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THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GRADUATE CATALOG |
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10.2
MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAMS
The prerequisites for
programs leading to the master of arts degree in education include
(a) the completion of an appropriate baccalaureate curriculum, and
in most programs, (b) professional teacher certification. For a
student in college and community counseling or higher education, the
completion of a bachelor's degree in an approved program is
required. For a student in music education, audition, ensemble
performance or teaching sample, and music history and music theory
testing are required prior to or during the first 12 hours of
graduate study.
There are two
study plans available to students pursuing the master of arts
degree. Candidates for the masters degree under Plan I must earn a minimum of 24
semester hours of credit in coursework and must write a thesis.
Candidates for the masters degree under Plan II must earn a minimum
of 30 semester hours of credit; a thesis is not required.
Each student pursuing a masters degree is required to file an Admission to Candidacy for the Masters Degree after 12 semester hours of graduate credit have been earned at The University of Alabama. The Admission to Candidacy for the Masters Degree form is available at the Graduate School website. It must be approved by the time of registration for the semester in which requirements for the degree are completed.
Additional details on Admission to Candidacy and all other degree requirements are in the Degree Requirements section of this catalog and may be outlined in the individual program descriptions in this catalog.
Under each plan (including the nontraditional, alternative program)
the student must pass a written comprehensive examination in the
field(s) of study at an appropriate time toward the close of the
student's work.
The College of Education has been approved by the state board of education to offer special programs of study leading to the masters degree for degree holders who have not previously completed a teacher-education program. Admission to these programs requires a passing score on either the Graduate Record Examination general test or Miller Analogies Test appropriate for admission to the Graduate School and a minimum 3.0 grade point average for all previous college-level work attempted. Individuals may be considered for conditional admittance if the graduate admission test score or GPA does not meet the above criteria.
Individuals applying for alternative initial teacher certification programs must also meet the minimum qualifications that are expected of candidates entering and completing undergraduate (Class B) certification in the same discipline. This usually means minimum GPA requirements in the core curriculum as well as minimum GPA requirements within the disciplines in which the applicant is seeking certification. Other requirements, such as completion of writing tests, a passing score on the Alabama Prospective Teacher Testing Program (APTTP), and other screening associated with undergraduate certification, must be completed before formal admission to the alternative certification program. Some additional undergraduate work may also be required for admission. In addition to admission to the Graduate School, each prospective student must secure an appropriate evaluation letter from personnel in the Office of Student Services and Certification, 104 Carmichael Hall. Students may not complete more than five approved program courses prior to unconditional admission. [Alabama Administrative Code 290-3-3-.44(3)(a)3]
Nontraditional, alternative certification programs are available
in elementary, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL),
languages other than English (foreign languages), music education,
physical education, secondary education (most fields), and special
education (collaborative, early childhood special education, gifted,
and multiple abilities).
Clinical Placements
All clinical placements in the College of Education relating to
teacher certification are coordinated through the Office of Clinical
Experiences. These placements are in the greater Tuscaloosa area
(with the exception of music education) in order to facilitate
supervision of students. For students in the educational leadership
program, internships are coordinated through the Department of
Educational Leadership, Policy, and Technology Studies.
Students enrolled in College of
Education courses that require a clinical placement are required to
provide proof of professional liability insurance before being
allowed to participate in a clinical placement. Professional
liability insurance may be purchased through an independent insurer
or is available to students who are members of the Student Alabama
Education Association (SAEA), the Council for Exceptional Children
(CEC), or Collegiate Music Educators National Conference (CMENC).
Further information and membership applications may be obtained from
the Office of Clinical Experiences.
The teaching internship
(formerly called student teaching) is one of the most important
experiences College of Education students have. It is generally
regarded as the culminating activity of one's preparation to become
a teacher.
Registration for Internship Credit Hours
Graduate students are required to register for the number of
internship credit hours specified by their program. In some
programs, graduate students may be allowed to choose a 6-hour
registration or a 9-hour registration; course requirements are the
same whether 6 hours or 9 hours are taken. Graduate students whose
program requires two internship placements should register for two
sections of internship (3 hours per section or 4.5 hours per
section). Students enrolled for internship must not expect to be
enrolled in other courses while interning.
All internship placements
are coordinated by the College of Education
Office of Clinical
Experiences. Placement sites are selected so as to ensure the
quality of the internship experience and of the supervision provided
by the cooperating teacher. All internship placements are in the
greater Tuscaloosa area (with the exception of music education) in
order to facilitate supervision of students by University of Alabama
faculty or other designees of the department heads. Placements
outside the greater Tuscaloosa area are made only if the director of
clinical experiences and/or the department head determines that an
appropriate local placement is unavailable.
Summer Internship Summer internships are rarely available and then only to persons who hold an undergraduate degree and certification and have one or two years of successful teaching experience at the level and in the subject for which they are seeking certification (with approval from the department head). In addition, summer internship assignments are allowed only if an appropriate placement can be secured in the Tuscaloosa area and appropriate supervision can be provided. These conditions also apply to those seeking to update or renew their certification or add an additional endorsement to a current certificate. To apply for a summer internship, file an appropriate application with the Office of Clinical Experiences in 105 Graves Hall by March 31 of that year.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GRADUATE CATALOG |
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