The College of Education’s graduate degrees focus on teacher education, counseling, school psychology, educational leadership, kinesiology, exercise science, instructional technology, higher education, and others.

The graduate programs in the College of Education strive to develop the skills and insights needed to address pressing educational problems across various contexts. The overarching goal of the College is to connect its teaching and research efforts to the improvement of the life condition, with the institution of the school representing its main target.  The College of Education offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts, the Educational Specialist, the Doctor of Education, and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION

The College of Education offers graduate work for the master of arts degree in counselor education (school counseling, clinical mental health counseling and rehabilitation counseling); educational leadership; higher education administration; educational psychology: general educational psychology; educational psychology: school psychometry; elementary education; kinesiology; secondary education (music education is available as a teaching field within secondary education); and special education.
 
The rules of The University of Alabama Graduate School pertaining to transfer of credit, academic progress, graduation requirements, admission to candidacy and time limits apply to all students in College of Education masters degree programs and are found in the Degree Requirements section of this catalog

Master of Arts

EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The College of Education offers graduate work for the educational specialist (EdS) degree in counselor education; educational leadership; educational psychology: general educational psychology, educational psychology, educational research, and school psychology; elementary education, secondary education (music education is available as a teaching field within secondary education); and special education.

The College of Education conducts its EdS programs in accordance with The University of Alabama Graduate School policies outlined in this catalog. The EdS degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of study beyond the master’s degree. Effective for candidates admitted July 1, 2017, and thereafter, a cumulative grade point average of not less than 3.50 is required for all courses in a Class AA teaching field or area of instructional support. Additionally, for admission to Class AA instructional support programs (School Counseling or School Psychology), at least two full years of full-time acceptable professional work experience is required. For admission to Class AA Teacher Leader, a minimum of three full years of full-time teaching experience in a P-12 setting is required.

Admission to the Graduate School does not mean that the EdS student is admitted to candidacy for the degree. Requirements for admission to candidacy for the EdS degree are the same as those for the master’s degree in the same area. A student should note any foreign language requirement. Each EdS student completes the Admission to Candidacy (found on Slate) for the EdS Degree form that is on the Graduate School’s website and submits it to the Graduate School.  The Graduate School must approve the student’s EdS plan of study prior to admission to candidacy for the degree.

A standard form for an EdS plan of study is not available at the Graduate School’s website, because each department or program participating in the EdS degree has established a framework of requirements for the degree that indicates the general structure of its program.

Additional information concerning the plan of study, admission to candidacy, admission and degree requirements may be outlined in the individual program descriptions, College of Education Admission requirements and the Graduate School’s Admission Criteria and Degree Requirements sections of this catalog.

Class AA Certification Programs

Graduate students seeking Class AA certification must enroll in and complete the EdS (or doctoral) State-approved program in that certification area in order to obtain University of Alabama recommendation for Class AA certification. A student who takes a course for credit in a master’s level program may not take the same course for credit in a sixth-year program. In compliance with regulations established by the Alabama Department of Education and outlined in the Alabama Administrative Code, coursework used to meet Class B or Class A certification requirements may not be used to meet certification requirements for Class AA certification in any teaching field or area of instructional support.

The College of Education conducts its EdS programs in accordance with The University of Alabama Graduate School policies outlined in the Degree Requirements section of this catalog.  The EdS degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of study beyond the master’s degree. (Students completing an EdS program and also expecting to receive an Alabama Class AA certificate for service in the public schools must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours and achieve a minimum 3.50 grade point average on all work attempted.)

Clinical Placements

All Class AA programs require extensive field experiences in diverse settings. The majority of field experiences must occur in P-12 schools, and at least half of these shall be in the candidate’s teaching field or area of instructional support. These placements are in the greater Tuscaloosa area (with the exception of music education and distance learning) in order to facilitate supervision of students. For Early Childhood Special Education and Early Childhood programs, field experiences shall include placements in at least two of the three main types of early education settings: P-3 classrooms, child care centers and homes, and Head Start programs. Placements for students in the Class AA Instructional Leader program are coordinated through the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Technology Studies.

All clinical placements in the College of Education relating to educator preparation are coordinated through the Office of Clinical Experiences.

Professional Liability

Students enrolled in College of Education courses that require a clinical placement should have professional liability insurance. Professional liability insurance may be purchased through an independent insurer or is available to students who are members of the Student Alabama Education Association (SAEA).

Educational Specialist

DOCTORAL PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION

Programs leading to the doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree are offered in counselor education, educational leadership, higher education administration, educational psychology, educational research, elementary education, kinesiology, instructional leadership, school psychology, secondary education (music education is available as a teaching field within secondary education), and special education.

Programs leading to the doctor of education (EdD) degree are offered in counselor education, educational leadership, higher education administration, educational psychology, elementary education, instructional leadership, secondary education (music education is available within secondary education), and special education. The doctoral programs are designed for school personnel and others engaged in educational service and leadership.

A masters degree from an accredited institution is required for admission into most of the EdD or PhD program in the College of Education. Some program areas, however, will consider applicants with only a bachelor’s degree for admission into a 90 hour doctoral degree program. Other objective and subjective criteria are employed to select students whose success can be reasonably predicted. Some doctoral programs have further prerequisites for admission such as a professional teaching certificate and/or certain experience in teaching or a related activity. Those who wish to pursue doctoral study in the College of Education should communicate directly with the head of the department to ensure they meet the prerequisites for the area in which they wish to study.

Doctor of Education

Doctor of Philosophy