Graduate Mission

Goals and Objectives

The specific goals and objectives of the Master of Education program are to provide students with opportunities to:

1. earn academic credentials that may allow them to advance in the chosen field of employment;
2. experience personal growth and understanding through in-depth study in the area of concentration and certification;
3. expand the student's Christian values through course work and campus activities;
4. specialize in a chosen area or discipline;
5. build upon their undergraduate studies and work experience to broaden their
6. knowledge base in the teaching field; and
7. become strong professional leaders in their chosen discipline and area of certification.

General Admissions Requirements

Each applicant must:

1. hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. 
2. complete and file with the graduate education office the application packet for admission to the college. This application must be submitted prior to registering for classes and before the deadline established by the graduate admission office.
3. 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
4. additional work completed at other institutions is also required.
5. have an overall minimum grade point average of 2.50 on a fourpoint scale for the last 64 hours of undergraduate work presented for the baccalaureate degree. Applicants must hold, or
6. be qualified to hold, a standard Mississippi State Department of Education teaching license.
7. Applicants planning on teaching at the elementary or secondary school level in Mississippi must hold or qualify to hold a Class A teacher’s license. If deemed necessary by the student’s advisor
8. and/or the dean, students who are licensed in Mississippi through the alternate route may be required to complete additional course work in the area of concentration to strengthen the student’s academic preparation for graduate study. A copy of this license must be filed in the graduate office.
9. Prior to completing nine hours of graduate work, the student must declare a major and file a program plan signed by the student's advisor. This plan will be approved and becomes an application for candidacy for the degree.

    It is no longer necessary to hold a Class A license in the same area in which the student is seeking an advanced license. Applicants holding a standard teacher’s license can get an AA license in the desired area by completing the master's degree. If the applicant's advisor identifies an area of weakness, the program of study may include several additional courses beyond the 30-hour master’s
degree.

    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 graduate degree in English 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.