Interpretation Emphasis MA
The School of Education also offers a Master of Arts in Education with an emphasis in site interpretation. This degree program provides students with advanced study in the field of site interpretation. This highly specialized communication process is used in museums, open-air museums, historic sites, nature centers, art galleries, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, tourism, and eco-tourism. The education foundation of this degree, coupled with access to the University owned and operated resources of the Historic Daniel Boone Home & Heritage Center, a national historic site, prepares graduates for positions in program development, management, planning, and curriculum design for interpretive facilities. This is a highly competitive field, and this program is designed to prepare qualified candidates with a foundation in theory and hands-on application.
Requirements
Students in the Master of Arts in Education with interpretation emphasis are required to take a minimum of 36 credit hours. The degree requirements include a 12 credit education core, a 15 credit Interpretation core and 9 credit hours of elective coursework selected by the student and advisor, with approval from the school dean.
Education Core
Interpretation Core
Plus six credits from the following courses:
Electives
The remaining 9 credits are selected by the student and advisor with the final plan of study reviewed and approved by the Dean. Electives are selected from a variety of disciplines to support the student’s focus. Recommended courses include but are not limited to NPA 53000 Volunteer Management, NPA 55000 Management of Nonprofit Organizations, and NPA 57100 Grant Writing. Students are required to produce a viable research paper or project approved by faculty advisor and the Dean.
Students will have the option to apply for professional certification through the National Association for Interpreters (NAI) as a Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG), Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP), Certified Heritage Interpreter (CHI), Certified Interpretive Manager (CIM), or Certified Interpretive Trainer (CIT). Students who have received certification from NAI through previous training may apply for up to 9 transfer credit hours upon completion of a proficiency evaluation and submission of documentation.