Education Programs (Graduate)
Program Coordinator: Nicole Lambright, Ph.D.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to completing an application, submitting transcripts of college work, and providing a written statement of purpose, applicants for regular admission must:
- hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) for admission to the graduate education program;
- submit official transcripts of all previous college or university courses completed to date;
- Intervention Specialist (ISP): have or have had a valid teaching license, a copy of which must be submitted with the application (not required for individuals in initial licensure programs);
- have an admission interview or seminar with the appropriate program personnel.
- complete an online application and Registration Agreement Form.
Some students may be admitted as a special student, or under conditional admission, probationary admission, or non-degree student status.
Applicants from foreign countries and U.S. territories must also provide recent evidence of proficiency in English by: 1) scoring 80 or above on the Internet-based TOEFL with subscores in writing, reading, speaking and listening of at least 20; 2) scoring 550 or above on the written TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with subscores in writing and reading of at least 50; or 3) scoring 6.0 or above on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). All tests of English proficiency must have been taken in the last two years to be considered for acceptance.
PROGRAM CONTINUATION
A candidate admitted on probation will need to earn a grade of "B-" or better in the first three enrolled courses in order to be removed from probation.
A candidate enrolled in the graduate education program with regular admission status will be placed on academic probation at any time that he/she earns more than two grades below a "B-" or if the graduate program GPA falls below 3.00.
The graduate education candidate who is placed on academic probation must achieve a graduate program GPA of 3.00 at the end of the probationary term. The probationary term is defined as three consecutive courses in the candidate's graduate program. No pass/fail courses will be counted as part of the probationary term. No undergraduate courses will be counted as part of the probationary term. The candidate is removed from probation after retaking course(s) in which he/she earned less than a "B-" with a grade of "B-" or better, or at the end of the probationary term if the program GPA meets or exceeds 3.00. Any student placed on academic probation must also achieve a minimum grade of "B-" in each of the first three consecutive courses during the student’s probationary term in order to avoid dismissal.
A candidate will be dismissed from the graduate education program after:
- receiving a second final grade of "F" or "X"; or
- failing to achieve the required grade point average in the program at the end of any probationary period.
TRANSFER CREDIT PROVISIONS
A student may transfer credits from appropriate graduate work at accredited colleges and universities. Credit will be transferred on a course-by-course basis as applicable to the program. All transfer work into the graduate program in education requires final grades of "B" or better. A maximum of six (6) credit hours may be transferred. For the ISM degree program only, candidates may transfer up to six (6) graduate credit hours of ISPC equivalent courses and six (6) graduate credit hours of PELC equivalent courses, for a total of 12 graduate transfer credits. The GPS Education Program Coordinator will determine the acceptability of transfer credit.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
- Successful completion of all graduate credit hours for the candidate's degree program with a minimum program GPA of 3.00. A student who receives a grade below "C-" in any graduate education course will be required to repeat that course until a grade of "C-" or better is earned. All repeated coursework to replace grades of D+, D, F, W, or X is at the student's expense.
- Graduate students must meet the degree requirements as stated in the Catalog under which they first enrolled. Students must earn their degree within a maximum of six (6) years from the first date of enrollment at the University. Students who withdraw from the University for more than six (6) months will meet the graduation requirements as stated in the catalog under which they resume enrollment. Students changing majors or programs must meet requirements as stated in the Catalog that is current at the time they make such changes.
- Upon awarding of the degree, students have an additional three (3) years to apply for the teaching license. After three (3) years, additional coursework and/or other conditions may be required for licensure.
ENDORSEMENTS
In addition to the Graduate Education degree programs outlined here, the Teacher Education Unit also offers one undergraduate-level endorsement. This endorsement allows a candidate to obtain a specialty in an area in addition to his/her chosen graduate education program. To be admitted to the practicum, a candidate must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) for all endorsement coursework. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) in the endorsement courses is required in order to receive the endorsement.