Accelerated Dual Degree for BA CI 0713 to MS STEM Education G845

Some history : A year ago, Issam Abi-El-Mon reached out to Jennie Kay and Jack Myers to see if we could do something like this and thankfully they and their fellow colleagues were all on board. There was no added new structure to be in place as the CS Department's current MA STEM structure would work well for such an accelerated degree (ADD) program.

Program structure: As the sixth of the 5 already existing ADD programs (MA STEM / Bio, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science and Math) , the new BA Computing/Informatics +MA STEM ADD program allows computer science majors to complete their computer science content during their 4 year bachelor degree. During their junior year they can announce their intent to matriculate into the MA STEM program. This would mean that they meet with our undergraduate math/ science education advisor – Ms. Michalina Zelazny to begin the planning process and be informed of the forms and requirements for matriculation into the MA STEM program.

Once the students meet with Ms. Michalina, they are set on path to address the requirements for matriculation which are:

1. Ensure that they are on the path of completing their bachelor degree in C& I

2. Ensure that they have a 3.0 overall GPA on their transcript upon completion of their undergraduate major

3. Ensure that they do and pass successfully the Praxis II state requirement test for Computer Science.

4. Ensure that they have completed one Adolescent Psych course during their undergraduate work and

5. Ensure that they have completed either  any one General Bio OR Nutrition OR Health &Wellness course

The undergrad requirements are state based requirements for certification so as a program, the CS Department needs to comply with these since it is the state that issues certification, NOT the program.

Matriculation into MA STEM begins in senior year where content majors can begin to take 4 of  the 12  MA STEM Graduate courses during their senior year (at an undergraduate tuition). MA STEM has a total number of 33 education based course credits (see attached program guides) which are to be completed for graduation from the graduate portion of the ADD program. Upon graduation, students receive their Masters in STEM Education , their teaching certification in Computer Science  and of course the Bachelor degree in C& I ( This is awarded prior to full matriculation i.e. the graduate portion of MA STEM)

 

**Current standing of program. ** This program will be, per curriculum policy officially launched and recognized by the university in Fall 2025 . However, the coming year will be used to address the state approval process, recruit candidates for the program, ensure enrollment numbers and ensure program infrastructure. For example, a computer science advisor (this person needs to be identified so that our advisor can communicate with them)  needs to communicate with our education advisor (Michalina) on possible students who may be interested in the program . The CS Department hopes to further collaborate on recruitment efforts so that we have a sufficient number (not less than 6 hopefully) of students willing to start this program . In effect, we hope that we can have a cohort of students ready to start the program as of Fall 2026. The graduate advisor of the ADD program would be Issam Abi-El-Mon, and he will oversee the students once they complete their full transition into the graduate portion of the program.