1. Submit completed application for admission with fee.
2. Have a current teaching degree and certification from an accredited teacher preparation program (i.e. followed the traditional teacher education route to certification) or hold alternate route standard teacher certification.
3. Have a minimum of one (1) full academic year of teaching experience in a public or private school. NOTE: Master of Education in School Leadership and Supervision candidates are required to provide proof of at least three (3) years of teaching experience prior to admissions to the program, as a requirement of the Mississippi Department of Education. (Form provided with application packet)
4. Meet grade point average (GPA) requirements:
a) Have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 OR a 2.75 GPA or higher on the last 60 credits earned toward a bachelor degree OR
b) Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in 6 or more graduate courses previously attended OR documentation of 6 or more graduate credit hours taken in a regionally accepted graduate program. The graduate GPA supersedes the bachelor degree GPA.
5. IN ADDITION: Master of Education in Reading Literacy (M.Ed. /RL) applicants must be teaching in a public or private school and provide a Letter of Confirmation (part of the Application Packet) from a supervising administrator of the individual’s current school of employment indicating years of experience and potential as a Reading Literacy specialist.
6. IN ADDITION: Master of Education in School Leadership Administration (M.Ed./ADM) applicants:
a) Must present two letters of recommendation from: 1) your current school administrator and 2) a superintendent, another former school administrator, a supervising teacher, and/or another professional licensed educator. b) Must present a completed and signed copy of the Candidate Request Form for Intern Mentoring Supervisor. (Form provided in Application Packet)
c) May be required to provide a letter of explanation/appeal OR attend an interview on location, phone, Skype, FaceTime or Zoom.
d) Must be currently employed at the school building level due to the requirement to attain internship hours for licensure.
Out of State Candidates
The Belhaven University Graduate School of Education does not guarantee that candidates will be eligible in any state other than Mississippi to qualify for an educator initial certification, certification upgrade, or salary increase. Candidates are responsible for contacting their State Department of Education and/or State Licensure Board to ascertain the requirements for obtaining a license/certification or endorsement in the state of their residence or the state in which they may desire to serve as an educator. Candidates understand that they are responsible to verify whether or not the Belhaven University Educator Preparation Provider degrees in Education will be recognized by states other than Mississippi. Candidates will need to confirm in writing if the Belhaven School of Education degrees will qualify for initial educator licensure/certification or endorsements, certification upgrades, as well as confirm whether or not the degrees will lead to a salary increase in another state outside of Mississippi.
As part of their application, out of state candidates will sign an “Out of State Memorandum of Understanding” indicating that they are aware of the Belhaven University School of Education’s policies governing out of state educator licensures issues.
Time Frame for Earning School of Education Master Degrees
The time a candidate begins the first Graduate course in one of the Master degrees to the time the candidate completes the plan of study and graduates cannot exceed five (5) years. This includes the following degrees: MAT-Alt/Cert, M.Ed. - Curriculum and Instruction - or - Curriculum and Instruction/Education Technology, M.Ed. - Reading Literacy, or M.Ed./ADM - School Leadership and Supervision.
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