Specialist in Education
Elementary Education Concentration
Admission Requirements
Students are admitted to the specialist program through a completed application, meeting all admission
requirements, an interview, and a writing sample. No students will be admitted on a provisional or
probationary status. Students may transfer in six hours of coursework from any accredited institution
with advisor approval. Coursework in a previous degree may not be used toward the specialist degree.
To fulfill the requirements for admission to the specialist in elementary education degree program, the
student must:
(1) Hold (or qualify to hold) a master’s degree from an institution fully accredited by a recognized
accrediting agency;
(2) Hold (or qualify to hold) a Class AA certificate in elementary education;
(3) Present evidence of acceptable scholarship:
a. An average of at least 3.25 on previous master’s degree work and
b. A minimum composite score of 800 (taken prior to July 2012) on the verbal and
quantitative subsections of the Graduate Record Examination or 290 (verbal and
quantitative – taken after July 2012). The Miller’s Analogy Test score of 370 is also
accepted.
OR
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
c. An average of at least 3.50 on a previous master’s degree work and
d. A minimum composite score of 750 (taken prior to July 2012) on the verbal and
quantitative subsections of the Graduate Record Examination or 285 (verbal and
quantitative – taken after July 2012). The Miller’s Analogy Test score of 350 is also
accepted.
Have completed at least two years of successful teaching experience (as indicated by the
verification form);
Complete and file with the graduate admissions office the proper application for admission to
the graduate school;
Complete the interview and writing component of the admission process;
Provide transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work;
Submit vitae or resume.
Requirements for All Candidates
The academic requirements for a specialist in elementary education degree are the 36-hour program
outlined below, successful completion of the research component and a comprehensive examination
taken during the final trimester of coursework.
Professional Education Core (12 hours)
EDU 701 Seminar in K-12 Education (Online)
EDU 702 Advanced K-12 School Curriculum (Online)
EDL 703 Theories of Learning (Online)
RSH 720 Research Foundations
Research Component (6 hours)
EDU 721 Field Research Project (Online)
Special Education Requirement (6 hours)
EDU 660 Organization Procedures for Special Education (Online)
EDU 663 Learning Disabilities (Online)
Electives (12 hours)
Choose four courses with approval of advisor.
EDU 601 Social Studies in the Elementary School (Online)
EDU 602 Children’s Literature in the Elementary School (Online)
EDU 603 Seminar in Early Childhood
EDU 607 Mathematics in the Elementary School (Online)
EDU 609 Science in the Elementary School (Online)
EDU 615 Language Arts in the Elementary School
EDU 616 Art in the Elementary School (Online)
EDU 626 Cooperative Learning (Online)
EDU 627 Performance Assessment (Online)
EDU 637 Advanced Diagnosis of Reading and Writing
FOR MAT GRADUATES
Instead of the 12 hours of electives for completion of the 36-hour program, the following courses are
required for completion of the 51-hour program. This program will allow an educator to add the K-4
license to an existing 4-6 license.
Additional Requirements (27 hours)
EDU 574 Reading in the Middle/Secondary School
EDU 601 Social Studies in the Elementary School (Online)
EDU 603 Seminar in Early Childhood
EDU 607 Mathematics in the Elementary School (Online)
EDU 609 Science in the Elementary School (Online)
EDU 615 Language Arts in the Elementary School
EDU 616 Art in the Elementary School (Online)
EDU 627 Performance Assessment (Online)
EDU 637 Advanced Diagnosis of Reading and Writing