Residency Requirements

Prescott College offers master’s degree orientations online or in-person as well as colloquia residencies in Prescott, Arizona. Enrolled students may attend the residency associated with their degree program. The residency is optional for the master’s programs except for the Master of Science in Counseling program. The attendance requirements for those programs are documented below. Not all degree programs offer a residency.

Social and Ecological Literacies

While graduate students are not required to complete a general education program like undergraduate students or demonstrate competency in all college-wide, general education learning outcomes, students are required to develop and demonstrate social and ecological literacies as part of their program of study. The concept of social and ecological responsibility is inherent within the mission of Prescott College. Development of these literacies can be as broad or as specific as the student and their faculty advisor agree is appropriate, but should be a significant factor in the student’s learning throughout the entire program. Each program specifies how social and ecological literacies are developed and assessed.

Master’s Level Core Curriculum and General Requirements

Each graduate program requires core courses and learning experiences to provide the necessary structure, guidance and support for student academic, scholarly, and professional success. All graduate programs are centered around a sequence of core courses and experiences that involve interdisciplinary content, methods learning outcomes (e.g., research methods, social and ecological literacies, capstone project). At each phase of the students’ program, online courses taught by faculty provide the curricular structure to support and integrate the individualized learning developed via mentored studies, research or other experiential learning. Students are expected to complete combination of theoretical and applied learning in a range of courses and practical experiences typically followed by a capstone project. This learning occurs in a combination of structured sequences of core online courses with online electives and a smaller number of independent mentored studies.

Online Courses and Electives

Each specific degree offers a sequence of online core as well as electives within the department and/or from other departments. These courses may be combined with mentored studies courses in order to fulfill the requirements for the specific program per the specific program handbook and with the approval of program director.

Mentored Course Plans

Students intending to integrate a mentored study course into their studies must complete the Mentored Course Plan form found on the Registrar’s page on the college website to register mentored courses.

Thesis and Other Capstone Projects

Students on track to complete thesis projects may be required to take thesis plan and qualifying paper courses. Most master’s degree programs have options for other capstone projects besides the thesis project. Some master’s programs do not allow thesis projects. See specific program handbooks.

The detailed sets of course and other learning requirements for each master’s program are provided in the appendix.

Master of Arts Degrees

The Masters of Arts degree programs are 36 credits with the exception of the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies which is 30 credits in length.

Master of Education Degree

The Masters of Education is 36 credits.

Arizona State Certification Requirements for Educators

Completion of state-required coursework and other requirements; passing scores on applicable licensure or certification exams.

All of the educator preparation programs at Prescott College are approved by the Arizona Board of Education. For an Institutional Recommendation leading to Arizona provisional certification in education, students are required to complete or to have already earned a bachelor’s degree; meet the College’s requirements for teacher preparation; and complete student teaching. Students must complete the Structured English Immersion requirements (offered at the College) and pass the required professional and subject knowledge exams offered through the National Evaluation Series (NES). Arizona Constitution and U.S. Constitution are not required for provisional certification; however, students must complete both within a certain time frame for full certification in Arizona. See the Arizona Department of Education website for details: http://www.azed.gov/state-board-education/.

Earning an Institutional Recommendation also requires demonstrating the appropriate professional dispositions. Dispositions are the values, commitments, and professional ethics that influence behaviors towards students, families, colleagues, and communities that affect student learning, motivation and development as well as the educator’s own professional growth (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education). These dispositions are based on the Prescott College Teacher Preparation Program mission statement and reflect the

Interstate New Teacher Support and Assessment Consortium (InTASC) Core Teaching Standards. All teacher candidates will be reviewed for dispositional growth and development throughout their program of study.

Institutional Recommendation

The Institutional Recommendation (IR) verifies the completion of a state-approved educator preparation program. Prescott College is authorized by the State of Arizona to issue an IR to students who complete the state- board approved program coursework (or transferrable equivalents); this includes student teaching, administrator internship and SGC practicum. The Prescott College IR must be requested and issued within 45 days of a student completing the College’s program. The IR is valid for one year from the date it is issued, for the purpose of obtaining a teacher or principal certificate from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). Students seeking certification in another state must research that state’s licensure requirements and reciprocity agreements and adjust their requirements accordingly. Official transcripts are not required for Arizona state certification when students have an IR. Consult the ADE website for more details.

Preparation for Licensure Exams

Each state certification department requires the completion of specific competency exams in order to be licensed to teach in that state. The college has developed the PC Professional Preparation Resource Site on our online platform that will assist students in test preparation for the state of Arizona’s competency exams. This site is also useful to inquire about specific state certification requirements and what competency exams.

Master of Science Degrees

The Master of Science, Environmental and Sustainability Studies is 36 credits in length.

The Master of Science in Counseling is 60 credits in length.

Graduate Concentrations

Graduate concentrations at Prescott College are carefully curated clusters of courses designed to deepen students’ expertise within a specific field while fostering advanced critical thinking and practical application. Though typically aligned with a particular discipline, our graduate concentrations maintain a transdisciplinary perspective, encouraging students to explore how their chosen field intersects with broader systems and societal challenges. These concentrations cultivate leadership, resilience, and innovation, equipping students with the specialized knowledge and skills necessary to address complex, real-world problems.

 Whether advancing in a professional career or preparing for doctoral-level research, graduate students are supported in developing nuanced, sustainable, and equitable solutions within their areas of focus. Masters-level concentrations are designed to offer flexibility, allowing students to shape their learning experience to meet their personal and professional goals. 

The applicability of graduate concentrations may vary depending upon your area of study. Please speak with your advisor for more information.