In this dissertation, I seek to develop a deeper understanding of the perception of quality and relevance of a specific master's degree program as seen through the eyes of two key stakeholders--the faculty and the students (current and alumni). This study focuses on faculty and students in the Master's in Educational Technology program currently being offered by the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology program, which is housed in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education, College of Education, Michigan State University. Though a systematic program evaluation is beyond the scope of this dissertation study, the focus is on two key terms to frame the study: quality and relevance. These two constructs are seen through the eyes of two key stakeholders: the faculty and students (current and past). A sense of community and collaboration was the point of strongest alignment between student and faculty views. The strongest divergence between groups was on the question of the primary motivation for obtaining a master's degree. The strongest recommendation for change comes from in increasing population of non-k12 practitioners within the MAET student body to create more relevant experiences for non K-12 practitioners. At the end of this inquiry, one thing was consistently clear: the MAET program has been successful because of change. To remain successful, marketable, and viable in the academic marketplace, programs must continue to take into consideration stakeholder viewpoints and continue to define quality and relevance within their contexts to inform programmatic and curricular changes.
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