College of Education

Mission
Application
Advising
Summary of Costs
Hold for Credit

Mission of the Program

Preparation for teaching has been a part of Doane’s mission since its founding in 1872. In the early 1880s, President David Brainerd Perry created, at the request of a group of students, a teacher education program. Over the years, Doane has been recognized as one of the outstanding universities in teacher education. That commitment to be on the cutting edge of teacher preparation continues today and now includes an exemplary graduate program for practicing professionals.

The graduate experience, which offers degrees in Curriculum and Instruction, School Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Educational Leadership, Education Specialist, and Doctorate of Education consists of courses and supervised field experiences, and is designed to develop and enhance the knowledge, attitude, and skills of participants. Faculty of the Doane University College of Education believe all educational professionals are lifelong learners.

Mission of the Unit:

Learn. Challenge. Empower. Transform.

Belief Statements:

The College of Education of Doane University is a community that pursues and celebrates excellence. In this pursuit:

We foster a vibrant intellectual community that values learning, collaboration, curiosity, inquiry and scholarship.
We create connections and meaningful relationships.
We cultivate a culture where all individuals are affirmed, challenged, and empowered.
We advocate for diversity, equity and service through the support of socially just policies and practices.
We promote the process of development and honor the journey that is individually and systemically transformative.

Application Procedure

Doane University welcomes applications from all qualified individuals who wish to pursue study in the Graduate Studies in Education department. Such students must complete an application form and pay a $30.00 application fee before beginning the first 600-900-level course. This application processing fee is not refundable and does not apply toward tuition. Submitting incomplete or false information is grounds for denial or subsequent dismissal.

Advising

The Advising Office is housed on the Lincoln campus. Program directors for each graduate program provide advising services and assist students in developing programs of study, monitoring progress in the program, and assisting with program changes. Curriculum and Instruction advisers go to the class sites each semester for graduate advising and students are encouraged to contact their advisers at any time with questions or concerns. Much advising in the Curriculum and Instruction and endorsement programs is done through e-mail and phone conferences as students are at numerous locations throughout the state. Adjunct and resident faculty also refer Curriculum and Instruction students to the graduate office or the dean’s office when students have questions in their classes. In addition, students may review their academic program through Doane’s Student Self-Service which is available 24/7.

Curriculum and Instruction students enrolled in EDU 603 - Research Methods (3) will register for EDU 604 - Culminating Project (3) with the same professor the following semester. The Research Methods professor serves as the adviser for the culminating project completed in EDU 604 . Students cannot register for both EDU 603 and EDU 604 during the same semester unless these courses are specifically offered as a six hour block.

Educational Leadership, Education Specialist, and Doctorate students are advised by the respective program directors in one-on-one conversations during the regular class sessions in informal question and answer periods, by pre-arranged office visits before or after class, and by e-mail or phone consultations. In addition, each Education Leadership student is advised at their school site visits each semester for program and career advice.

The College of Education Graduate Office will monitor degree-seeking Curriculum and Instruction and School Counseling students completing 9 hours of credit with B- or better in each course for full graduate standing. Students in the Educational Leadership program must complete EDL 675 and either EDL 680 , or EDL 682 with a B or better for full graduate standing. Education Specialist students must complete the first nine hours of the program with a B or better for full graduate standing.

Initial Program at the Advanced Level for Certification students are also advised by the director of the program. These students must be admitted to teacher education (see the admissions requirements.) The director and the dean will present those students meeting the requirements to the teacher education committee. Letters will be mailed to the students when full graduate standing is granted.

Graduate Calendar

The graduate calendar for education consists of a fall and a spring term of 15 weeks each and one summer term with courses of varying lengths. Curriculum and Instruction and School Counseling courses during the fall and spring terms generally meet one evening a week. Summer term classes are scheduled during the day, with meeting times determined by the number of days the course meets. Educational Leadership, Education Specialist and Doctorate of Education courses meet primarily on the weekend, once a month. Unique schedule preferences of each site-based program are met by flexible scheduling.

Summary of Costs for the 2024-25 Academic Year

Tuition for graduate courses is due in full on or before the first day of class. Most courses have a textbook or a required set of materials. When materials are required for the course, a fee automatically is billed to the student and will be added directly to the student’s tuition bill for payment. Required textbooks must be ordered from eFollett at https://www.bkstr.com/doaneuniversitystore/home.

Master of Arts in Counseling Tuition (per credit hour) $484.00
Curriculum and Instruction & School Counseling Ground/Blended Tuition (per credit hour) $29.00
Curriculum and Instruction & School Counseling Online Tuition (per credit hour) $380.00
Educational Leadership Tuition (per credit hour) $360.00
Education Specialist Degree Tuition (per credit hour) $371.00
Doctorate of Education Tuition, 900-level courses (per credit hour) $540.00

Enrollment Fee - Education programs (non-refundable one-time fee for each emphasis) $30.00
Enrollment Fee - Master of Arts in Counseling (non-refundable one-time fee) $ 125.00
Online and Hybrid course technology fee* (per credit hour) $30.00
Late registration fee (adding after census day) $100.00
* Course designated Distance Learning are not charged the $30.00 course technology fee.

Charges at Doane University are reviewed at the conclusion of each academic year and are subject to change without notice. Some courses carry fees which vary from $5 to $50 per course.

Hold for Credit Policy

A Doane senior who completes requirements for the bachelor’s degree in December may receive up to 12 Doane University Master of Education credits taken during the summer term before his/her December completion. Permission to enroll in the summer term must be granted by the Dean of the College of Education, the Chairperson of the Education Department, and the student’s academic adviser. An incomplete grade notation (“I”) will be given at the end of the summer term in all of the graduate courses and will be replaced by the actual letter grades after the requirements for the bachelor’s degree are completed in December. If certification requirements are not completed, credit will not be granted and the “I” grade notations will change to “W” (withdrawal).

The following criteria will be used to determine if permission will be granted.

The student must have completed all coursework for the undergraduate degree, except for student teaching. Student teaching arrangements must be set for the fall semester.
The student must have extenuating circumstances that have made it impossible to complete requirements for graduation in May before the summer graduate classes are offered. These circumstances do not include change of major or the student’s optional delay in meeting all degree requirements.
The student must be able to show that delaying completion of graduate coursework until the following summer would cause extreme financial hardship to the student.
All tuition, materials, fees, and books for early graduate coursework must be paid in full by June 1 of the summer term.

This coursework is not eligible for graduate student financial aid. A student may be eligible for undergraduate aid in some instances.

Check with the Financial Aid Office in Crete for specific information regarding individual circumstances. NOTE: Courses taken before graduation may not transfer as graduate credit to other institutions.