On-line Orientation
Upon enrollment in the ILPS Program students are provided with their FirstClass and WebCT account information (See Internet Technologies section for details). Students are strongly encouraged to log into the WebCT on-line orientation prior to attending the residency. This will help students get acquainted with the ILPS faculty, learn more about the program and start familiarizing themselves with the technology used for their first two quarters. Students will also have an opportunity to participate in a live Q&A chat session with an ILPS Program Administrator and their fellow students approximately 2 weeks prior to the residency.
First Residency
The first residency provides comprehensive information about the principles and procedures of the ILPS Department. All ILPS students attend this seminar during the first quarter of their enrollment in the ILPS Program. The residency for New Actors Workshop students is held in New York at the Workshop. Attendance at the entire seminar is mandatory.
After the First Residency
During Phase I, students complete IMA 551: Applied Curriculum Design I and either IMA 560 Foundations of Academic Discourse or IMA 590 The Professional Writer with their faculty advisor. (Students studying with the New Actors Workshop complete IMA 550 only.) These courses begin during the first residency and continue through the first two quarters of enrollment in the ILPS program. In IMA551, students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to identify a potential degree committee member/chair, to design syllabi, and to determine the appropriate content to be included in their curriculum plan.
Students complete IMA 551: Applied Curriculum Design II at the end of their fourth quarter. At the end of this course students submit the complete curriculum summary schedule; course syllabi for all self-designed courses (IMA 680 courses); all prior learning materials including syllabi (15 credits maximum); a complete bibliography which includes reading materials from all courses; and degree committee nomination narratives.
I was so lucky to have found a program that sees the dignity of its students' commitments to family and career, as well as their educational goals. Designing my own master's was hard work, but well worth the effort. My experience at McGregor showed me how individualized learning is one of the best and most personal approaches to education. I am now prepared for the next step in my life, studying the history of women and religion at the doctoral level.