College of Arts, Sciences, and Education

Division of Education and Outreach - Graduate Studies

Coordinator of Graduate Programs in Education: Martin Hatton

Education Faculty

Professor: Twila Alpe
Associate Professor: Brenda Dickey,
Assistant Professors: Kelly Bennett, Chrystal Hodges
Visiting Assistant Professor: Leigh Todd

NCATE (CAEP) Accreditation

The MUW Educator Preparation Unit and all programs in education are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).The MUW teacher certification programs are also approved by the Mississippi Department of Education, which makes graduates of these programs eligible for Mississippi Educator Licensure in the approved areas. The NCATE accrediting body has merged with another accrediting organization (TEAC) to form the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The accreditation covers both initial and advanced educator preparation programs. Since many states have reciprocity agreements based on graduation from NCATE/CAEP accredited schools, graduates of NCATE/CAEP accredited institutions will generally find it easier to apply for educator licensure when they move out of state.

Quality Assurance Policy

All teacher education programs are covered by the Mississippi Institution of Higher Learning Quality Assurance Policy. The University warrants the quality of our graduates for a period of two years immediately following graduation. Certain guidelines do apply. Contact the College of Arts, Sciences and Education for more information.

Program Purpose:

The Graduate Programs in Education provide high quality, advanced professional development and leadership training for educators, which will strengthen their theoretical knowledge, their practice, and increase their accountability for student learning. This reflects the University’s mission of professional education with an emphasis on academic and leadership preparation.

The conceptual framework of the Division of Education and Outreach has been extended for Graduate Studies in Education to include the five core propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The related belief statements that follow each core proposition further characterize the advanced programs in education.

1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from their experience.
5. Teachers are members of learning communities.

The Graduate Programs in Education are: Master of Education and the Master of Arts in Teaching. The Master of Education provides candidates a choice of three different pathways for completion; Educational Leadership, Gifted Studies, or Reading/Literacy.

Progression in the Program

1. The potential Graduate student must make formal application for admission, providing official transcripts of all coursework (undergraduate and graduate), email addresses and/or contact information for three references who are willing to provide letters of recommendation, proof of immunization, teaching license or proof of eligibility, and $25.00 application fee. (MAT applicants must submit passing scores on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators OR ACT scores of 21 or above AND Praxis II, content area.)
2. The Graduate student, in consultation with his/her advisor, works out a proposed program of study.
3. After the completion of the appropriate number of hours and/or semesters, as indicated in the section on Graduate Admissions in the Graduate Bulletin, the student who has been admitted conditionally must meet with his/her advisor to determine whether the student’s admission status can be changed.
4. The Graduate student must meet with his/her advisor prior to registration to secure approval for courses to be taken in the ensuing semester.
5. The Graduate student must submit an official transcript of any transfer credits before his/her last semester of coursework. The Graduate faculty must approve any transfer work applied to the student’s program. No more than 6 hours with minimum grade of B may be transferred.
6. Withdrawal from a graduate class should be done in consultation with an advisor and must be approved by the College Dean.
7. Once graduate students have accumulated at least six hours of graduate credit at MUW, they must apply for candidacy by the end of their next semester of enrollment.
8. All requests for modification of the Candidacy Form must be made in writing to the Program Coordinator whose approval allows the student to proceed with courses as planned.
9. A minimum of 15 semester hours must be completed following the student’s admission to candidacy.
10. Before graduation all graduate students will submit a professional portfolio to the Coordinator of Graduate Programs in Education. For August graduates, portfolios are due the first day of the second summer session. For May and December graduates, portfolios are due one month prior to graduation. Students are advised to keep a copy of all contents for their own records.
11. To take the Comprehensive Examination, the student must submit a written request to the Coordinator of Graduate Programs in Education at the beginning of the semester exams are to be attempted.
12. The Comprehensive Examination will be administered in Room 211, Education/HS Building, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Exams are usually scheduled for the last Saturday in April, the third Friday in June, and the first Saturday in December. Please confirm date, time, location, and other pertinent information in advance of the exam.
13. The Graduate student needs to meet with his/her advisor to confirm completion of graduation requirements: all admission and program requirements have been satisfied, all transcripts of transfer credit have been submitted to and processed by the Registrar, the comprehensive examinations have been completed satisfactorily, the MUW cumulative GPA and the overall GPA are at least a 3.0 and no grades of incomplete remain on the student’s academic record.

Programs

• •  Gifted Education (K-12) Add-On Certification
• •  M.Ed., Concentration in Educational Leadership
• •  M.Ed., Concentration in Gifted Studies
• •  M.Ed., Concentration in Reading/Literacy
• •  Master of Arts in Teaching, M.A.T., Secondary Teacher Education (Alternate Route)
• •  Reading Add-On Certification

Department of Languages, Literature, and Philosophy

Department Chair:  Dr. Kendall A. Dunkelberg
Graduate Director of Women’s Studies:  Dr. Bridget Smith Pieschel
Graduate Director of Creative Writing:  Dr. Kendall A. Dunkelberg

Languages, Literature, and Philosophy Faculty

Professors:  Kendall Dunkelberg and Bridget Smith Pieschel
Assistant Professors:  Thomas Kris Lee and Brandy T. Wilson
Visiting Assistant Professor: Mary Miller

 

Programs

• •  Creative Writing, M.F.A.
• •  Women’s Leadership, M.A.

Department of Theatre

Director of Graduate Studies:
Department Chair: David Carter

Theatre Faculty

Professor: David Carter
Associate Professor: Lee Crouse
Instructors:  Kevin Crawford, Scott McGehee