.

How do I apply?
Fill out an application online. For more information, contact the Graduate School
or the Prairie Lands Writing Project Office.

How is this different from a traditional master’s degree?
The MAS in Assessment degree at Missouri Western State University is unique because of the applied nature of its curriculum. The program provides opportunities for participants to write, revise, share feedback, and reflect on their own writing and teaching of writing and use writing as a means of improving and assessing student learning.

Why is it important to gain expertise in assessment and data-driven decision-making?
In “A Decade of Standards” in Teacher Magazine, Lynn Olson stated that “When teachers collaborate to really examine the quality of student work, and what students are or are not learning, and readjust their teaching accordingly, then I think we’re seeing standards-based education the way it should be.” The process she is describing is well on its way to becoming an established piece within many teacher education programs and is usually described as learning by examining student (K-12) work samples. In fact, Missouri Western State University has been recognized by NCATE as excelling in this work as we have been one of only four institutions in the nation asked to present in national workshops for four years in a row. Classroom teachers and literacy providers need a more rigorous program and extended time for learning the habits of mind, contextual influences, research methods, and resources available in order to master this very important work of making data driven decisions at the classroom, building, and district level. The Masters of Applied Science in Assessment – Writing Option is uniquely designed to provide the kind of graduate-level applied education that will equip teachers and literacy providers to master 21st century challenges of assessment and improvement.

What about scholarships/fellowships?
National Writing Project grant funds provide full tuition waivers for participants accepted into ENG/EDU 610 Invitational Institute (i.e. six graduate credits – no charge). Additionally, partial fee waivers reducing fees to $75 per credit hour for classroom teachers may be available. For more information, contact the Graduate School or the Prairie Lands Writing Project Office.

When are classes held?
Classes will be scheduled to accommodate teachers and literacy providers who may already be engaged in full-time employment.

Do I have the option of full- or part-time?
Most students should plan to complete the degree within five academic semesters or less, taking 3-9 credits of course work each semester. A minimum of 33 total credits are needed for degree completion. Enrollment is considered full-time when taking 9 credits per semester. 

Where are classes held?
Core courses will be held on the main campus of Missouri Western State University in Murphy Hall. Required Writing Option courses will be held at MWSU; some elective offerings may be offered off-campus.

Who teaches the courses in this option?
Most courses required of this graduate degree program will be taught by full-time Ph.D. faculty members approved for graduate faculty status by Missouri Western State University. It is anticipated that adjunct graduate faculty may be used to teach selected applied and professional courses, and will be required to meet established university criteria for graduate faculty status. Additionally, faculty teaching courses in the Writing Option must be certified as National Writing Project Teacher Consultants.