College of Education and Human Sciences

Department of Education - Graduate Studies

Department Chair: Monica H. Riley 

Education Faculty

Professors: Twila Alpe, Richard Holden, Sue Jolly-Smith, Monica Riley, Linda Mahoney
Associate Professor: Royal Toy
Assistant Professors: Shelley Bock, April Coleman, Brenda Dickey, Bob Fuller, Chrystal Hodges

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 Education and Human Sciences 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 Department of Education 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 Arts in Teaching, Master of Education in Gifted Studies, Master of Education in Differentiated Instruction, Master of Education in Reading/Literacy, and Master of Education in Educational Leadership.

Progression in the Program

1. The potential Graduate student must make formal application for admission, providing official transcripts of all coursework (undergraduate and graduate), GRE scores, 3 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 no subscore less than 18 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 upgrades.
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 and will be returned by the last day of the same 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 his/her last semester.
12. The Comprehensive Examination will be given 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 Saturday 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 incompletes remain on the student’s academic record.

Programs

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

Department of Health and Kinesiology

Department Chair: Mark Bean

Health and Kinesiology Faculty

Professor: Mark Bean
Associate Professors: K. Randell Foxworth, Angelia Paschal
Assistant Professors: Chad Murphy, Caroline Payne-Purvis, Irene T. Pintado, Krista Woods

Programs

• •  Health Education, M.S.