Self Designed Master's Degree (M.A. or M.Ed.)

* NOTE: To complete these 15 credits, students may combine: up to 6 transfer credits, five 3-credit independent study courses (GSDMD 6003), or up to five 3-credit non-SDMD Lesley courses, all under the approval of their Faculty Advisor.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

GSDMD 5011
Ways of Knowing: How We Make Meaning
Ways of Knowing is a course in philosophy providing a framework for exploring western epistemology as one characteristic way of knowing. We will question whether the western paradigm is the only way to configure reality, and if investigating the  world through other lenses can also lead to scientific understanding, deep analysis, and rich inquiry. This course is intended to deepen the student's academic depth, critical reflection, and cross-cultural understanding.

GSDMD 5012
People and Place: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Students design their Degree study plans, including topics and courses they will investigate during their program, relating this study to their own professional practice and academic goals. Students also develop an understanding of interdisciplinary study through readings, discussions, case studies, and graduate-level writing and research.

GSDMD 6003
Self Designed
Students work with their faculty advisor to design a 3-credit independent study that supports their Degree Plan. Components may include reading, research, creative and experiential academic activities.

GSDMD 6032
Graduate Research and Writing
This course prepares students to write at a graduate level, in their fields of study. It covers the writing process and writing activities that promote mastery in the humanities, the social sciences, and the sciences, including skills in online research, critical thinking, analysis, and reflection, and integrating scholarly sources into students' writing. Writing assignments and exercises throughout the semester culminate in a final paper in the student's discipline.

GSDMD 6127
Research Methods
This course is designed to support graduate students in developing advanced research and inquiry skills. It gives students a deep background in graduate research, its methodologies, its challenges and its organization, including for creative or arts-based presentations. Students will prepare, refine, and demonstrate a range of research tools which will equip them to plan and organize their research, as well as clearly communicate their findings. (prerequisites GSDMD 5011; GSDMD 5012; GSDMD 6032)

GSDMD 7001
Praxis: Integrating Theory into Practice
Taken in the student's penultimate semester, Praxis works to deepen the student's inquiry skills while they design their Thesis Proposal, and begin writing their literature review and proposed thesis chapter. Students demonstrate competency in interviewing technique, hermeneutic research, and qualitative/quantitative data gathering techniques, as they assess their prior learning, reflect on the relationship of that learning to current and planned professional practice, and construct their thesis proposal. (prerequisites GSDMD 5011; GSDMD 5012; GSDMD 6032; GSDMD 6127)

GSDMD 7500
Thesis
This course is intended to help students in constructing the culminating thesis/project of their SDMD master's degree. This course will review graduate-level research methodology, interviewing skills, thesis formatting and mechanics, the responsibilities of second readers and team members, the use of critical reflection, and the construction of a proper "thesis" and "argument." Students will be engaged with faculty and peer review to investigate and narrow the focus of their work. (enrolled SDMD students only)