Curriculum and Instruction

Faculty

H. Elizabeth (Betsy) Rogers, Chair, Assistant Professor
David C. Little, Associate Professor
Patricia F. Wood, Associate Professor
Steven Wall, Assistant Professor
Myrtis A. Johnson, Instructor, Clinical Coordinator
Michele K. Haralson, Director of Curriculum Materials and Technology Center

Graduate Programs and Requirements

Degrees/Majors

Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) - Class A Certification

Elementary Education, M.S.E.
Fifth-Year Non-Traditional Program: Early Childhood and Elementary Education (MSE-ECEL), M.S.E.
Fifth-Year Non-Traditional Program: Secondary Education (MSE-FYNT), Class A Certification, M.S.E.
Gifted Education, M.S.E.
K-12 Collaborative Special Education, M.S.E.
Music Education*

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 several areas (early childhood education, elementary education, gifted education, special education, and secondary education) and at two levels of certification (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. See the Graduate Advisement subsection for contact information.

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*See the School of the Arts Music Division section for details on graduate music education programs.

Graduate Admission Standards for Traditional and Fifth-Year Non-Traditional Programs

Admission Requirements

Completion of application and payment of application fee.
Receipt of two official transcripts from all institutions attended.
Satisfactory score on Graduate Record Exam (GRE) admissions test or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) (not required for fifth-year non-traditional programs).
Alabama Class B or Class A certification (except for fifth-year non-traditional programs) to be eligible for certification.
Satisfactory performance on statement of purpose essay.
Satisfactory performance on scholarly writing sample.
Three letters of reference. One must be from the applicant’s supervisor.

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

Minimum GPA of 2.75 for all college work attempted.
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.)
Satisfactory performance on scholarly writing essay.
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 which 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 program in early childhood/elementary education (MSE-ECEL), 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 (MSEFYNT). 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. and Ed.S. level must maintain a GPA of 3.00. 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. All graduate students in an approved program must take and pass a comprehensive examination for each certification area following completion of their coursework. 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 (3.00 for M.S.E. and 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

The master of science in education (M.S.E.) degree is open to candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree 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.

Educational Specialist

The educational specialist (Ed.S.) program is open to candidates who hold a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Completion of the degree requires 30 credits beyond a master’s degree. Upon successful completion, the candidate is eligible for the educational specialist degree and Class AA certification (provided current certification requirements of the Alabama State Department of Education have been met).

Programs

Master

Educational Specialist

Courses

Education - Graduate (CURR Dept)

The courses listed below represent only a portion of the graduate-level education courses available. See the Department of Educational Leadership for additional courses that may apply to programs offered through the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. NOTE: Courses numbered 600 and above are open to post-master’s degree students.

Education - Graduate (FYNT Program)

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.