MUE-Internships

Internship Requirements

After successfully completing all required coursework, each student is screened for placement in an internship. The teaching internship (formerly called student teaching) is one of the most important experiences a College of Education student has. It is generally regarded as the culminating activity of the preparation to become a teacher. Internships are full-semester, full-time assignments and must be taken in residence.

Both undergraduate and alternative (nontraditional, fifth-year) students must file internship applications with the Office of Clinical Experiences in 101 Autherine Lucy Hall during the semester preceding the semester of the planned internships. The application process begins by attending a mandatory application session held at 4 p.m. in 118 Autherine Lucy Hall on the first Wednesday in October for spring-semester interns and the first Wednesday in March for fall-semester interns.

A student may apply to enroll for an internship if the following criteria have been met:

1. The student must have been admitted to the teacher education program or an alternative (nontraditional, fifth-year) program. Internship applications will not be processed until admission is verified.
2. The student must have completed all courses in the major before the internship or have written permission from the faculty adviser and Department Chair to intern. Music Education majors should have no more than 9 hours of core curriculum courses remaining before the internship semester for consideration.
3. The student must have earned a minimum grade point average of 2.75 for all University of Alabama courses attempted and all University of Alabama courses and transfer courses combined.
4. The student must have earned a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in each major, both for University of Alabama courses in each major and for combined University of Alabama courses and transfer courses in each major.
5. The student must have earned a minimum grade point average of 2.75 for professional education coursework, with no grade below a C in any professional education coursework.
6. The student must have completed all methods courses and appropriate professional coursework with grades of C or higher.
7. The student must have removed from the transcript any grade of incomplete (I) recorded in required courses; incomplete grades are treated as grades of F.
8. The student must have obtained passing scores on the appropriate Praxis subject assessment(s) for the teaching field.
9. The student must show mastery of required standards in all courses completed before internship, as indicated on the Individualized Standards Assessment Report.

Registration for Internship Credit Hours

Undergraduate students must register for 12 hours of MUE 497. The music education programs require two different internship placements, so students must register for two sections of MUE 497, which will require a waiver from the Music Education Office. An interning student is expected to enroll in MUE 497 and EDU 400-Internship Seminar. Interns must not expect to be enrolled in other courses while interning unless special permission is granted by the department head.

Policy on Internship Placements

All internship placements are coordinated by the College of Education Office of Clinical Experiences. A placement site will be selected to ensure the quality of the internship experience and the supervision the cooperating teacher provides. All internship placements (except for music education) are in the greater Tuscaloosa area to facilitate supervision of students by University faculty or another designee of the department heads. Placement outside the greater Tuscaloosa area is made only if the Office of Clinical Experiences and/or a department head determine(s) that appropriate local placement is unavailable.

A student may apply for an overseas internship if he or she meets certain criteria and if appropriate placement can be coordinated by the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching (COST) and/or The University of Alabama. Applications for overseas internships are taken during January for placements for the next fall semester and June for placements for the succeeding spring semester. Contact the Office of Clinical Experiences in 101 Autherine Lucy Hall for additional information.

Music Education Internship Assignments

Candidates who enroll for internships in music education should expect split assignments. Placements outside the greater Tuscaloosa area are the norm for Music Education candidates. Placements for music education candidates are traditionally in the Greater Birmingham or Huntsville Areas. Music Education candidates should, therefore, plan to complete the internship in areas outside the Tuscaloosa school systems.