Master of Arts, Three Summers Campus and On-line Programs

About the Program
Program Staff and Faculty
EPSY Core Courses
Plan of Study
Comprehensive Exams
Applying to the Program
Transcripts
Conferral of Degree & Commencement

About the Program

The graduate program in gifted and talented education has existed for over thirty years. The program has grown continuously since its inception in 1968. Our Three Summers Master's Program is designed to prepare teachers and leadership personnel in various aspects of gifted education and talent development. The program is based upon the belief that the development of talent in areas, as well as concern for the moral and ethical development of persons, is essential in all children. This program is intended for persons who are interested in making creative contributions to the field as well as learning about the subject matter and teaching procedures that constitute gifted education and enrichment teaching and learning. The Three Summers Master's Program frequently leads to service as a teacher or enrichment specialist.

Our Three Summers Program options leads to a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Psychology or a Sixth Year Diploma in Professional Education. The program is offered during three consecutive summers on the campus at the University of Connecticut. It includes participation in Confratute; a conference/institute that takes place each summer on campus during the time Three Summers students are pursuing their regular graduate courses. In addition to the summer courses, Three Summers students are also enrolled in separate electives throughout the duration of their degree program. Students enrolled in Three Summers are able to complete the same courses and comprehensive examinations as those who are enrolled in our academic year graduate program.

The courses deal with many aspects of gifted education, and students are encouraged to pursue topics of individual interests such as course projects or related readings. This program was designed to meet the needs of educators who wish to specialize in gifted education but have professional or family obligations that make regular year study impossible.

• A choice of six different graduate courses over three summers.
• Attendance at two summer conferences on the Storrs campus.
• NCATE accreditation.
• Two or four weeks on UConn campus for each of three summers.
• Interactive, web-based, on-line or on-site courses during fall and spring semesters.
• Cohort program, high-energy, dedicated educators from national and international locations.
• Professional development opportunities linked to school-based issues and concerns.
• Strategy-based courses that apply high-end learning techniques to school improvement initiatives.
• Continuous faculty-student communication, advisement, and mentoring via on-site conferences and e-mail correspondence.
• Separate on-campus summer housing supports collegiality and professional growth in a family atmosphere.

"The summer of 2003 was one filled with challenge, knowledge, and nurture. Thanks to everyone at UConn, my life has been enriched far beyond the level of expectation. Three Summers, year 1, was an experience, and opportunity, and a beginning."

"The highest caliber professors, exceptional classmates, a beautiful university campus, and the luxury of being able to focus all my time on gifted education made Three Summers a treasured experience."

"I am so thankful to have been part of this program. It was rigorous-something that was frequently lacking in my undergraduate experience. I learned so many valuable things that I could immediately implement in my classroom."

"I have learned more in my first summer than I could have ever imagined."

Length of Summer Sessions
Beginning the last week of June and continuing through the middle of July, Three Summers students are required to be in-residence at the University of Connecticut Storrs campus for two to four weeks each summer. The exact number of weeks will vary each summer in accordance with a student's plan of study. Homework and reading assignments are extensive during the summer sessions (prereading is required for some courses). Students should be prepared to devote total attention to coursework and assignments. Unless an instructor suggests otherwise, all assignments are due in August.

Back to the Top

Program Staff and Faculty

Judith Mathews, Program Coordinator—Contact
Mary Sullivan, Summer Coordinator—Contact
Siamak Vahidi, Technology Coordinator—Contact

Dr. Joseph Renzulli, Faculty—Contact
Dr. Sally Reis, Faculty—Contact
Dr. Susan Baum, Summer Faculty—Contact
Dr. Jann Leppien, Summer Faculty—Contact
Dr. Del Siegle, Program Director, Faculty—Contact

Back to the Top

EPSY Core Courses

By attending three summers, during late June and early July, and completing, students may receive a Master's Degree or a Sixth Year Professional Diploma. Most participants take 33 credits of study. Cost of Three Summers, includes tuition, room, board, books and Confratute registration. Each student's plan is developed individually in accordance with interests, experiences and professional goals. The number of credits required for degree completion in the Master's or Sixth Year Program varies, but is generally 30-33 credits. Although there is some degree of latitude with respect to elective courses if students choose to remain on campus for the entire summer, or take courses during the regular school year, most Three Summers candidates' plans of study include:

EPSY 5195/ EPSY 5198:	Confratute: Summer Institute for Enrichment Education This workshop features presentations by leaders in the field of education for the gifted and the talented together with numerous mini-courses, sessions on teaching strategies and materials, etc.
EPSY 5601:	Principles and Methods of Educational Research This is an introductory course designed to help graduate students understand and evaluate the educational research literature.
EPSY 5710:	Introduction to Gifted Education and Talent Development Problems encountered in developing giftedness and talents in students: the nature of exceptional abilities, the history of special provisions, major scientific studies dealing with superior abilities, and contemporary educational systems and models.
EPSY 5750:	Creativity The identification of creative thinking and problem solving and the development and implications of creativity training materials and teaching strategies.
EPSY 5720:	Developing Schoolwide Enrichment Programs An overview of the theory and research behind and components within the Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Practical techniques for implementing the model in classrooms and school districts. Instructional and managerial techniques that can be used in the grade level classroom to meet the individual learning needs and talents of all students. Strategies for improving the effectiveness of large group, individual and small group instructional practices. Current and promising practices, as well as relevant research.
EPSY 5092:	Practicum The implementation and application of theory in the student's area of specialization. Open to Master's and Sixth-Year students.
EPSY 5194:	Staff Development and Program Evaluation Analysis of the issues and research in the field of education. Open to Master's and Sixth-Year students.
EPSY 6770:	Curricular Options for High Ability Learners Curriculum theory and techniques with special attention to the development of instructional materials.

Back to the Top

Plan of Study

Each student's plan of study is developed individually in accordance with interests, experiences, and professional goals. The plan of study focuses on the following objectives:

• Knowledge about past and present practices in gifted and talented education, talent development, and enrichment teaching and learning
• Involvement in research, field work, or an internship setting to develop innovative curriculum, acquire new instructional skills, and produce solutions to implementation problems
• Proficiency in research and reference skills to efficiently investigate topics of choice
• Development or enhancement of professional development strategies
• Completion of creative products representing a contribution to the literature in the field (curriculum materials, handbooks, research studies, media presentations)
• Demonstration of leadership qualities and strategies for change through legislation, professional organizations, policy actions and/or research

Plan B is generally for students who do not expect to continue in a Ph.D. program. Instead, it is designed to prepare students for professional positions in the field of enrichment teaching and learning. The following URL is a direct link to a Plan B form.
www.grad.uconn.edu/pdf/gs4b.pdf

Background preparation and 30-33 credits (including core courses) - sample Plan of Study

• SuperComp Examination - computer-based exam
• Nirvana Simulation - open book computer-based exam

Plan A is generally for students who intend to continue in a Ph.D. program. A written thesis and oral final examination and a presentation of the thesis findings to the student's academic advisory committee are mandatory. The following URL is a direct link to a Plan A form.
www.grad.uconn.edu/pdf/gs4a.pdf

Background preparation and 33 credits (including core courses) - sample Plan of Study

• SuperComp Examination - computer-based exam

Back to the Top

Comprehensive Exams

SUPERCOMP
SuperComp is a computer-based exam taken here on the Storrs campus during the student's last semester. The exam focuses on material covered in the aformentioned core courses.

The computer-based timed exam is taken on line through HuskyCT. Students must contact Judith Mathews (judith.mathews@uconn.edu) or Del Siegle (del.siegle@uconn.edu) prior to taking SuperComp.

Supercomp Study Guide

NIRVANA
Instructions for NIRVANA
NIRVANA was developed in response to many statements made by former graduate students concerning their preparation for teaching and coordinating enrichment and talent development activities. Many students indicated that they had not considered how they would handle various decisions, planning strategies, and programming options when they left our graduate program and started their new jobs.

NIRVANA is a simulation involving the many types of decisions that might have to be made if you start a new coordinating or teaching position. It is not intended to be an exercise; instead, it is based on the practical experiences of many of our graduate students.

NIRVANA occurs within the HuskyCT environment. You have 90 days to complete Nirvana. You will answer the memos in the order they are presented. There are nine or ten memos (depending on the version you select) in this simulation. If you skip a memo you may NOT return to it and you forfeit the right to answer it. Once you read a memo, you may leave HuskyCT and research your answer. You could compose your answer in a word processing program and return to WebCT to copy and paste it into the response box. You will click on SAVE ANSWER when you are finished with your response to a memo. As soon as you SAVE ANSWER, a new memo will appear. You CANNOT skip memos and return to them later. You can exit HuskyCT and Nirvana and return to it throughout the 90-day exam period. When you re-enter Nirvana, the system returns you to the last memo to which you did not SAVE ANSWER. If you have any technical questions, please contact Del Siegle at 860-486-0616 or email del.siegle@uconn.edu .

Deadlines for NIRVANA
The University of Connecticut conferral dates are May, August, and December (dates vary from year to year).

Before students may request NIRVANA, they must have completed their second summer. Students have 90 days to complete NIRVANA. All coursework and final exams (including SuperComp and NIRVANA) must be completed prior to your conferral date. For example, if you request NIRVANA in July and you wish to confer in August, you must complete NIRVANA prior to your conferral date (August 1). You will not have 90 days to complete NIRVANA in this case. If you request NIRVANA in July and you wish to confer in December, we must receive your completed NIRVANA in October (90 days from the day you log into NIRVANA).

If you are ready to complete the NIRVANA Comprehensive Exam click here.

Back to the Top

Applying to the Program

For further information please visit the Graduate Application Procedures page.

Back to the Top

Transcripts

Official Transcripts
Students at Storrs and the regional campuses can request official transcripts of their academic records by writing to the University of Connecticut, Office of the Registrar, Wilbur Cross Building, U-4077T, Storrs, CT 06269-4077. Requests can also be faxed to the Registrar at (860) 486-4199 with or without using a form.

All written requests must include:

• full name (including any other names you may have used while attending)
• social security number
• Student Administration System (PeopleSoft) log-in number, if known
• dates of attendance
• complete and accurate addresses of transcript recipients including ZIP codes, and the requester's address and telephone number in the event that there is a problem with the request.
• a daytime telephone number in case of problem
• your signature

Requests MUST be signed even if they are faxed. There is NO CHARGE for transcripts.

Request forms can be completed at the Registrar's Office, Wilbur Cross Building on the Storrs campus. These forms are also available at the regional campus registrars' offices for mailing or faxing to the University Registrar at Storrs. If you wish to use the Transcript Request Form, use the following link: Transcript Form (WORD).

Note: If you have difficulty viewing the form, you can:

• use an alternative browser
• clear your browser's cache, history, and offline files
• e-mail registrar@uconn.edu and you will be sent a form by reply as an attachment

Unofficial Transcripts
All degree seeking students who are currently enrolled or were in attendance beginning in Fall 2001 can view their unofficial transcripts by accessing the Student Administration System www.studentadmin.uconn.edu.

Navigation to View Unofficial Transcript:
Home > SA Self Service > Learner Services > Academics > View Unofficial Transcript

Unofficial transcripts may also be obtained by presenting a photo I.D. in person at the Registrar's Office at Storrs or at any of the regional campuses; however, students should call the regional campus registrar in advance to make arrangements for transcript pickup.

Former students whose attendance ended prior to Fall 2001 do not have access to the system.

Non-degree students do not have access to the Student Administration System. Unofficial transcript requests can be faxed to the Registrar at (860) 486-4199.

All written requests must include:

• full name (including any other names you may have used while attending)
• social security number
• Student Administration System (PeopleSoft) log-in number, if known
• dates of attendance
• complete and accurate addresses of transcript recipients including ZIP codes, and the requester's address and telephone number in the event that there is a problem with the request.
• a daytime telephone number in case of problem
• your signature

Requests MUST be signed even if they are faxed. There is NO CHARGE for transcripts.

Request forms can be completed at the Registrar's Office, Wilbur Cross Building on the Storrs campus. These forms are also available at the regional campus registrars' offices for mailing or faxing to the University Registrar at Storrs. If you wish to use the Transcript Request Form, use the following link: Transcript Form (WORD).

Note: If you have difficulty viewing the form, you can:

• use an alternative browser
• clear your browser's cache, history, and offline files e-mail registrar@uconn.edu and you will be sent a form by reply as an attachment.

Back to the Top

Conferral of Degrees

Conferral Degrees are conferred three times each year—August, December, and Commencement day in May (dates vary from year to year—see academic calendar www.grad.uconn.edu/calendar.html). There is only one annual graduate commencement ceremony (in May). Students who have completed all requirements for a degree (including the formal application for the degree described below) by the final day of the summer or fall conferral periods or not later than the Graduate School's published deadline prior to Commencement in May receive their diplomas by mail, normally within three months following conferral.

All coursework and final exams, including SuperComp and Nirvana, must be completed prior to conferral date. For example, if students request Nirvana in July and wish to confer August Nirvana must be completed two weeks before the conferral date. If students request Nirvana in July and wish to confer December, Nirvana must be completed by October. Students must register continuous registration if Nirvana is not complete before a new semester begins.

Application for the Degree Formal application must be filed on the official form provided by the Graduate School www.grad.uconn.edu/degree_completion.html. If filing is not timely, conferral is delayed to the next conferral period, even though all other degree requirements may have been completed on time.

Commencement

The graduate Commencement ceremony is held once each year, at the end of the spring semester. Individuals who have had degrees conferred at the end of the previous summer or the previous fall semester and candidates for degrees at the end of the spring semester who complete degree requirements by the published deadline may participate in the annual commencement ceremony and are urged to do so. Academic regalia appropriate for the University of Connecticut degree being conferred is strictly required. Information concerning the Commencement ceremony is distributed by the Graduate School in the spring and is available at that time on the Graduate School website www.grad.uconn.edu/degree_completion.html.

Back to the Top