Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Length of the Program
Required courses are scheduled for the convenience of employed individuals. By using a combination of summer, weekend, and evening offerings, a typical student should be able to earn the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in a span of 15-24 months. A student has, however, up to five years after enrollment to complete all requirements for the degree.
Steps in Applying for Admission to the Program
A prospective student may apply for admission to the Graduate School of the University by taking the steps outlined in the General Admissions section of this catalog. The student will also be required to complete a departmental application for graduate study and to schedule an interview with the Director of Graduate Programs in the College of Education.
Admission Requirements
The basic requirement for admission to UMHB’s graduate programs is a Texas teaching certificate. Persons without Texas certification but planning to acquire such by taking appropriate coursework or by converting an out-of-state certificate to a Texas certificate may be permitted limited enrollment while obtaining such certification.
Nonetheless, under the programs for Educational Administration, Educational Psychology, Curriculum and Instruction, and Reading Education, students can pursue the M.Ed. degree without having a Texas teaching certificate. Such students may be required to successfully complete leveling work of six semester hours in basic education courses (EDUC 3315 Students and Learning and EDUC 3316 Survey of Special Populations) and sign a statement of understanding that the degree would not qualify them for a professional position in Texas public schools unless and until they acquire a Texas teaching certificate and meet any other conditions the State might require. All other University admission requirements would apply.
An applicant for enrollment in a M.Ed. program may be admitted in one of four categories:
- Regular Admission
To be admitted to any of the programs leading to the Master of Education degree, an applicant must:
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Have completed a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
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Possess a valid teaching certificate if seeking additional certification or adding endorsements.
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Have an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75
OR
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Have an undergraduate GPA on the last 60 hours of at least 3.00
- Conditional Admission
An applicant may be conditionally admitted to enrollment in a M.Ed. program under the following circumstances:
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A senior undergraduate student who has at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA and who lacks nine or fewer semester hours toward graduation may, with the approval of the advisor, the appropriate department chair, and the program director of the applicable graduate program, enroll for seven or fewer graduate credits in the last semester of undergraduate work.
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An applicant who does not possess a Texas teaching certificate or whose undergraduate credits do not include sufficient courses in a particular subject area necessary to the desired program may be admitted. A deficiency plan containing the needed undergraduate academic work will be prepared by the appropriate official for such a student. The student may concurrently enroll in graduate and undergraduate courses. Upon completion of the deficiency plan if all other admission criteria are satisfactorily met, the student’s enrollment status becomes regular.
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An applicant may be admitted conditionally when he or she shows evidence of meeting the regular admission criteria but has incomplete documentation (official transcripts, official GRE score report, letters of reference). A student so admitted must eliminate that conditional status no later than the completion of the first semester of graduate coursework. Failure to comply will result in not being allowed to register the next semester as well as transcripts being placed on hold. Departmental recommendation is required for Conditional Admission and for being dropped from the program.
Requirements
To receive a Master of Education degree, a student must meet the following requirements:
- The student must be admitted to degree candidacy.
- The student must earn 33 to 36 semester hours as prescribed in one of the following specific programs: Educational Administration (33 hours), Administration of Intervention Programs (36 hours), or Curriculum and Instruction (36 hours). These courses must be completed with a GPA of at least 3.00 with no grade below a “C.” A minimum of 18 semester hours must be taken at the 6000 level. An undergraduate course cross-referenced with a 5000-level course may not be repeated for graduate credit.
- The student must receive the recommendation of the assigned advisor(s) from the student’s major department(s) based upon satisfactory completion of a comprehensive examination. Satisfactory completion is defined as receiving a “pass” score on all questions required by the department and chosen by the student.
Degree Requirements
Core Courses
All Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree programs offered by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor must include the following core courses:
Admission to Candidacy for the Degree
A student whose enrollment status is Regular, who has completed at least 18 graduate semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher, and who has filed a degree plan is eligible to apply for candidacy for the Master of Education degree. Application is made to the Director of the Graduate Programs in the College of Education.
Comprehensive Examination
After being admitted to candidacy and earning at least 27 graduate semester hours (to include all core courses) with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher, students are required to pass a comprehensive examination given in their major department(s). The exam is offered once each semester. For the semester the student wishes to take the comprehensive examination, the student should enroll in the appropriate, non-fee course EDUC 6090, EXSS 6090 or READ 6090 and should complete the application form obtained from the secretary of the Department of Education. The exam is usually conducted on a Saturday approximately in the middle of the semester.
Retention and Dismissal
Each student admitted to the Master of Education (M.Ed.) program is expected to make satisfactory progress. A student’s progress is monitored at four consecutive stages. No student will be permitted to register for courses in subsequent stages unless all requirements for the preceding stage have been met:
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No. of Semester Hrs.
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Stage
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0-18
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Regular Admission
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18-27
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Admission to Candidacy
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27-36
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Comprehensive Examination
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36 or more
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Recommendation of Major Department for M.Ed
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