Requirements
Goals and Objectives
The School of Education serves to prepare confident, caring, and reflective educators within a Christian environment, from a liberal arts curriculum for pre-service educators as well as advanced preparation for in-service 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
1. earning academic credentials that may allow them to advance in the chosen field of employment; (integrator of technology);
2. experiencing personal growth and understanding through in-depth study in the area of concentration and certification (innovative thinker);
3. expanding the student’s Christian values through course work and campus activities (life-long learner);
4. specializing in a chosen area or discipline (life-long learner);
5. building upon their undergraduate studies and work experience to broaden their knowledge base in the teaching field (advocate for diverse learners); and
6. becoming strong professional leaders in their chosen discipline and area of certification (effective communicator).
General Admissions Requirements for the Master of Education
A. Each applicant must
1. meet the university’s general requirement for graduate admission. The application must be submitted prior registering for classes and before the deadline established by the graduate admission office.
2. 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.
3. have an overall 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 uantitative-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.
4. hold a current teacher’s license (Mild and Moderate Disabilities, K-12, endorsement 221) with no pending action in any state (if seeking educator license) or comparable license in a related field. A copy of this license must be filed in the graduate office.
5. Provide two letters of recommendation from current or past supervisors (within the last five years). Students must exhibit all of the professional dispositions developed by WCU’s faculty and constitutes at the acceptable level or higher. These will be included with the recommendation letter.
In addition to these requirements, the applicant must meet any additional requirements as put forth by the respective graduate degree, licensure, concentration, and/or endorsement programs.
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 master’s degree 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 licensure.” Students must request waiver in writing and must state the reason for the request.
Admissions Status
An applicant for the Master of Education is admitted to regular or nondegree graduate status as follows:
Regular—Regular graduate status will be granted to those students who meet all requirements for admission to the Master of Education degree 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. Admission on nondegree status does not imply admission to any program. Nondegree status would need to meet all requirements to comply to “regular status” after nine hours of graduate credit. 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 Master of Education degree. Permission from the dean and academic vice president is required for use of any additional off-campus credit. A maximum of six hours may be transferred from another institution. All transfer courses must be approved.
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 the 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 may not earn credit at another institution after the program plan is submitted.
Workshop Credit and Course Numbering
With the dean’s approval, 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. 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.
Additional Admission Information
License requirement may be waived if bachelors is in related field. Students move throught the program in cohorts starting fall or winter trimesters.
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