MSSE is an intercollege, interdisciplinary and self-supporting program housed in the College of Letters and Science.  As such, it resides in its own department and reports directly to the Graduate School.  Direction for the program is provided by the MSSE Steering Committee which meets quarterly.  MSSE administration consists of a director and an associate director.  Program faculty are housed across four colleges and fourteen departments on the MSU campus.  

MSSE Organizational Chart

                                                            

                          Provost

                                                                            
 

College of Agriculture
LRES
PSPP
ARNR

College of Education
HHD


  
College of Letters & Science
Chem/Biochem
Microbiology
Physics
Ecology 
Earth Science 
Cell Biology & Neuroscience
Political Science

College of Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering   Computer Science

 

Extended University
MSU Online
NTEN
BTC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
         
   

MSSE

  

 

      
           

 
     Steering Committee

 

 

  

Mission

The mission of the Master of Science in Science Education (MSSE) program is to provide an exemplary, accessible, responsive, and student-centered science and applied science education master’s degree resulting in enhanced teaching and learning of science for educators and their students. 

Vision

MSSE promotes effective and innovative science teaching to a diverse community of science educators through the delivery of unique online and on-campus graduate courses designed specifically for science educators with a dual focus on content and pedagogy. 

Program Goals

  • To utilize the unique environment of Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to teach scientific principles and provide models of field-based instruction.  
  • To provide educators with experiences in using laboratory skills and/or field experiences to demonstrate scientific principles.
  • To increase educators’ knowledge and understanding in the scientific subject areas.
  • To improve educators’ practices through reflective techniques.
  • To increase educators’ knowledge of instructional skills and strategies.
  • To provide a safe, positive, supportive yet challenging learning environment for students.      
  • To create educator awareness of the strong commonalities and interrelationships among various science disciplines, applied sciences, and engineering.
  • To enhance the ability for educators to communicate research-based scientific knowledge and science/engineering practices. 
  • To create teacher-researchers through exposure to and engagement in emerging science education research.
  • To create a cadre of science teacher leaders who can actively participate in the systemic reform of science education at community, state, regional, national, and international levels.   

Values

Excellence – Strive to be an exceptional, adaptive, dynamic and rigorous program that results in high rates of successful completion and student satisfaction by utilizing best practices in teaching, learning, business, and customer service.

Service – Provide exemplary service that is professional, seamless, efficient, responsive, and prompt, that advocates for students, and that leads to open communication among students, staff, faculty, and administration. 

Opportunity – Improve opportunities and access to education through innovative modes of program and course delivery as well as flexible options for research focus.       

Diversity – Embrace diversity at all levels: student backgrounds and experiences, students’ settings and teaching assignments, faculty backgrounds, interdisciplinary curriculum options, individualized programs of study, and capstone opportunities.  

Learning – Encourage, promote, and model life-long learning through comprehensive long-term action research, field and laboratory experiences, exposure to cutting edge research and researchers, and innovative instructional strategies. 

Empowerment – Work to empower students, graduates, faculty, colleagues, and staff by providing, and promoting participation in, professional development and leadership opportunities such as presentations and/or representation at state and national conferences, assisting program faculty with research and instruction, mentoring/coaching new students and/or faculty, and serving on STEM related committees and boards at all levels.  

Community – Promote the development of a community of life-long learners by creating opportunities for networking through campus-based field/laboratory courses and the annual symposium; by connecting alumni and providing for post-graduation involvement; by maintaining the program’s interdisciplinary focus; by continued communication with program stakeholders; and by celebrating the success of students, graduates, staff, and faculty.