Requirements
(An alternate route to teacher licensure)
William Carey University has been approved for a unique program designed to provide an opportunity for non-education graduates to enter the teaching profession and to earn a Master of Education degree in the Art of Teaching. The program is designed to lead to standard licensure with the option of earning a master’s degree. A maximum of six hours can be transferred from another institution’s program.
Program Goals and Objectives
In response to the increasing need for more teachers in the state of Mississippi, the alternate route program provides an opportunity for an individual with a bachelor’s degree in a non-teaching field to become a certified teacher who is knowledgeable in the following areas:
- designing effective teaching strategies;
- implementing successful classroom management techniques;
- utilizing appropriate assessment practices;
- collaborating with school and community stakeholders, and
- meeting individual needs of diverse learners.
Admission to the Alternate Route
Steps toward Standard Licensure
- Admission to the Alternate Route Program
A candidate must fulfill the general graduate admission requirements* and have an undergraduate degree in a non-teaching field with a required minimum grade point average of 2.75 or higher (on a 4.00 academic scale) on his/her college core. Also required is a passing score on the PRAXIS CORE or an ACT composite score of 21 or higher, and a passing score on a PRAXIS II specialty area examination from an approved program area.
Graduate Admissions Requirements
- Complete and submit an online application to William Carey University Graduate Admissions.
- Pay application fee.
- Submit official transcripts of an undergraduate degree in a nonteaching field.
- Have a grade point average of 2.75 or higher on the core courses of the undergraduate degree.
- Submit passing ACT or PRAXIS CORE scores and PRAXIS II Specialty Area score.
- Submit two professional references.
- Students who choose the MAT elementary track will submit Foundations of Reading test scores.
- Initial Course Requirements (6 hours)
A candidate must first successfully complete EDU 536 - Classroom Management and EDU 650 - Tests, Measurements, and Evaluations . These courses must be successfully completed prior to applying for initial licensure* and enrolling in EDU 634 - Fall Trimester Internship followed by EDU 635 - Winter Trimester Internship . A candidate must successfully complete the two trimesters of internship within three years in order to apply for a standard teaching license.
*Elementary track candidates must pass the Foundations of Reading Test prior to applying for initial licensure.
- Admission to the Internship ( EDU 634 - Fall Trimester Internship – 3 hours and EDU 635 - Winter Trimester Internship – 3 hours)
After successful completion of steps one and two, and proof of employment in an accredited school as a full time teacher in the area of initial certification, within the approved radius of William Carey University, a candidate may enroll in EDU 634 - Fall Trimester Internship followed by EDU 635 - Winter Trimester Internship .
Alternate route candidates will enroll in EDU 634 and EDU 635 – Internship in a cohort group. A cohort is defined as a group of students who begin and conclude the internship at the same time. Interns will move through the two trimesters of internship in consecutive order ( EDU 634 - Fall Trimester Internship – three hours followed by EDU 635 - Winter Trimester Internship – three hours.)
After completing these three steps, a candidate is eligible to apply for a standard Mississippi Educator License. If the candidate wishes to enter the M.Ed. program, the 12 hours earned in steps two and three will count toward the Master of Education in the Art of Teaching degree. A candidate wishing to transfer to another M.Ed. program must complete all requirements for standard licensure prior to applying for admission to the second program.
A candidate who is officially admitted to the MAT program may continue to take program courses prior to internship; however, the student can not graduate without successfully completing the two-term internship and comprehensive exams or EDU 640 .
- Completion of the Masters in the Art of Teaching Program
This program is specifically designed with a 15-hour core for all three tracks: elementary (grades 4-6), secondary (grades 7-12 in a specific subject area), and special education – mild/moderate disabilities (K – 12). The elementary track has a total of 33 hours; the secondary track has a total of 30 hours; and the special education— mild/moderate disabiliites track has a total of 33 hours. Because there are 15 hours initially earned for licensure counting toward this degree, there are no electives in this program.
Current Areas Available for Licensure Through the Special Alternate Route MAT
- Art
- Biology*
- Business
- Chemistry*
- Elementary Education (grades 4-6)
- English
- French
- German
- Health
- Home Economics/Family and Consumer Science
|
- Library Media Specialist
- Marketing
- Mathematics*
- Music Education
- Physical Education
- Physics*
- Spanish
- Special Education—Mild/Moderate Disabilities
- Speech Communication
- Social Studies
|
* Financial aid is available through the SMART grant to candidates who qualify.
Requirements for All MAT Candidates
Requirements for Elementary and Secondary Tracks
Additional Requirements for Elementary Track
*Elementary track candidates must pass the Foundations of Reading Test prior to applying for initial licensure.
Additional Requirements for Secondary Track
Content area course may be substituted for EDU 646 with advisor approval.
Additional Requirements for Special Education—Mild/Moderate Disabilities Track
Other Requirements
Comprehensive Examination
- For the M.Ed. in MAT, each candidate must successfully complete a comprehensive examination. Candidate must apply to take this examination and apply to graduate when within six hours of graduation. Deadlines to apply for examinations are listed in this catalog and on the www.wmcarey.edu website. Forms are found online.
Graduate Requirements
- Successfully complete the program with a GPA minimum of 3.0. No grade less than a “C” will be accepted toward the degree.
- Successfully complete the required courses. MAT students in the elementary and special education tracks must apply to take comprehensive examinations within six hours of completing their program.
- Complete the program within six years after being admitted.
Art Education
The M.Ed. candidate who wishes to specialize in art must present an artwork portfolio to be reviewed by the graduate art faculty. A positive evaluation is required for admission to the program.
Biology
The department of biological sciences, in support of the Master of Education degree, offers a graduate curriculum that provides students with an in-depth study of the areas of environmental biology and molecular biology. Courses emphasize the current state of knowledge and theory within these fields, as well as methods of translating this information into classroom-friendly forms. M.Ed. candidates intending to specialize in biology should have a strong background in the discipline. The student’s undergraduate coursework should include such areas as ecology, botany, zoology, genetics, cell biology, and/or vertebrate biology. Graduate classes in biology are typically offered on a rotation; academic advisors will assist each student in the timely completion of the degree. Graduate biology courses are listed in the Master of Science in Biology section of this catalog.
English (ENG)
The English Department of William Carey University, in keeping with the Goals Statement as put forth by the Master of Education program, seeks to provide students with
- academic credentials that may allow them to advance in the chosen field of employment;
- opportunities to specialize in the chosen field of English; 3) opportunities to build upon their undergraduate studies and work experience; and 4) opportunities to become strong professional leaders within the English discipline.
Ordinarily, the M.Ed. candidate who wishes to specialize in English will be an undergraduate English major or minor. In general, the M.Ed./English candidates should have a mastery of rhetoric, composition, literature, and pedagogy, and have a 3.0 undergraduate GPA. Candidates who do not have an undergraduate major/minor in English will have their undergraduate transcript evaluated so that academic deficiencies in English may be addressed before beginning the graduate program in English. These deficiencies may require the candidate to enroll in additional undergraduate classes; these classes, however, may be taken for pass/fail credit. These requirements also apply to those seeking the add-on endorsement in English.
Each M.Ed./English candidate will be assigned an academic advisor who will both guide the candidate in course selection and track the candidate’s academic success.
Graduate English classes are listed under the Master of Arts in English section of this catalog.
History and Social Science (HIS)
The department of history and social science seeks to provide Master of Education students with an opportunity to expand their methodological, interpretative and factual acumen in social studies. Typically, the M.Ed. candidate who wishes to specialize in social studies will be an undergraduate history or social science major or minor. Candidates who do not have an undergraduate major/minor in history or social science will have their undergraduate transcript evaluated so that academic deficiencies in history and social science may be addressed before beginning the graduate program in social studies. These deficiencies may require the candidate to enroll in additional undergraduate classes. Each M.Ed./social studies candidate will be assigned an academic advisor. Requirements for the social studies concentration include 15 hours of courses in graduate history or social science, nine hours of core M.Ed. courses (EDU 620 , EDU 630 , EDU 640 ), and six hours of graduate electives. Only six hours of the total program may be taken at the 500-level. Graduate history courses are listed under the Master of Arts in History section of this catalog.
Mathematics (MAT)
The mathematics department of William Carey University, in keeping with the goals and objectives statement of the Master of Education program, offers a graduate mathematics curriculum designed to provide students with 1) academic credentials that will enable them to advance in their chosen fields of employment; 2) opportunities to specialize in the particular field of mathematics education; 3) opportunities to supplement their under-graduate studies and work experience; and 4) opportunities to become strong professional leaders within the mathematics discipline.
Typically, the Master of Education candidate who wishes to specialize in mathematics should be an undergraduate mathematics major, or at least a strong minor. Candidates lacking this type of undergraduate preparation may still succeed in completing the program, but will be evaluated upon entry to address possible mathematical deficiencies, which may necessitate enrollment in additional undergraduate courses. These courses, however, may be taken on a pass/fail basis. Each candidate will be assigned an academic advisor, who will guide the candidate in course selection, as well as providing general assistance in navigating the program.
Graduate mathematics courses are offered on a rotation schedule, with many of the courses, particularly the seminars, offered in the summer term. Courses numbered 690 do not yet have a permanent catalog number; these are mostly recently-developed courses.
Return to: