Graduate Curriculum & Instruction

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Faculty

Jeanelle B. Day, Chair, Professor
Amanda S. Hilsmier, Professor
Patricia F. Wood, Professor
Tarsha B. Bluiett, Associate Professor
David C. Little, Associate Professor

Graduate Programs and Requirements

Degrees
Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) - Class A Certification
           
          Elementary Education (M.S.E.) 
          Elementary Education, Fifth-Year Non-Traditional (EEFY) (M.S.E.)  
          Gifted Education (M.S.E.) 
          K-12 Collaborative Special Education (M.S.E.) 
          K-12 Collaborative Special Education, Fifth-Year Non-Traditional (FYSE) (M.S.E.)  
          Secondary Education, Fifth-Year Non-Traditional (Alt A, Class A Cert) (FYNT) (M.S.E.)  
          Early Start Alternative A Secondary Education (M.S.E.) 
          Music Education*

Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) - Non-Certification
          Instructional Design & Technology (M.S.E.)  

Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) - Class AA Certification
          Early Childhood Education (Ed.S.)  
          Elementary Education (Ed.S.)  
          Teacher Leader (Ed.S.)  

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers graduate education programs in elementary education, gifted education, K-12 collaborative special education, and secondary education. Provided current certification requirements of the Alabama State Department of Education have been met, a master of science in education (M.S.E.) degree, with Class A certification, and an educational specialist (Ed.S.) degree, with Class AA certification, are available. (See the Graduate Advisement subsection for contact information.) The department also offers a master of science in education degree in instructional design and technology.
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*See the School of the Arts Music Division section for details on graduate music education programs.

Graduate Admission Requirements

1. Completion of application and payment of application fee.
2. Receipt of one official transcript from all institutions attended.
3. Satisfactory score on Graduate Record Exam (GRE) admissions test or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) (not required for certification only and fifth-year non-traditional programs).
4. Alabama Class B or Class A certification (except for fifth-year non-traditional programs) to be eligible for certification.
5. Satisfactory performance on scholarly writing sample.
6. One letter of reference.
7. Disposition recommendation from supervisor if employed, if not a college professor.
8. Satisfactory performance on admissions interview.

The admissions committee will evaluate each candidate on a case-by-case basis and may admit students whose qualifications differ from those listed or who have successfully completed a prior graduate degree. Applicants must meet ALSDE minimum admission requirements to apply for certification upon completion of the program.

Additional requirements may apply to specific programs.

Levels of Admission

Formal Admission

1. Minimum GPA of 2.75 for all college work attempted.
2. Minimum of 295 (combined verbal and quantitative) on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or a minimum of 396 on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). (Not required for fifth-year non-traditional programs programs.)
3. Satisfactory performance on scholarly writing essay.
4. Completion of undergraduate prerequisites or passing score on the appropriate content area Praxis II test (fifth-year non-traditional program only).

Transfer Credit

In traditional graduate studies, a student may transfer up to six semester hours of graduate credit from an accredited four-year college or university that has a state-approved graduate program in the major and in teacher education for degree programs only.

Please note: Courses may not be transferred into the fifth-year non-traditional programs, nor can any course taken for undergraduate credit be used to count toward graduate credit. No more than two content area courses may be transferred into the fifth-year non-traditional program in secondary education (MSE-Alternative A). Exceptions may be granted by the dean of the School of Education.

Graduate Tuition Scholarships

Tuition scholarships are available to all candidates who have been accepted for graduate study at the master of science or educational specialist level. These scholarships are available for courses in education throughout the year.

Retention and Completion

Students on the M.S.E. level must maintain a GPA of 3.25; students on the Ed.S. level must maintain a GPA of 3.50. All students must follow a prescribed course of study specified on their program checklist as approved by the Alabama State Department of Education. They must complete all work within six years. Comprehensive examinations are required in graduate programs that do not have a Praxis test appropriate to the teaching field or area of instructional support. All graduate students receiving initial certification must also pass the Alabama Education Certification Testing Program (AECTP), which includes the appropriate PRAXIS examination. At the end of any semester, a student whose cumulative GPA falls below the required minimum (3.25 for M.S.E. and 3.50 for Ed.S.) may not continue in the program. Any grade below a C- shall not be counted for credit and the course must be retaken.

Graduate Advisement

Frequent meetings with the program director are required throughout the graduate program. Samford University complies with the requirements of the Alabama State Department of Education concerning the admission, retention, and completion of all requirements for students seeking Class A or Class AA certification.

Requests for information about or applications to the fifth-year non-traditional programs should be addressed to the program director.

Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.)

The master of science in education (M.S.E.) degree is open to candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree in early childhood/elementary education or elementary education from a regionally accredited institution. Completion of the degree requires 30 credits beyond a bachelor’s degree. Upon successful completion, the candidate is eligible for the master of science in education degree and Class A certification, provided current certification requirements of the Alabama State Department of Education have been met (with the exception of the instructional design and technology major, which does not earn Class A Certification).

Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.)
Secondary Education, Fifth-Year Non-Traditional (Alternative A, Class A Certification) (FYNT) (M.S.E.)

The master of science in education in secondary education, fifth-year non-traditional program (Alternative A, Class Certification) (MSE-FYNT) is a teacher training program designed to prepare prospective teachers who already hold a degree from an accredited university/college the opportunity to earn Class A teacher certification, grades 6-12, in biology, English/language arts, general science, history, mathematics, physical education, social studies, and Spanish. The program offers an accelerated approach to certification through advanced courses in the teaching field (12) and a core of professional courses (24) in education. All courses are offered in the evening and some science courses are offered on Saturday. If employed full-time, students must be willing to use vacation or personal leave to fulfill 20-45 hours of clinical experience associated with each education course. The final semester requires a full-time commitment to student teaching.

Programs

• Early Start Alternative A Secondary Education (M.S.E.)
• Elementary Education (M.S.E.)
• Elementary Education, Fifth-Year Non-Traditional (EEFY) (M.S.E.)
• Gifted Education (M.S.E.)
• Instructional Design & Technology (M.S.E.)
• K-12 Collaborative Special Education (M.S.E.)
• K-12 Collaborative Special Education, Fifth-Year Non-Traditional (FYSE) (M.S.E.)
• Secondary Education, Fifth-Year Non-Traditional (Alt A, Class A Cert) (FYNT) (M.S.E.)

• Early Childhood Education (Ed.S.)
• Elementary Education (Ed.S.)
• Teacher Leader (Ed.S.)

Courses

NOTE: A prerequisite for each of the following courses is admission into the master of science Alternative A fifth-year non-traditional program in secondary education (MSE-FYNT). These courses cannot be applied towards a different graduate education program.

• POLE 500 - American Politics and Economy (4)
• SPAE 501 - Advanced Methodology and Applied Linguistics (4)
• SPAE 502 - Hispanic Cultures in the Foreign Language Classroom (4)
• SPAE 503 - Literature and Film of the Spanish-Speaking World (4)

• IDTE 518 - Research Design and Methodology in Instructional Design (3)
• IDTE 550 - Foundations of Instructional Design (3)
• IDTE 551 - Instructional Design I (3)
• IDTE 553 - Instructional Design II (3)
• IDTE 556 - Designing Multimedia for Instruction (3)
• IDTE 563 - Organizational Leadership in Instructional Design and Technology (3)
• IDTE 566 - Assessment and Evaluation in Instructional Design and Technology (3)
• IDTE 570 - E-Learning (3)
• IDTE 575 - Issues and Trends in Instructional Design and Technology (3)
• IDTE 599 - Advanced Practices in Instructional Design and Technology (3)