Graduate Programs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you give me some background on St. Cloud State University?
Why pursue a master's degree?
What does St. Cloud State University have to offer a graduate student?
What are the program goals and objectives?
What types of facilities are available?
What degree options do I have?
What type of internship/practicum experience will I receive?
What are the program requirements?
What type of financial assistance is available?
How long will it take to complete the program?
Can I transfer graduate credits?
How long do I have to complete my program?
What employment opportunities are available?
How do I apply?
Can I take graduate courses if I am not admitted to a program?
Can you give me some background on St. Cloud State University?
St. Cloud State University was founded in 1869 and is located in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The campus displays a blend of classic and modern architecture, and is landscaped to provide students with the benefits of both country life and city excitement. The campus is bordered on one side by the Mississippi River and on the other by the city of St. Cloud. With a population of more than 50,000, St. Cloud is a hub of trade and employment for Central Minnesota. Students have the opportunity to experience a comfortable campus life, enjoy the spectacular lakes and forests of Minnesota, and experience the excitement of Minneapolis and St. Paul, located 70 miles southeast of St. Cloud.
Current employment trends indicate that a master's degree gives students a decided edge in their careers. Often a master's degree is the difference between having a job and having a career.
Consider the following:
- The average salary of those with a graduate degree is 32 percent higher than the average salary of those with an undergraduate degree.*
- Employment opportunities for persons with master's degrees continue to grow with our changing economy.
- Employers recognize that graduates take initiative and responsibility.
- Graduate students are recognized as those who understand the need to keep pace with changing workplace demands.
- Persons with a master's degree often have a higher level of satisfaction with all aspects of life.
- Graduate studies provide an excellent opportunity for networking.
- Master's programs provide a stepping stone to doctoral programs.
*Source: US Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, series P70-32.
What does St. Cloud State University have to offer a graduate student?
St. Cloud State is a multi-purpose and comprehensive university with more than 15,000 students and 800 faculty. Graduate enrollment exceeds 2,000 students. SCSU offers graduate programs in five colleges: Business, Education, Fine Arts and Humanities, Science and Engineering, and Social Sciences.
SCSU's programs are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and all programs are reviewed on a regular basis by professional accrediting organizations. St. Cloud State offers programs and facilities designed to integrate your educational needs with your professional needs. The graduate programs are high in quality and responsive to the working professional as well as those students who enter their professions after graduating. The university offers a wide range of options and allows for considerable flexibility in programs and delivery. Both teaching and research are emphasized. You will enjoy the attention of dedicated professors and the disciplined knowledge necessary to stay in tune with changes in you profession.
SCSU's Learning Resources and Technology Services located in the Miller Center is excellent, combining the benefits of media access, computer labs, and the library.
Sixty percent of full-time graduate students receive an assistantship and each student is encouraged to participate in an internship or practicum experience prior to graduation. In addition we work hard to see that students graduate within a reasonable amount of time with a maximum of knowledge and skills.
What are the program goals and objectives?
Three graduate tracks have been developed around the relationship between communication and information, with students specializing in programs designed to meet their professional needs.
Information media is a term that blends content areas of visual literacy, communication theory, learning theory message design/delivery, materials management, audiovisual education, theory and practice of librarianship, and human resource development. The Center for Information Media/Learning Resources and Technology Services program was identified as one of the top five exemplary learning resource programs for "comprehensive universities and colleges in the nation" by a study funded and published by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. As part of the College of Education, the programs in the Center for Information Media are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
What types of facilities are available?
Housed in the SCSU Miller Center library, the Center for Information Media has access to all of the facilities of the new library, including state of the art classrooms and computer labs.
What degree options do I have?
Information Technologies (Track I)
This track is designed to develop competencies leading to careers in information technologies (e.g. information specialist, library or educational technologist, school technology coordinator) for business, government and educational settings. Depending on emphasis, this program develops competencies in theory, practice and application of electronic technologies including selection, evaluation, acquisition, processing, and management of information materials and resources.
Educational Media (Track II)
This program of study incorporates all the competency requirements leading to Minnesota licensure as a school library media specialist. Courses include training in the general areas of library media management, technological applications in teaching and learning, and instructional development and production. The program builds on basic skills and competencies required for teaching.
Instructional Design and Training (Track III)
This track is designed for those interested in careers in human performance, technology and training management in business, industry, government, and health fields. It offers a curriculum for those seeking competencies in problem analysis, program development, resources management, and performance improvement. Around a basic framework of training and development, the program seeks to develop skills in training needs assessment, instructional design, development of live or E-learning training materials, management of technology support services, and organizational development.
What type of internship/practicum experience will I receive?
Students in the educational media and instructional design and training tracks will receive a required field experience individualized to fit their needs and career aspirations. The student in the information technologies track also may elect to gain practical experience through an internship or practicum.
Information Technologies (Track I)
Depending on emphasis, students may select a practicum or internship in libraries, business, government, or educational settings.
Educational Media (Track II)
The media generalist practicum is a field experience individualized to take into account license requirements for the school library media specialist, the candidate's previous experience, special needs and other special circumstances.
Instructional design and Training (Track III)
The instructional design and training internship is a field experience in one of a variety of settings; business, industry, government, or health fields where practical application of training and instructional design principles are applied to practical problems.
What are the program requirements?
Each of the tracks in information media requires acceptance in the Graduate School. The education media track also requires a current teaching license or completion of coursework leading to licensure.
What type of financial assistance is available?
Graduate assistantships and work-study funds are available for graduate students. Academic year assistantship stipends range up to $9,700 depending upon assignment and period of appointment. Tuition assistance equal to approximately one-half the tuition for graduate credits in included, and is not to exceed tuition for six graduate credits per semester. Tuition assistance is not available during the summer. Information about assistantships can be obtained from the School of Graduate Studies. Student loans also are available. Information about student loans can be obtained from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
How long will it take to complete the program?
A minimum of 39-42 credits (depending on selected track) are required to complete the Master of Science degree in information media. A full-time student may expect to complete the program in four semesters (two years). An average credit load for a full-time student is 9-12 credits per semester.
Can I transfer graduate credits?
A maximum of 10 semester hours of graduate work completed at other accredited colleges and universities, or extension credit earned from this university, may be considered for application with approval from the School of Graduate Studies and a major advisor. See the transfer policy section of the Graduate Bulletin for more information.
How long do I have to complete my program?
All credits (including transfer credits) used in meeting requirements for a master's degree program must be completed within seven years prior to the awarding of the degree.
What employment opportunities are available?
- School library media operations
- Public or special library media centers
- Instructional design
- Media production
- Information management
- Public relations
- Training and development
- Archives and museums
- Telecommunications
- Curriculum design
- Performance improvement
Application materials are available from the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements of the School of Graduate Studies are referred to the appropriate graduate department for their recommendation. Departmental recommendation is based on, but no limited to, the following:
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
- Minimum of a 2.75 grade point average over the last two years of undergraduate education.
- Verbal score of 480+ on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or a combined verbal and quantitative score of 1,000+. In addition, the department requires a score of 3 on the analytical writing portion of the GRE.
- Score of 550+ on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), in addition to the GRE, if you are an international student.
(NOTE: Individual departments may have varying standards for grade point average and /or GRE scores.)
Can I take graduate courses if I am not admitted to a program?
The classification of "special student" is designed for those students who do not intend to pursue a graduate program at SCSU, or who wish to register for course work prior to their formal acceptance into a graduate program. A maximum of six graduate credits taken prior to acceptance into a graduate program may be applied to that degree program.
