The M.Ed. program is a 36 semester hour program of graduate study in appropriate professional and academic areas for teachers who are already certified. There are five broad areas or tracks: 

• Art Education
• Secondary Education
• Special Education
• Elementary Education
• and Gifted Education

In this popular graduate program, experienced teachers combine work in their academic specialty with advanced courses in professional education. In some cases, teachers (with the guidance of an academic adviser) design their course of study in order to add an area of certification to their existing credentials. 

While each M.Ed. program area has specified core requirements, there is considerable flexibility in this degree so that teachers may pursue special areas of interest. 

Degree candidates are allowed to transfer nine hours of appropriate graduate credit (if completed within five years prior to beginning the Converse program) to their course of study. Many local school districts offer Converse graduate credit for staff development courses, and a limited number of these may also be used as part of the degree requirements. 

Programs are approved by the South Carolina State  Department of Education and enjoy certification reciprocity with many other states. (Read about the NCATE accreditation process.)