Graduate School annual reports

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: RG-07-01-01

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection includes annual reports from Ball State University’s Graduate School. In addition to summarizing major accomplishments and developments, reports document administrative, curricular and instructional changes made by the Graduate School. Reports are arranged chronologically.

Dates

1947-1988

Language of Materials

Materials in English.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Biographical Note / Historical Note / Administrative History

The Indiana State Legislature of 1923, in revising the legal status of teacher’s certificates for Indiana, prescribed a year of graduate study for the issuance of first grade administrative and supervisory certificates. Shortly thereafter the State Board of Education passed a resolution authorizing the two State teachers’ colleges to offer a year of graduate work leading to the recommendation of students for the foregoing certificates and, on August 23, 1927, authorized the two State teacher’s colleges to prepare students to secure first grade certificates in the administrative and supervisory fields.

In the spring of 1932 Ball State Teachers College began offering graduate level courses. The first master’s degrees were conferred in June, 1934. A total of three degrees were granted that first year. In response to public need and demand, the graduate program was expanded in 1937 to accommodate qualified candidates for the degree of Master of Arts in Education with specialization in certain teaching fields. An Ed.D. degree was first offered in 1948 in conjunction with the School of Education, Indiana University. Later, in 1957, the Ph.D. was offered in conjunction with Purdue University in guidance and industrial education. In 1959, the college began offering the Specialist in Education degree. The Ph.D. in Education and Ed.D. degrees in both elementary education and social science teacher education were first offered in 1961.

In 1952, the college began offering the Master of Arts degree in the fields of art, business, English, foreign language, general speech, guidance & counseling, home economics, industrial arts, mathematics, music, science, social science, and speech & hearing therapy. In 1963, the Master of Science degree was approved in general science, biology, health and safety, chemistry, physics, and earth science. In 1964, the first Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees were granted.

In 1968, Ball State University formally established a Graduate School, creating its own Dean, Dr. Robert H. Koenker, a Graduate Council and a graduate faculty. Previously, the University offered graduate courses through the Office of Graduate Studies.