Requirements
Program Overview
The Master of Education offers specialized concentrations: art, elementary, secondary, English, gifted, mathematics, mild/moderate disabilities, social science, emotional and behavioral disorders. The program is designed to prepare individuals for careers in professional education.
Goals for the Program
The School of Education serves to prepare confident, caring, and reflective educators within a Christian environment, from a liberal arts curriculum for both pre-service educators as well as advanced preparation for inservice educators.
The specific goals and objectives of the Master of Education program are to provide students with opportunities to become confident, caring, and reflective educators by
- earning academic credentials that may allow them to advance in the chosen field of employment; (integrator of technology) experiencing personal growth and understanding through in-depth study in the
- area of concentration and certification; (innovative thinkers) expanding the students’ Christian values through course work and campus
- activities; (life-long learners)
- specializing in a chosen area or discipline; (life-long learners)
- building upon their undergraduate studies and work experience to broaden their knowledge base in the teaching field; (advocate for diverse learners) and
- becoming strong professional leaders in their chosen discipline and area of certification. (effective communicators)
Admissions Requirements for the Master of Education
(with the exception of the MAT)
- Each applicant must
- hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
- complete and file with the graduate education office the application packet for admission to the university. This application must be submitted prior to registering for classes and before the deadline established by the graduate admission office.
- provide official transcripts of all college work completed to date for the registrar and the graduate office. After the applicant is accepted, a supplementary official transcript showing any additional work completed at other institutions is also required.
- have an overall minimum grade point average of 2.50 on a four-point scale for the last 64 hours of undergraduate work or the overall cumulative GPA presented for the baccalaureate degree. If an applicant has a GPA below 2.50, the applicant may appeal the admissions decision by presenting a Graduate Record Exam minimum score of 800 (verbal and quantitative—taken prior to July 2012) or 290 (verbal and quantitative—taken after July 2012). The Miller’s Analogy Test score of 370 is also accepted.
- provide two recommendations from current or past supervisors (within the last five years). Students must exhibit all of the professional dispositions developed by WCU’s faculty and constituents at the acceptable level or higher. These will be included with aforementioned recommendation letters.
- hold or qualify to hold a Class A teacher’s license. If deemed necessary by the student’s advisor and/or the dean, students who are licensed in Mississippi through the alternate route may be required to complete additional course work in the area of concentration to strengthen the student’s academic preparation for graduate study. A copy of this license must be filed in the graduate office.
- declare a major.
In addition to these requirements, the applicant must meet any additional requirements as put forth by the respective graduate degree, license granting organization, concentration, and/or endorsement programs.
-
Applicants for the Master of Education degree who seek an advanced license in a different area than their education bachelor’s degree will be required to take additional courses beyond the 30-hour master’s degree in order to meet requirements for licensure. The additional coursework will be determined and will be listed in detail on the student’s program of study.
-
Upon special request by the student and the approval of the Graduate Committee, the teacher license requirement may be waived only for a student pursuing a graduate degree in English, biology, mathematics, or social science who is currently employed in a college, nonpublic institution or a position not requiring a teacher’s license. In the event the licensure requirement is waived, the following notation will be entered upon the student’s transcript: “Student does not meet requirements for teacher license.” Students must request waiver in writing and must state the reason for the request.
-
Teacher license requirements will also be waived for those students admitted to the Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning Globally program, which has no license criteria for admission or graduation.
Admission Status
An applicant for the Master of Education degree program is admitted to regular or nondegree graduate status as follows:
Regular—Regular graduate admission status will be granted to those students who meet all requirements for admission to the Master of Education degree program and are actively pursuing a graduate degree.
Nondegree—Nondegree status may be assigned to those students who meet the requirements for admission, but do not otherwise wish to become a candidate for a degree. These students may be enrolling in courses for reinstatement of expired teaching licenses or to eliminate certification deficiencies at the undergraduate level prior to enrolling as regular students. The nondegree status also applies to students who are ineligible to pursue a graduate degree but wish to take course work for nondegree purposes. No more than nine hours of credit from a nondegree status may apply toward a degree. Enrollment on nondegree status does not imply admission to any program. Nondegree status students would need to meet all admission requirements for regular status” in order to enroll in more than nine hours of graduate credit.
Incomplete—Incomplete admission status may be granted for one term for a student who appears to be eligible for admission but is unable to supply certain required records prior to registration (see WCU general admission for further explanation).
Off-Campus Transfer Courses
A maximum of 12 hours of off-campus WCU courses may be applied toward the M.Ed. degree. Permission from the dean and academic vice president is required for use of any additional off-campus credit. A maximum of six hours of graduate credit may be transferred from another institution. All transfer courses must be approved prior to degree application.
Supplemental Endorsements
Students who wish to add a supplemental endorsement to a valid teaching license must meet the requirements set by the Mississippi Department of Education for such an endorsement. Supplemental endorsements requiring an approved program (specific coursework) are gifted education, health, mild/moderate disabilities, and remedial reading. The endorsement for emotional and behavioral disorders and severe/profound disabilities may only be added to a valid license in mild/moderate disabilities. A student must be admitted to the appropriate program to take coursework leading to a supplemental endorsement.
Submission of Program Plan
By the end of the first trimester of enrollment, the student must be officially accepted as a candidate for a master’s degree or supplemental endorsement program of study. A program plan sheet reflecting such acceptance will be filed with program advisor outlining the courses the student plans to take. This plan sheet must be signed by the student and the student’s advisor indicating approval. The approved program plan of study will serve as the basis for the application for degree candidacy.
Students who wish to earn credit at another institution after the program plan is submitted must seek written approval from the department admissions committee prior to enrollment in these courses. A form requesting approval of transfer credit is available in the dean’s office.
Workshop Credit and Course Numbering
No more than six semester hours of workshop credit may be applied toward the Master of Education degree. Three hours may apply to the area of concentration and three hours may be used as an elective. All workshops are numbered as 593 or 693 courses for master’s level, and 790 or 890 for specialist/doctoral levels, and named when offered. Special topic courses that are named when they are offered are numbered 590 or 690 and can be taken for 1-3 hours of credit. Directed readings courses are numbered 549 or 649 for master’s level and 749 or 849 for specialist/doctoral levels.
Application for Licensure
Students are responsible for making the proper application to the Mississippi Department of Education for their Class AA license. Forms are available in the registrar’s office or the department of education office and online at the State Department of Education website (www.mde.K12.ms.us). The student must also complete a request of transcript form.
Completion of the degree does not automatically guarantee licensure. The student must meet all requirements for licensure specified by the Mississippi Department of Education and current law, which may dictate changes from the content of this publication.
NOTE: All education programs and requirements are subject to change due to requirements set forth by the Mississippi Department of Education and state law. The current requirements for licensure—if different from this catalog—will supersede the catalog descriptions.
Requirements for the Master of Education Degree
These general requirements apply to all candidates for the Master of Education degree:
- Each student must have acquired regular graduate admissions status.
- A minimum of 30 semester hours graduate work must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
- A student making a third grade of a “C” or lower may not repeat any other courses and will be dismissed from the program.
- Only six hours of course work in general education and in the area of concentration can be taken at the 500 level. Courses taken to meet license deficiencies or add-on endorsements may not be used for the degree program.
- Proficiency in writing and speaking the English language is a requirement for the Master of Education degree. Students failing to exhibit an acceptable proficiency while performing class work will be asked to eliminate such deficiency by enrolling in a noncredit course in English usage or by other appropriate methods. An informal interview with a candidate for the purpose of determining a plan of action in this area may be requested.
- Students must exhibit all of the professional dispositions developed by WCU’s faculty and constituents at the acceptable level or higher.
- A student must complete all required work within a period of six years after enrolling in graduate courses. This includes the required portfolios documenting the field experience for programs leading to licensure.
- Participation in the graduation ceremony is required. Degrees are not conferred in absentia, except by special permission of the registrar. A student must submit a written request. Students who are candidates for May degrees are required to file applications for their degrees in the registrar’s office by October 15. Candidates for August graduation must file by March 31. Late applications will be accepted up to 30 days after the respective deadlines. There will be a $100 late fee in addition to the graduation fee.
Return to: